Techstars EMEA

🌟𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆🌟 Powered by our partners at the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), Techstars was tasked with creating a dynamic one-day conference to kick off the inaugural WED Forum 2024. The event featured an impressive lineup of global and regional leaders and experts, each sharing invaluable insights on building sustainable ecosystems, the strength of impactful partnerships, and the transformative role of emerging technologies across industries. For the ‎أنجال ز | Anjal Z Cohort 05 startups it was an opportunity to take the stage to pitch their groundbreaking solutions to a room of leaders from Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem. These founders – Neolook Solutions, Nao Now, Jade Autism ND, Raising Superstars, Cubtale and Cali's Books – are on a mission to drive meaningful change in early childhood development. Their dedication and vision are setting new standards for innovation in this space. We extend our deepest appreciation to all the speakers and panellists whose expertise and contributions made Innovation Day a resounding success: 💠 H.E Badr Al-Olama (ADIO) for his inspiring welcome on behalf of Abu Dhabi 💠 H.E Dr Yousef Alhammadi (ECA) for sharing ECA’s forward-thinking vision 💠 Katie Smith (Techstars) for doing an amazing job at MC-ing the day 💠 Ian Hathaway (Far Out Ventures) for his keynote on the importance of innovation in building ecosystems 💠 Abdulaziz AlJaziri (Dubai Future Foundation), Lars Frølund (MIT), and Ian Hathaway for their insights on maintaining sustainable ecosystems. 💠 Kurt Workman (Owlet) for sharing his journey as an early childhood development unicorn 💠 Ami Shah (Peakapak), Dabriel Choi (EveryBaby), Madiha Parvez (PureHealth), and Natalia Krysiak (Cities for Play) for highlighting the impact of partnerships on children and families in Abu Dhabi. 💠 Maryam A Hassani (ECA), Isabelle Hau (Stanford), Zelda Yanovich (Fam Studio), H.E Sara Al Nuaimi (Sheraa), Jennifer Langton, MBA, Omkar Kulkarni, MPH (Children’s Hospital LA), Hafeezah Muhammad (Backpack Healthcare) and Todd Yellin for exploring the transformative potential of emerging technology in early care and education, sports, family healthcare, and entertainment. 💠 Mohamed Al Mazrouei (ECA), Michael Downing (MDSV Capital/), Heather Henyon (Mindshift Capital), Christie Pitts (Panasonic Well), and Nader AlBastaki (Dubai Future District Fund) for their discussion on the transformation of the funding landscape. 💠Chris Yeh (Blitzscaling Ventures) for closing the day with a visionary perspective on the future role of AI. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority for their visionary leadership and to all the speakers, and mentors who made Innovation Day a memorable success. Together, we’re building a global community dedicated to innovation and positive change for children and families everywhere. Here’s to the continued success of our Cohort 05 founders and the groundbreaking work they are doing. 🚀👶✨

We’re thrilled to share highlights from the 𝗔𝗯𝘂 𝗗𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲+ (𝗔𝗗𝗬𝗖+) Techstars Startup Weekend, powered by the incredible Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority! 🎉 This outstanding 3-day journey brought together aspiring entrepreneurs, students, professionals, and academics from all walks of life—all working to tackle challenges in 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 🌱👶 ✨ 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: ✅𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱-𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁: 286 registrations, 156 shortlisted attendees, 58 ideas pitched, 18 teams formed. ✅ 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: Participants got a real taste of the startup world, pitching ideas, building prototypes, and learning from top founders and mentors. ✅ 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 & 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: A platform to connect, grow a community, and even secure internships with the Launch Track startups. 🤝   ✅ 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The top 3 teams took home awards, and along with five others joined the post-program support initiative with Bolt Consultancy for ongoing mentorship, partnerships with MBZUAI (Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence), and a chance to win up to AED 10,000! 💸 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼: 🥇 Skill Level 🥈 ChildSense 🥉 GrowAI This weekend was all about empowering the next generation of innovators and building a community committed to driving impactful change. 🌍💡  This weekend would not have been possible without the ongoing commitment of the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority. Thank you to everyone who made this event a success, and congratulations to all participants for their hard work and dedication! 👏 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀: Cecilia Vaca Jones Hamdan Al-Ali 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: Ahmed Sobhy, XIOT Tarek Ghobar, Paymennt.com Dr. Buyiswa Mokhosi, Ministry of Education Alex Pavel, Sovos Lawrence P Petalidis, PhD, M42 Yahya I., MBZUAI Jonathan Steingiesser, ECA Anup Namboodiri, ECA Hani ELKukhun, Beyond One Keltoum Zniber, AHOY 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀: Mohamed Al Mazrouei, ECA Ahmed Al Bawardi, Badiya Capital Rawdha AlMeraikhi, MBZUAI Katie Smith, Techstars Ghina E., Microsoft #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Innovation #EarlyChildhood #Techstars #ADYC #AbuDhabi #StartupWeekend

🌟 That's a wrap for Cohort 05 of the ‎أنجال ز | Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Program, powered by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA). Over the past 10 weeks, our 20 selected startups—14 early-stage Ignite startups and 6 growth-stage Launch startups have shown immense dedication and growth in their mission to advance early childhood development. Our heartfelt thanks to the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, whose innovative approach, dedication and support to running this program exemplify their commitment to a brighter future for the children and families of Abu Dhabi. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗹 𝗭 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝟬𝟱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳: ✅ 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀, 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Our founders participated in a series of masterclasses designed to equip them with vital skills, from customer discovery to financial modelling.  These were complemented by localization classes and personalized mentorship from industry experts,1:1’s with the Techstars PM and weekly pitch feedback sessions. Our Launch startups also benefited from a 4-week in-person program in Abu Dhabi. This enabled the founders to forge invaluable connections, embed within the local ecosystem, and most importantly find one or more local entities with which to partner to launch their innovative solutions on the ground to benefit the children and families of Abu Dhabi. ✅ 𝗔𝗗𝗬𝗖+ (𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱): The Abu Dhabi Youth Challenge+ brought together a record-breaking 150+ people and 18 teams for a 3-day hackathon to create innovative startup ideas in the early childhood development space. They were supported by expert mentorship, startup workshops and pitch feedback to enable them to create viable startup solutions that 8 of the top teams are now developing further in a post-program ✅ 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲: For this cohort, our ecosystem development event took the form of Innovation Day, a dynamic one-day conference event kicking off the inaugral WED Forum 2024. Our Launch founders took to the stage alongside internationally renowned speakers and local partners to pitch their solutions. The event received an overwhelmingly positive response, underscoring the program’s influence across the local startup ecosystem and abroad. Thank you to our amazing partners at the ECA, all the speakers who took part in the program, ADYC+ and Innovation Day, the mentors which we could not deliver this program without, and most importantly the founders for making this an amazing experience. We’re excited to see the continued success and positive impact of our Cohort 5 founders. (More tags in the comments) Meantime, look out for showcases of our Ignite Startups in the coming weeks. ✨ Together, we’re shaping the future. #AnjalZ #Techstars #EarlyChildhoodDevelopment #InnovationDay #GITEX #AbuDhabi #Startups #Impact Techstars

TopSchool.ai is proud to announce that we have completed a 10 week program with Techstars ‎أنجال ز | Anjal Z, powered by the the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority! Throughout this incredible opportunity our team has had the chance to meet countless new advisors and mentors offering invaluable guidance and advice to help us deliver more value to our customers and grow our impact. The program is packed from start to finish with masterclasses from the best of the best across the Techstars network and to learn from these greats is a true privilege for our team! Over the course of the program with Techstars we have grown our user numbers by 2000%+ and forged new distribution partnerships across South East Asia and the Middle East. What does this mean? More teachers and students benefiting from safe and responsible Personalized Learning AI, transforming education and ensuring that every child can reach their full potential! Big thanks to Zoe Evans Nick Murray Elham Noor for running an excellent program. Thanks to Andres Barreto, Troy Henikoff, Vijay Tirathrai, Pete Townsend, Michelle Terpstra ✨, Melissa Pegus, Raphaele Leyendecker Fabbri for the expert masterclasses!

We're excited to have Oko Davaasuren as our moderator for this event! Join us on November 12th for the series ‘Community Voices with Techstars’ where we'll be hosting a panel of Community Leaders and learning from their experiences of creating a lasting change in their startup communities! Oko Davaasuren is a Senior Director at Techstars, managing ecosystem development and pre-accelerator programs in EMEA and APAC. He has co-founded and fundraised for many companies in health, wellness, fintech, commerce and travel sectors and was also on the  Forbes 30 under 30 list. 📅 November 12 at 11 AM ET We’ll be hearing from: 🔷Amarit C.: Vice President of Growth at Innovera AI 🔷 Lalitha Wemel: Program Manager at Techstars 🔷 Oko Davaasuren: Senior Director at Techstars In a panel moderated by Oko Davaasuren Register here ➡️ https://lu.ma/ruruvwd8 Katie Smith Emily Skinstad Emilie Vallauri Zoe Evans Audra Gibson Telesha Bowen Shamail Malik Sebastian "Sebi" Turano Elham Noor Jacob Laes Mary Tan

Welcoming Lalitha Wemel as one of our speakers for a panel discussion in the series ‘Community Voices with Techstars’. Join us on November 12th where we’ll hear from experienced Community Leaders as they share their own stories of how they’ve developed their own communities. Lalitha is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Optin Studio, an experience design and advisory firm, based in Kuala Lumpur. She also leads the Hub71 x Techstars Access Program in Abu Dhabi where she works with founders on the next steps of their journey as they expand into new regions and stages of growth. 📅 November 12 at 11 AM ET We’ll be hearing from: 🔷Amarit C.: Vice President of Growth at Innovera AI 🔷 Lalitha Wemel: Program Manager at Techstars 🔷 Oko Davaasuren: Senior Director at Techstars In a panel moderated by Oko Davaasuren Register here ➡️ https://lu.ma/ruruvwd8 Katie Smith Emily Skinstad Emilie Vallauri Zoe Evans Audra Gibson Telesha Bowen Shamail Malik Sebastian "Sebi" Turano Elham Noor Jacob Laes Mary Tan

Beyond the Win: Lessons, Losses & the Hustle of Startup Life at ADYC+ Techstars 🤔🔥 🌟 What an unforgettable, power-packed weekend at the ADYC+ Techstars Startup Weekend in Abu Dhabi! I joined 149 innovators, all driven by a shared mission to build solutions for a better future. From the moment I walked in, I knew this was going to be more than just a learning experience—it was about stepping up, connecting, and collaborating with the best. On Day 1, I pitched my own idea (haptics isn’t mainstream just yet!) but pivoted quickly to support Vocal Growth, a brilliant project led by Hussain Mehdi. Teaming up with 11 other passionate, driven individuals, Fatima Alhammadi, Fatima Hussain, Minn Thit Kyaw, Mohammed AlShemeili, Mohammed Mujtaba Bhimani, Nethradevi Baskar, Aneesa Mohammed Ashraf, Fathimath Mahshana, Abdul Aziz Vaqar Hulleck, FEMILA ABDUL KAREEM. We set out to turn this AI-powered early childhood development app into something impactful and viable. It was all hands on deck—late nights, deep dives into user research, competitive analysis, and building a roadmap for real-world impact. ( Checkout this cool stuff: https://lnkd.in/ej7TxMmV if you wanna know more!) 🚀 💡 No, we didn’t make it to the top 8. But the lesson? Success isn’t just about winning—it’s about showing up, working hard, and taking every challenge as a stepping stone. This experience reminded me that failure is just fuel for growth. The mentors, especially—Anup Namboodiri, Tarek Ghobar, Lawrence P Petalidis, PhD, Ahmed Sobhy, Alex Pavel, and Jonathan Steingiesser, were invaluable, pushing us to think deeper and refine our vision. 💫 Key Takeaways from the Weekend: - True impact goes beyond ideas; it’s in the relentless pursuit of excellence. - Building a startup is intense but not when you're passionate—late nights, resilience, and a relentless commitment to the mission, all the tiredness won't be present when passion, and belief shine. - Customer validation and market fit are everything. And you need a pitch that tells a story as much as it sells. ❤️ A special thank you to the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, ‎أنجال ز | Anjal Z, Zoe Evans, Nick Murray and Bolt Consultancy for making this event possible. Grateful for the connections, the mentorship, and the shared vision that made this weekend unforgettable. Let’s stay connected! Can’t wait to see what’s next for Vocal Growth and the incredible people I met along the way. 💥 🌐 #ADYCPlus #Techstars #StartupWeekend #Innovation #AI

We’re glad to have Amarit C. as one of our speakers for a panel discussion in the series ‘Community Voices with Techstars’. Join us on November 12th where we’ll hear from experienced Community Leaders as they share their own stories of how they’ve developed their own communities. Amarit is a Thai serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and advisor. He is currently the APAC Partner and Vice President of Growth, Southeast Asia for, INNOVERA.AI., INNOVERA AI-Powered Solutions are built by experienced entrepreneurs, VCs, corporate innovators, educators and change makers. They have worked with some of the largest organizations in the world including more than 45 Global Fortune 1000 corporations, and 30+ government entities across 20 countries. 📅 November 12 at 11 AM ET We’ll be hearing from: 🔷Amarit C.: Vice President of Growth at Innovera AI 🔷 Lalitha Wemel: Program Manager at Techstars 🔷 Oko Davaasuren: Senior Director at Techstars In a panel moderated by Oko Davaasuren Register here ➡️ https://lu.ma/ruruvwd8 Katie Smith Emily Skinstad Emilie Vallauri Zoe Evans Audra Gibson Telesha Bowen Shamail Malik Sebastian "Sebi" Turano Elham Noor Jacob Laes Mary Tan 

Our team "ChildSense" focused on intentional parenting, won 2nd place among 149 participant, 58 innovative ideas, and 18 teams in ADYC+ Techstars Startup Weekend. Thank you for the support behind the senses Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi and Hamza Kazim And thank you Alex Pavel, Tarek Ghobar, Dr. Buyiswa Mokhosi, and Lawrence P Petalidis, PhD our amazing mentors for their invaluable insights and guidance, Zoe Evans, Nick Murray Elham Noor and Sebastian "Sebi" Turano our Techstars team for their day and night support and motivation, and big shoutout to the MBZUAI (Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence), 42 Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority for hosting such an impactful event, creating a platform for ideas that make a difference in our next generation's wellbeing!

Community Leaders support entrepreneurs and create a lasting impact on their Startup Communities. We’re bringing together seasoned Community Leaders who have helped in building their startup communities from scratch and as a result, inspired hundreds of ecosystem actors to take charge! Techstars Community Leaders play an instrumental role in nurturing and empowering entrepreneurs within their local startup communities. As champions of innovation and collaboration, these leaders bring together aspiring founders, mentors, and enthusiastic supporters to create thriving startup communities. We’ll hear from these seasoned Community Leaders as they share their own stories of how they’ve developed their own communities. Join us on November 12th for a panel discussion in the series ‘Community Voices with Techstars’. 📅 November 12 at 11 AM ET We’ll be hearing from: 🔷 Amarit C.: Vice President of Growth at Innovera AI 🔷 Lalitha Wemel: Program Manager at Techstars 🔷 Oko Davaasuren: Senior Director at Techstars In a panel moderated by Oko Davaasuren Register here ➡️ https://lu.ma/ruruvwd8 Katie Smith Emily Skinstad Emilie Vallauri Zoe Evans Audra Gibson Telesha Bowen Shamail Malik Sebastian "Sebi" Turano Elham Noor Jacob Laes Mary Tan