Harvard Startup Pitch Competition Offers A Boost To MENA Startups MENA startups, here's your chance to represent the region's opportunities.

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

MENA startups, here's your chance to represent the region's opportunities. The Arab Conference at Harvard, a prominent pan-Arab conference in US, has commenced its call for applications for its startup pitching competition. Now in its 11th edition, and under the theme of "Claiming tomorrow,' the conference seeks to bridge political, economic and social differences of the region, as well as focus on notable solutions from the region. Organized by the Harvard Arab Alumni Association, along with the Harvard Business School MENA club, it will be held on November 9-12, 2017, with expected participants of over 1,300 students and professionals.

A highlight of the conference will be the startup pitching competition, allowing startups to test their concepts and receive feedback from key leaders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Eligible startups need to have launched a MVP and should have not raised significant investment rounds, as well as have at least one founder from the MENA region, or focus on the MENA market with their product or service. The startup pitching competition, launched six years ago, will have 10 pre-selected teams pitching in front of a panel of judges from the ecosystem, with three teams that will be chosen as winners and receive a prize of up to US$30,000.

The pre-selected teams will have the opportunity to attend entrepreneurship and how-to-pitch workshops, as well as receive direct feedback from jury members and a network of entrepreneurs, VCs and investors. The teams would also participate in the Harvard Business School Career Fair after the competition. The 10 pre-qualified teams will be announced on October 6, 2017, and the competition day is slated to be on November 12, 2017.

To apply, head to the application link here before the deadline on October 4, 2017 at 17:00PM EST.

Related: MENA Startups, Take Note: MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition 2018 Is Now Open For Entries

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Growing a Business

How Building Tech With No Tech Background Taught Me the Most Valuable Skill in Business

The most valuable skill in business today is translation — the power to bridge vision and execution, clarity and complexity, strategy and reality.

Social Media

How Two Small Companies Are Driving Revenue Using Social Media

A look at how a food truck and a veterinary practice are making virtual relationships online that translate into real-life dollars.

Growing a Business

How to Build a Two-Sided Platform

Any time you match sellers with buyers, you have to ensure both sides of the deal are growing proportionately.

Business News

AI Could Cause 99% of All Workers to Be Unemployed in the Next Five Years, Says Computer Science Professor

Professor Roman Yampolskiy predicted that artificial general intelligence would be developed and used by 2030, leading to mass automation.