1. Aim Startup is grooming interns for investment matchmaking to help fund start-ups in the GCC
2. Around 20 volunteers will get hands-on training on graphics, producing video, documentaries and prepare media report on the event to be posted on several media platforms
3. Interns are getting first-hand experience in investment matchmaking that will help them develop a career in financial advisory services
4. AIM Startup winners will be awarded with various prizes, including a total cash prize of $50,000
5. More than 200 start-ups will showcase their innovations to a global audience in AIM Startup 2018
A UAE company is grooming more than 50 interns and volunteers to help the region’s start-ups get enough funding and develop their business that will have significant impact in the lives of more than 53 million people living and working in the GCC.
Dubai-based Strategic Marketing and Exhibition LLC, organisers of AIM Startup – the largest platform for start-ups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region – is training and developing more than 50 young men and women so that they learn about startups and gain a greater knowledge about the steps it takes to set them up. By attending AIM Startup they would be able to gain real-life experience from the industry experts which goes beyond textbooks.
Startups in the MENA region last year raised US$560 million, according to Magnitt, a startup research organisation, which predicts that the startup funding could exceed US$1 billion this year.
Dawood Al Shezawi, President of AIM Startup, said. “As we train them and put them in contact with the larger stakeholders – including start-ups and venture capital funds, they get a larger exposure in negotiations and financial advisory skills – which could help them to develop a career in these fields.
“This way, our young minds are also contributing to the UAE and GCC economies by helping startups expand their business and generate employment.”
In February, AIM Startup has hired 20 interns for their internship programme from Universities such as, AUD, Heriot Watt, Middlesex and Wollongong University, and they are currently working as audience builders, videographers, journalist, social media advocates and mainly as investor matchmakers for the start-ups, under the banner of AIM Startup.
An initiative by UAE ministry of economy – AIM Startup, intents to catalyse the startup ecosystem by connecting all its stakeholders with the right guidance, investments and opportunities, and is helping to bring investors, venture capitals and start-ups closer to help create employment and accelerate economic growth.
AIM Startup is not only an event or programme where start-ups come to showcase their innovations and raise capital. This is a platform where the working-interns will learn and gather knowledge which will help them in their further career building. The practical skills they are gathering from here will empower them to work as an entrepreneur or help them to work in multiple fields such as investment sector, marketing sector, graphic designing and many more.
Moreover, this initiative will bring the youths perspective on the event. The energy and passion that young students provide to any organization is unparalleled. The interns have already produced a video on their work, through which they have been able to give their market research insight, portray broadcasting content and create viable connections with the startup ecosystem. This has proved to be worth the educational investment AIM Startup has put on them.
Another feature of AIM startup is investor matchmaking meetings for all pre-selected 200 start-ups with a panel of international expert and massive number of interested and relevant parties, such as investors, potential business partners, corporates and government representatives with a goal to attract capital investment and cash rewards.
For example- some of the confirmed investors are Nick Roberts, Issa Aghabi, Arthur Robertson, Matt Blom, Walid Mansour and the sectors they invest in are Social Impact, Healthcare, Fintech, Technology and Education respectively. They will meet with startups such as BLH Aqua Technology Inc., Net Care, Invacio, CarbonSul, Little Thinking Minds and their sectors are Agtech (Social Impact), Healthcare, Fintech, Smart Cities, Education respectively.
Billions of dollars are flowing worldwide from country to country for boosting economy mainly in developing countries which supporting startup ecosystem. Today, there are vast numbers of investors willing to invest in startups. We can see a lot of seed stage investors now than we use to seen even two years back. Along with seed stage funds we can observe the raise in growing stage investors, angel networks, local incubators, and a massive number of international accelerators/incubators.
Next week the Aim startup will be visiting various universities in UAE to create awareness for the event and for startup ecosystem; regional and international.
AIM Startup winners will be awarded with various prizes, including a total cash prize of $50,000, which will be distributed to finalists in recognition of their achievements and innovations, and also by the hard work of Aim Startup’s interns, startup funding is expected to cross US$1 billion this year.
About AIM Startup
AIM Startup was launched in 2017 as an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Economy to connect promising startups with investors and business partners from other parts of the world — set in the heart of the UAE’s Annual Investment Meeting, the world’s leading FDI platform for emerging markets and held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
AIM Startup is an ideal platform for startup companies looking to raise capital, expand into new markets and forge meaningful business relationships with major investors, business leaders, representatives of international institutions and government entities. April 9-11, AIM Startup will host the second edition of its annual Innovation Showcase and Pitch Competition in Dubai, UAE, in conjunction with the Annual Investment Meeting, Future Cities Show and DIGAE.
This year, 200 promising start-ups will convene under one roof to meet with investors, corporates, government representatives and industry experts and will be given the opportunity to demo their ground-breaking solutions to a global audience of more than 19,000.