Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has selected 10 startups from Africa and UAE to participate in its Global Business Forum (GBF) Mentorship Programme which was launched as part of Africa Tech Summit Kigali, earlier this year.
Five startups from Africa will join the Dubai mentorship program, namely: FarmGate Africa, a startup using advanced technologies to connect international buyers and farming clusters; quip.link, an online marketplace for renting and selling construction equipment; Complete Farmer, a crowd-farming platform focused on building sustainable farms; Engineering Hub Ltd, a provider of IT services and solutions for mobile and banking integration platforms; and RideSafe, an mobile application offering real-time health solutions.
Prior to their selection, the 10 shortlisted startups participated in the first-ever Chamberthon which took place at Africa Tech Summit Kigali. During the Chamberthon, 20 UAE and African startups worked together to develop the structure and criteria of the GBF Mentorship Programme, highlights from the Summit in Rwanda are below.
These will join Five UAE startups, members of Dubai Startup Hub, were selected to take part in the three-month programme, namely: Evolvin Women, a startup helping unemployed women from developing countries; ORENDA+Bloom, a gender balance consultancy; Tuitify, a startup using AI and virtual reality to improve employee training and productivity; Designhubz, a SaaS platform that enables retailers and brands to sell their products in 3D; and Pixel House, a production agency offering video production, photography and branding solutions.
The selection marks the start of the second phase of the programme which involves intensive training and mentorship sessions. Following the three-month period, selected startups will be given an opportunity to participate in a session at the 5th Global Business Forum on Africa in November 2019 and exhibit during the high-level business forum in Dubai.
H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the selection of participating startups is an important step forward in establishing bridges of communication and cross-border cooperation between UAE and African startups. He pointed out that many of the selected startups specialise in advanced technologies, smart solutions, artificial intelligence and fintech, adding collaboration these key areas would pave the way for mutual benefits and growth for both business communities.
“Startups are playing an active role in fostering innovation as they leverage and test out cutting-edge technologies that improve the way we live and work. The GBF Mentorship Programme provides an ideal platform for high-potential startups to develop their business concepts, benefit from collaboration, access new growth opportunities through the Global Business Forum on Africa platform, and build valuable partnerships,” he said, adding that such efforts fall complement Dubai Chamber’s programmes and initiatives offered to entrepreneurs through Dubai Startup Hub.
