Endeavor selects 4 MENA startups at the 88th International Selection Panel in Tokyo
By Endeavor
SOURCE: Endeavor - Endeavor selects 4 MENA startups at the 88th International Selection Panel in Tokyo
Endeavor selected 31 high-impact entrepreneurs leading 17 companies from 12 markets at the 88th International Selection Panel (ISP) in Tokyo, held July 1-3, 2019. Endeavor now supports 1,911 entrepreneurs leading 1,195 companies in 34 markets around the world.
The ISP is the culmination of a rigorous multi-step selection process to identify high-impact entrepreneurs who demonstrate the potential to leverage Endeavor’s resources and mentorship to create large-scale wealth and jobs, and are committed to reinvesting their time and money in their local entrepreneurship ecosystems to help others take off.
Over the course of the three-day event, panelists drawn from Endeavor’s extensive network of board members, mentors, supporters, and experienced Endeavor Entrepreneurs, interview entrepreneur candidates about their businesses, evaluating them on their potential for high-impact growth, and deliberating on which candidates should be selected to become Endeavor Entrepreneurs. Panelists must vote unanimously for a candidate to become an Endeavor Entrepreneur.
“The Tokyo selection panel truly demonstrated what we believe deeply at Endeavor: that entrepreneurs with enormous potential to scale up and pay it forward are found all around the world, often in markets overlooked by investors and the entrepreneurship community,” said Endeavor Co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg. “We’re excited to support and follow these high-impact founders as they take their companies to the next level!”
Once selected, Endeavor Entrepreneurs gain access to comprehensive customized services, including introductions to local and international business mentors and volunteers from Fortune 500 consulting firms who will help them address key needs.
Endeavor Entrepreneurs have had a significant track record of impact. Endeavor Entrepreneurs have created 3 million jobs, generated $20 billion in revenue in 2018, and help build sustainable growth models in their home countries.
In 2019, ISPs will be held in Quito (August 5-7), Atlanta (September 23-25), Istanbul (October 21-23), and Riviera Maya (December 11-13). For more information on these events, please contact [email protected].
Learn more about the companies and entrepreneurs selected from MENA below:
Saudi Arabia
Company: Noon Academy
Entrepreneurs: Mohammed Aldhalaan and Abdulaziz Alsaeed
Description: Noon Academy is a social learning platform that aims to make studying and test preparation fun and interactive for students by connecting students with quality tutors on-demand and creating engaging online classrooms to supplement the regular curricula. Currently, Noon Academy operates in Saudi Arabia and Egypt with plans to expand to India, and has 2M registered users, 35% of whom are high school students. The company provides ~1,500 teachers and tutors across their markets with an additional income source and employs 80 full time staff members in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and India.
UAE
Company: Bayzat
Entrepreneurs: Tarek Bayaa and Talal Bayaa
Description: Bayzat offers a free, one-stop shop HR platform that lowers HR management costs and reduces tedious and manual processes for SME employers. This platform ultimately serves as a customer acquisition and data collection tool, through which the company offers and cross-sells health insurance, car insurance, and other financial products based off of data points they call “life changing moments,” collected from employers and employees who use the platform. The platform offers employers the ability to compare and buy insurance while employees can easily access their insurance plans, search benefits, and claim reimbursements.
Company: eyewa
Entrepreneurs: Mehdi Oudghiri and Anass Boumediene
Description: eyewa is an eyewear ecommerce platform that sells color contacts, clear contacts, sunglasses, and eyeglasses from local and international brands like Acuvue, RayBan, Nike, and more. Unlike traditional eyewear companies that present themselves with a medical angle, the eyewa brand is anchored on beauty and fashion. The company sells 100% online in UAE and KSA to mostly fashion-forward female millennial consumers. eyewa recently raised a $7.1M Series A to fuel its international expansion in the GCC and to manufacture its own line of products.
Company: Lunch:ON
Entrepreneurs: Dana Baki and Mohammad Al Zaben
Description: Lunch:ON uses customer satisfaction data and maps to curate a limited daily menu for office workers from local restaurants that maximizes delivery efficiency. Whether it’s employees ordering for themselves from the daily hand-picked menu or companies ordering food for a meeting, training event, or larger corporate event, the platform takes the usual hassle and cost out of food at the office. Customers love the low prices, convenience and variety of their daily lunches, and restaurants enjoy the opportunity to optimize their kitchens and reach new audiences.
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