Fast-track Arab founders to investor-ready in six weeks.

To qualify, your startup must: • Be a tech or tech-enabled venture headquartered or operating in an Arab-region market. • Have progressed beyond MVP with clear traction (revenue, active users, strategic partnerships or initial funding). • Show a scalable business model and a well-defined plan for international expansion. • Be actively raising between $50k and $1 million and/or seeking B2B connections in GCC, EU, UK, Türkiye or US markets. • Commit to full participation for the six-week programme duration. • Demonstrate strong founder leadership, commitment and adaptability.

Applications are open from 27 May – 30 July 2025. Short-listed founders will be notified by early August, and the six-week Investment Readiness Sprint will run 1 August – 15 September 2025. Investor matchmaking follows (19 September – 2 November) and the cohort will pitch live at the UN Arab SME Summit Demo Day in November 2025.

No participation fee and no equity stake are required. The programme is fully funded by UN ESCWA. Selected startups must commit time to workshops, mentorship sessions, and Demo Day preparation.

Tailored one-on-one mentorship from investors and industry experts, masterclasses on term sheets, financial modeling, pitch crafting, and investor relations, peer learning with a cohort of 20 startups, access to a curated investor network and one-to-one matching meetings, and public Demo Day spotlight at a UN venue.

A jury of investors and sector specialists scores each startup on seven criteria: founder expertise & execution; problem–solution fit; market size & MENAT relevance; scalability across MENAT; alignment with regional innovation agendas; early traction; and funding-deployment readiness.

Attend all live sessions (virtual and in-person where noted), complete pre-work and assignments each week, participate in mentor office hours and investor matches, prepare and rehearse a 5-minute investor pitch for Demo Day, and share progress metrics and feedback throughout the programme.