Bader Al-Kharafi: In every idea, I find new inspiration.. and with guidance and mentoring, the youths' ideas become a reality that makes the future
- Zain has adopted a platform that combines technological momentum, support, guidance, and the flow of intelligent investments
- 11 companies from 6 Arab countries presented their projects in front of investors and business partners
- Zain Ventures explores investment opportunities in the startups participating in ZGI
Khaberni - On a special day that combined innovation and opportunities, Zain Group hosted the Demo Day event in a decisive and final stop of its leading program to accelerate emerging technology companies, Zain Great Idea.
The company mentioned that the Demo Day event held in the Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait opened doors for partnerships and investment opportunities in front of young entrepreneurs from 6 countries for Zain markets (Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE) where the entrepreneurs presented presentations in front of a selection of investors, business partners, and executive leaders from various countries of the region, showcasing the progress of their businesses and their strategic plans for growth, and they had the chance to connect directly with them to discuss investment paths, collaboration, and partnerships.
It is worth mentioning that this exceptional event took place in the presence of the Vice Chairman and CEO of Zain Group Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, Sheikh Jaber Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and the CEO of Zain Kuwait Nawaf Al-Gharabally, and many executive leaders in the Zain Group and its operational activities, embodying Zain's vision in transforming business accelerators into real growth engines and empowering startups.
Zain Ventures is exploring investment opportunities in the startups participating in this year's edition of the Zain Great Idea program, a step that reflects Zain's commitment to transforming acceleration paths into scalable funding and growth opportunities.
This step is part of Zain Ventures' approach that links innovation with outcomes, by enabling promising companies to accelerate their expansion, enhance their readiness for business partnerships and investments, and enter new markets with greater confidence.
In his comment, Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi said: "At this final station of the journey, ideas are transformed into opportunities, and opportunities into real partnerships and investments. It is a transformative moment that will take these ideas to the markets. In each idea, I find new inspiration, and with guidance and mentoring, the ideas of the youth are turned into a reality that makes the future."
He added: "We hope this event will create opportunities that transform dreams into value, and innovations into reality, so we can test the strength of the business models we have built together, to see how far they can create economic value."
Al-Kharafi indicated that over the past 15 years, the Zain Great Idea program was not just a fleeting local initiative. "Our goal was to establish a smart ecosystem linking talents with opportunities: an ecosystem that transforms ideas into startups leading change."
He continued: "Today, we have the largest regional business accelerator programs in 6 markets: Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, and we know that modern technologies represent the vital nerve for business expansion. Therefore, in this edition of ZGI we adopted a clearer vision in reshaping traditional investment: by building a platform that combines technological momentum, support, and the flow of intelligent investments."
He added: "This year we provided double power, combining the strength of Zain Ventures in providing investment support and venture capital, with ZainTECH's strength in providing advisory support and modern technology solutions in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and cybersecurity."
Al-Kharafi addressed the entrepreneurs saying: "My message to you is clarity, decisiveness in decision making, continuously discussing problems, awareness of challenges before they arise, and looking for partnerships that create value. An investor doesn’t just bet on the idea alone, but on a team that makes an exceptional reality, and a decisive leader who executes without hesitation."
He concluded saying: "What we celebrate today is a collective effort made by teams driven by a passion for leadership and change. This effort has not gone without global recognition and appreciation, as the ZGI program recently acquired a global stature by winning the 'Emerging Power in Business' award from the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris."
Finally, Al-Kharafi concluded his statement saying: "Finally, my deepest gratitude to the ZGI team and the Zain Ventures team, who succeeded in making this regional vision of the program a reality that impacts the world of entrepreneurship. My word to them today is 'with your creativity, the values of teamwork have been embodied'."
This event embodied the extended legacy of the Zain Great Idea program, which has moved in its latest edition to an unprecedented regional level across 6 markets within the Zain Group's operations, enhancing its position as a platform that links talents with opportunities and accelerates the transformation of innovations into companies capable of expansion and making an impact.
