Submission Deadline: January 4, 2016
The MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition, in partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives
The Competition targets 21 countries of the Arab region, brings in more than 5,000 applications a year and engages entrepreneurs in mentorship and networking. So far, the Competition has trained 1,500 entrepreneurs and has create over 250 knowledge based jobs. It receives applications in 4 different tracks: Ideas, Startups, Social Entrepreneurship, and The Silicon Valley Program.
How to Apply:
Idea Tracks
Eligibility Criteria for the Ideas track
- At least two members per team
- At least one Arab national on the team
- No Working Prototype required
- No Sales
- No Registration required when applying, but winners are required to incorporate a company in one of the Arab countries in order to be able to receive their prize
- Should not have received any previous funding
- Your Ideas can be in ANY industry
Startup Track:
Eligibility Criteria for the Startups Track
- At least two members per team
- At least one Arab national on the team
- Working prototype, ideally with some user traction and some sales
- Generates at most $500K in annual revenues
- 0-5 years in operations
- Legally registered in one of the Arab countries
- Your Startup can be in ANY industry
Eligibility Criteria for the Social Entrepreneurship Track
- At least two members per team
- At least one Arab national on the team
- You should have a registered social enterprise, as we are targeting “Startups” stage social enterprises (It can be for-profit or non-for-profit)
- Your core product/service needs to address a social problem targeting marginalised/disadvantaged population
- Your Social Enterprise can be in ANY industry
Prizes
- Startups Track: $50K for the first winner, $15K for the second winner, and $10K for the third winner
- Ideas Track: $15K for the first winner, $10K for the second winner, and $5K for the third winner
- Social Entrepreneurship Track: 3 winners winning $10K each
Timeline
- Deadline for submissions: January 4, 2016
- Announcement of the 70 semifinalist teams: February 1, 2016
- Pre-boot Camp in 4 different Arab countries (Egypt,Jordan,Morocco and UAE): Date TBC
- Lean startup Training: 11-12 April, 2016
- Round 2 Judging-Speed dating activity-Networking dinner & announcement of the finalists: April 13, 2016
- Final oral presentations: April 14, 2016
- Final Awards Ceremony-Announcement of the winners followed by a Gala Dinner: April 14, 2016
- MIT Technology Review Arab Edition full day conference: April 15, 2016
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the 9th MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition