• Bader Al-Kharafi: In every idea, I find new inspiration... and with guidance and mentorship, the ideas of young people turn into a reality that shapes the future.
• Zain has adopted a platform that combines technological momentum, support, guidance, and a flow of smart investments.
• -11 companies from 6 Arab countries presented their projects to investors and business partners
• Zain Ventures is exploring investment opportunities in startups participating in ZGI.

Kuwait - On an exceptional day that combined innovation and opportunities, Zain Group hosted the Demo Day event, a crucial and final stop on the journey of its pioneering program to accelerate emerging technology companies, Zain Great Idea .

The company stated that the Demo Day event held at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait opened doors of partnership and investment opportunities for young entrepreneurs from 6 countries to Zain’s markets (Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE), where the entrepreneurs gave presentations to an elite group of investors, business partners, and executive leaders from various countries in the region, during which they reviewed the development of their businesses and their strategic growth plans. They also had the opportunity to communicate directly with them to discuss investment, cooperation, and partnership paths .

It is worth noting that this exceptional event was attended by the Vice Chairman of the Board and CEO of Zain Group, Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, Sheikh Jaber Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, CEO of Zain Kuwait, Nawaf Al-Gharaballi, and a number of executive leaders in Zain Group and its operational activities, which embodied Zain’s vision of transforming business accelerators into real growth engines and empowering startups.

Zain Ventures is exploring investment opportunities in startups participating in this year’s edition of the Zain Great Idea program, in a move that reflects Zain’s keenness to turn acceleration pathways into scalable funding and growth opportunities.

This step comes as part of Zain Ventures’ approach that links innovation with results, by enabling promising companies to accelerate their expansion, enhance their readiness for business and investment partnerships, and launch into new markets with greater confidence.

In his comment, Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi said: “At the final stage of this journey, ideas turn into opportunities, and opportunities turn into real partnerships and investments. It is the moment of transformation that will take these ideas to the markets. In every idea, I find new inspiration, and with guidance and mentorship, the ideas of young people turn into a reality that shapes the future.”

He added: "We hope that this event will create opportunities that turn dreams into value, and innovations into reality, to test the strength of the business models we have built together, to see how far they can create economic value."

Al-Kharafi explained that over the past 15 years, the Zain Great Idea program has not been just a passing local initiative. “Our goal has been to establish a smart system that connects talent with opportunities: a system that transforms ideas into startups that lead change.”

He continued, “Today, we have the largest regional business accelerator programs in 6 markets: Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. We know that modern technologies are the lifeblood of business expansion, so in this edition of the ZGI program, we have adopted a clearer vision in which we are reshaping traditional investment: by building a platform that combines technological momentum, support and guidance, and a flow of smart investments.”

He added: “This year we have delivered double the strength, combining the strength of Zain Ventures in providing investment support and venture capital, and the strength of ZainTECH 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, continuous discussion of problems, awareness of challenges before they arise, and seeking partnerships that create value. An investor does not bet on the idea alone, but rather on a team that creates an exceptional reality, and a decision-maker who implements without hesitation.”

He concluded by saying: “What we are celebrating today is a collective effort by teams driven by a passion for leadership and change. This effort has not gone unnoticed and has received global recognition and appreciation. The ZGI program recently gained international recognition by winning the “Emerging Power in the Business World” award from the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.”

Al-Kharafi concluded his speech by saying: “In closing, my sincere gratitude to the ZGI team and the Zain Ventures team, who succeeded in making this regional vision of the program turn into an impactful reality in the world of entrepreneurship. My words to them today are: ‘With your creativity, the values of teamwork have been embodied.’”

This event embodies the legacy of more than 15 years of the Zain Great Idea program, which in its latest version has moved to an unprecedented regional level across 6 markets within the Zain Group’s operations in the region, to strengthen its position as a platform that connects talents with opportunities and accelerates the transformation of innovations into companies capable of expanding and making an impact .

The latest edition came with strength through the integration of the roles of Zain Ventures – the investment arm of the group – and ZainTECH – its regional provider of digital solutions – to combine corporate governance with practical access to markets, where participants benefited from advanced academic and technical support, in addition to being connected with Zain’s technical, commercial and business teams to explore opportunities to implement pilot projects and build business partnerships in the group’s markets.

During the journey that spanned the past months, the participating companies went through multiple stops that included intensive training camps, mentoring and guidance sessions, in addition to the inspiring trip to Silicon Valley, which was one of the highlights of the program for this season .

The global acceleration experience in Silicon Valley has enhanced companies’ readiness to present their pitches through structured training and presentation improvement, culminating in the international tour’s Startup Showcase Day in Palo Alto, providing a quality environment to accelerate potential partnership and funding opportunities .

Zain confirmed that since its inception in Kuwait, the program has succeeded in creating positive impacts on the business environment of startups, indicating that the current version has made it a digital bridge between local innovations for the region’s markets and global technology companies, as investing in creative energies and minds is the primary goal to drive the knowledge economy .

The Demo Day event brought together a number of entrepreneurs representing Zain’s various markets in the region, who worked to address real-world challenges through scalable, technology-backed solutions.

Noor Al-Fadhli from Kuwait led the VEHAB platform, a virtual reality platform that reshapes the health rehabilitation experience through immersive 360-degree simulations that support physical and cognitive recovery within realistic environments .

Kuwait was also represented by Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, the co-founder of Thiqah, the first research platform in Kuwait that connects brands with verified local participants to obtain fast and high-quality insights, along with Eid Al-Mijbil, founder of Tanmia, an Arabic platform that enables creators and content makers to easily monetize their digital content and products in one place .

Hanan Al-Kulaib and Basma Al-Humaidhi, the co-founders of Playbook Kuwait, presented innovative ideas to make it easier for parents to discover and book children's parties, and to help providers grow their businesses.

The event was attended by Rashid and Yousef Al-Otaibi, the co-founders of Outing , a trusted Kuwaiti platform for booking chalets, villas and certified holiday homes, with secure payments and reliable listings. The list of Kuwaiti representatives was completed by Abdulwahab Al-Tabtabai, the co-founder of Farah, a comprehensive digital destination for wedding planning and simplifying the couple’s preparation journey .

Maha and Lin Al-Rusaiss from Saudi Arabia, the co-founders of WePay , a financial technology platform that uses 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, the co-founder of the “Wajba” platform, which helps food and beverage companies sell surplus food at reduced prices, reducing waste, recovering revenue, and making meals more cost-effective, participated. From Iraq, Khalid Al-Saadi presented “Jamila.com,” an online platform that connects sellers with buyers and enables digital commerce, inventory management, and streamlining supply chain workflows .

Ahmad Al-Saif from Jordan, founder of Alefredo EdTech , a platform that develops an AI-powered learning assistant to manage the entire academic journey, has served thousands of students in several countries and recently expanded its reach by acquiring a UK-based private tutoring platform.

The edition included representation from the UAE, where Kawthar Taher - founder of MeNOW Health - presented a technological solution in the field of women's health that supports marginalized women by combining science, empathy and innovation to create more conscious and empowering health experiences .

ZGI’s program was recently crowned with the “Emerging Powerhouse in the Business World” award during the annual Corporate Startup Stars Awards ceremony held at the headquarters of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, France. 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 global partnerships that have made innovation a cornerstone of business strategies, launching acceleration programs, building new companies, establishing cooperation agreements with venture capital funds, and promoting internal entrepreneurship.

-I finish-

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