The latest edition came with strength through the integration of roles of Zain Ventures – the investment arm of the group – and ZainTECH - the regional provider of digital solutions belonging to it - merging institutional governance and practical market access, where participants benefited from academic and advanced technical support, in addition to connecting them with Zain's technical and commercial teams and the business sector to explore opportunities for implementing pilot projects and building business partnerships in the group’s markets.
During the journey over the past months, the participating companies went through multiple stations including intensive training camps, guidance and counseling sessions, alongside an inspiring trip to Silicon Valley which marked one of the most prominent stages of this season's program.
The global acceleration experience in Silicon Valley prepared the companies to present their offers through organized training and improving presentation capabilities, leading up to the day of showcasing the startups at the international round in the city of Palo Alto, providing a unique environment for accelerating partnership and potential funding opportunities.
Zain emphasized that since its first launch in Kuwait, the program has achieved positive impacts on the business environment of startups, explaining that the current edition has made it a digital bridge between local innovations to the markets of the region and global technology companies, as investing in creative talents and minds is the fundamental goal to push the wheel of the knowledge economy.
The Demo Day event gathered a number of entrepreneurial representatives from various Zain markets in the region, where they worked on addressing real challenges through scalable technology-supported solutions.
Noor Al-Fadli from Kuwait led VEHAB, a virtual reality platform that reshapes the rehabilitation experience through immersive simulations at a 360-degree angle supporting physical and cognitive recovery within realistic environments.
Representing Kuwait as well was Ahmad Al-Ibrahim, co-founder of "Thiqa", the first research platform in Kuwait connecting brands with verified local participants for quick and high-quality insights, alongside Eid Al-Mujibl, founder of "Tanmiya", an Arabic platform that enables creators and content makers to easily monetize content and digital products in one place.
Hanan Al-Kulaib along with Basma Al-Humaizi, the co-founders of the Playbook Kuwait platform, presented innovative ideas to facilitate the discovery and booking of children's parties for parents, and help providers grow their businesses.
The event also saw participation from Rashed and Yousuf Al-Otaibi, the co-founders of Outing, a reliable Kuwaiti platform for booking chalets, villas, and holiday homes, with secure payments and trusted listings, completed by Abdulwahab Al-Tabtabai, co-founder of the "Farah" platform, a comprehensive digital destination for wedding planning and simplifying the preparation journey for couples.
Maha and Lynn Rassiyis from Saudi Arabia, the co-founders of WePay, a financial technology platform adopting the escrow account model to enhance transaction security and build trust between sellers and buyers, whether individuals or companies, also participated.
Ghassan Asfahani from Bahrain, co-founder of the platform "Wajba" that helps food and beverage companies sell surplus food at reduced prices, reducing waste, recovering revenues, and making meals more affordable, was there too. From Iraq, Khaled Al-Saadi introduced his company "Jameela.com", an online platform connecting sellers to buyers, enabling digital commerce and inventory management, streamlining the workflow of supply chains.
Ahmed Al-Seif from Jordan, founder of Alefredo EdTech, a platform developing an academic assistant powered by artificial intelligence to manage the entire academic journey, presented its services to thousands of students in several countries, having recently expanded its impact through the acquisition of a private tutoring platform based in the United Kingdom.
The edition also had representation from the UAE, as Kawther Taher - founder of MeNOW Health - brought a technological solution in women's health supporting marginalized women by combining science, empathy, and innovation to create more aware and empowered health experiences.
Recently, the ZGI program was crowned with the 'Emerging Power in Business' award during the annual Corporate Startup Stars Awards held at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) headquarters in the French capital, Paris. This international recognition highlighted Zain's pioneering position in the fields of innovation and accelerating startups in the region's markets for more than 15 years.
This award also highlighted the global partnerships that have made innovation a fundamental pillar in business strategies, launching acceleration programs, building new companies, concluding cooperation agreements with venture capital funds, and enhancing internal entrepreneurship.
