ALJCI lists first round semifinalists of MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition

The MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition, in partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI), has selected the first batch of semifinalist teams from across the Arab region who will gather in Cairo for an intensive three-day workshop from May 20 to 22. The workshop will provide the opportunity to practice their pitches, receive one-to-one coaching sessions, and engage in networking prospects to pitch their projects and receive immediate feedback.
While the qualifying teams will be announced gradually, the competition is still open for applicants at www.mitarabcompetition.com until all 50 teams with ideas and startups have been selected. Entrepreneurs with ideas and startups in all sectors can win more than $100,000 in prize money. A new addition to the competition, the Global Track, will allow entrepreneurs with established companies to receive funding from international VCs and gain exposure from Silicon Valley, CA.
Fifteen teams qualified so far from both the ideas and startups tracks are from Lebanon, Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, and the UAE. These entrepreneurs are from various sectors in telecommunication, health and health care, construction and transportation, energy and environmental services, and travel and tourism.
This year sees a large presence of women entrepreneurs with an average of at least one woman on each of those teams, as well as many young entrepreneurs of which some are students.
"We are excited that today’s entrepreneurs are innovating across diverse and non-traditional industries, and their startups are addressing issues that will create positive impact on their communities," says Hala Fadel, chair of the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan Arab Region.
"One hundred and fifty semifinalists will be selected to participate in a four-day high-energy training next May to engage with the whole ecosystem, learn from their peer entrepreneurs, and get instant feedback from experts on their projects," she added.