MENA Dojo's Third Edition Under Way in Kuwait

DOHA, Qatar, April 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) – part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovation (QF RDI) – in partnership with global venture capital firm 500 Startups, launched the third edition of the MENA Dojo Series A Program in Kuwait on March 31. This edition sees the participation of 14 of the most promising technology startups from across the MENA region, including two from Qatar.

 

MENA Dojo is a regional spin-off of the internationally-coveted 500 Startups Series A Accelerator Program. Technology startups participating in this program must have previously raised funding from other investors, and are now preparing to scale-up and raise their Series A round – a startup's first significant round of venture capital funding that enables its rapid growth and development.

Over the course of the program, the startups will be provided with intensive, one-on-one training and mentorship in developing a mindset for accelerated growth.  Startups will learn and execute highly effective marketing techniques designed to rapidly grow their customer base, thereby increasing their likelihood of securing Series A investments and ensure their long-term business success.

The two Qatari-founded startups participating this year are ADGS and MaktApp. ADGS sells a suite of products that use artificial intelligence (AI), behavioral biometrics, and emergent behavior. Founded by Hassan Al Ansari, President; Christophe Billiottet, CEO; and Nahuel Gonzalez, CTO, the startup is a recipient of QSTP's Product Development Fund, which is dedicated to funding SMEs and startups that develop products and services relevant to local market needs.

MaktApp, co-founded by Saleh Al-Mansouri, CEO, and Waleed Al Obadi, CTO, are the minds behind fatora.io, an invoicing platform driven by AI that streamlines online payments between vendors and customers in the MENA region. MaktApp is currently incubated at QSTP and is also an alumnus of QSTP's XLR8, Qatar's premier technology accelerator program, which is designed to take a tech-based service or product from the idea stage all the way to a validated minimum viable product or prototype.