Registration for Fikra Labs has just ended in March, and guess what? HUNDREDS of MENA startups signed up for the Fikra Labs acceleration program!
Launched back in February as part of the UAE Innovation Month, the program aims to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation in Abu Dhabi’s travel and tourism sector.
So what’s next for the startup? Well, they’re in it for an awesome ride. The startups have already begun their four-week incubation program, and they’ll be receiving a number of cool things, including mentorship, a unique chance to a win a potential investment price of $100,000 and an opportunity to structure their business in the financial center of Abu Dhabi Global Market.
The shortlisted applicants are required to use technology to pitch creative solutions that tackle the different partners’ business challenges, for example improving the tourists’ experiences from when they book their tickets to their arrival at Abu Dhabi. Once the program is over, the partners will select one winner that will directly work with them.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi said: “We have high expectations from all applicants as their ideas will play a pivotal role in driving the government’s vision forward, fueling more growth within the travel and tourism segment, and raising the emirate’s profile on the world map of leading tourism destinations.”
The program will end with a one-day event where finalists will attend workshops with the Wamda team and industry experts to finalize their prototype, pitches and presentation decks. They’ll be pitching their ideas to a jury coupled with a Q&A session before winners are chosen the next day at an awards ceremony.
The Fikra Labs acceleration program is led by the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, Miral, Etihad Aviation Group and Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC), as well as Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and Wamda.
For more information, read here.