Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Youth City 2030
StartUp Bahrain, the leading platform for startups in Bahrain, supported by the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), hosted its highly anticipated StartUp Bahrain Pitch series at Youth City 2030.
The event was attended by Youth Affairs Minister Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfeeqi, Labour Fund (Tamkeen) chief executive Maha Abdulhameed Mofeez, and Bahrain Development Bank (BDB) group chief executive Dalal Al Qais.
The event was organised in collaboration with key industry stakeholders, including the Industry and Commerce Minister, the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), and BDB.
During the event, Tuba Terekli, Misk 2030 Leader, gave a keynote that covered key insights about pursuing entrepreneurship and succeeding at it.
The event showcased five Bahraini startups presenting their innovative ideas to a panel of experienced local and regional judges that included, Cotyledon co-founder and chief executive Hassan Ikram, Techstars Investment Associate Ahmed Eid, Misk 2030 Leader Tuba Terekli, and 12x VC founder Laith Zraikat.
The featured startups included Bayader, an educational app designed to develop the mindset and character of entrepreneurs through targeted training programs; Twazn, an innovative robo-advisory and digital investment platform that provides clients with access to highly affordable, customised investment portfolios tailored to their unique risk profiles; Numuw, a specialist platform for child and adolescent behavioral health, offering seamless collaboration between families/schools and certified experts; ArabiQuest, an Arabic language platform aimed at children designed with gamified literacy modules; and PetPal, a subscription-based service that solves the lack of personalization in the pet industry by delivering monthly boxes for cats and dogs.
After carefully evaluating each startup, the judges awarded first place to ArabiQuest, founded by Aqeela Allahyari, and second place to Numuw, founded by Ingy Alireza. Reflecting on their significant win, Aqeela Abbas expressed deep gratitude for the chance to showcase her startup on a national platform.
“We’re beyond grateful for the incredible support from Bahrain’s vibrant entrepreneurial community, including the Industry and Commerce Ministry, EDB, Tamkeen, and BDB,” said Aqeela.
“This competition has been a crucial turning point for us, offering the opportunities and resources we needed to elevate our startup. The guidance from StartUp Bahrain and the encouragement from all the key players have truly shaped our journey, and we’re excited to continue growing and innovating in Bahrain.”