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The first phase of the Zain Great Idea tech startup accelerator regional edition kicked off with intensive training bootcamps that brought together leading global, regional, and local experts across Zain markets. The program’s new cohort spent weeks learning practical ways to accelerate their tech startups and prepare for regional and international growth.
In Kuwait, before the bootcamp, Zain hosted an orientation session at its Shuwaikh HQ, joined by the company’s executive management team, where participants met ZGI partners and received an overview of the bootcamp’s roadmap and objectives. The new regional format is designed to open doors to mentorship, funding, and broader exposure for founders in Kuwait and across the region.
Entrepreneurs engaged directly with program partners, including executive management from ZainTECH and Zain Ventures, in addition to Abdulaziz Al-Dhubaib, Founder of Nizek Tech, Saud Al-Subaie, Founder of Cuadro Business Consulting, Omar Al-Othman, Co-founder of Prismic Media, and Fahad Al-Ibrahim, CEO of Prismic Media.
The bootcamp featured one-to-one and speed mentoring sessions focused on core areas such as product, go-to-market, finance, and operations. The goal was to help participants strengthen their foundations and move faster toward sustainable growth and market expansion.
The bootcamp was led by a select group of international and local experts. They included Prof. Paris de L’Etraz of IE Business School in Spain, who has more than 20 years of experience in investment and venture capital and serves as Managing Director of IE Venture Lab, one of Europe’s largest startup accelerators.
The program also hosted Paul Marca, Chief Executive Officer of Parallax Global Advisors and former Associate Vice Provost at Stanford University, a prominent speaker on innovation, entrepreneurship, and the future of work and education.
Additional sessions were delivered by Gaelle Abou Abdo, an entrepreneur specialized in human resources, organizational development, digital marketing, and consumer behavior. She is CEO of Ivy & Company, and previously headed Innovation and Transformation at Nestlé Middle East and, along with being an Assistant Professor at IE Business School.
The bootcamp also welcomed Norhan Al Dhann, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Noor Coaching, who shared insights from advising more than 450 startups across six countries with a focus on investment readiness and financial planning.
Zain specialists from business solutions, sales, technical solutions, and business development took part, along with founders from previous editions of Zain Great Idea who shared their journeys and lessons learned with the new cohort.
This year’s edition is supported by Zain Ventures, the Group’s investment arm for emerging technologies, and ZainTECH, its regional digital and ICT solutions arm. For the first time in the program’s 15-plus year history, applications were opened to candidates from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, creating new opportunities for mentorship, funding, and international exposure.
Zain Ventures aims to identify and invest in promising startups from the cohort. ZainTECH will work closely with ZGI to support selected startups joining the Silicon Valley phase, offering expertise in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytics, robotics, and other advanced technologies that drive growth.
The expansion marks a major milestone for ZGI, as previous editions focused on the Kuwaiti market. The new regional launch underscores Zain’s long-term commitment to advancing technological innovation and entrepreneurship across the region.
Source: Zain Press Release
