On March 3, thirteen Kazakh startups showcased their solutions to Saudi investors during the Demo Day held at the Center of Digital Entrepreneurship (CODE) in Riyadh, QazMonitor reports citing the Ministry of Digital and Space.
What happened: Fifty local startups, aiming to expand into the Middle East and North African (MENA) markets, competed for the opportunity to present their ventures to Saudi investors. Thirteen made it to the final shortlist.
The Ministry’s press service shared with QazMonitor the final shortlist:
TASS Retail: In-store analytics tool and checkout-free technology for retail companies, a project by TASS Vision;
CodiPlay: Ed-tech project focused on gamification. The project’s mobile app allows one to learn the basics of programming and create IoT projects. The team has also launched CodiKit for building and programming IoT gadgets, and CodiTeach, a platform to support teachers and monitor the learning process;
Clockster: All-in-one HR automation tool to efficiently manage blue collars for small and medium businesses;
Behype: Application for creating viral challenges in social networks for advertising campaigns with the help of creators;
RED: Producer of educational robotics for students from the age of seven;
JobEscape: Educational web platform with personal effectiveness tool for freelancers;
Qala AI: Geospatial platform for urban data analysis;
Photon: Telecom tower construction and maintenance management software;
Platma: Extreme no-code software development platform for SMBs to scale faster;
Cerebra: Al-powered software for early stroke detection for faster and more accurate treatment;
ApartX: SaaS (Software as a service) platform to automate the property rent process;
Kwaaka: Seamless cloud-based integration between delivery services and restaurants POS systems;
SOTA: Using Al smart cameras, SOTA collects data from sports matches, such as football, basketball, and others.
Context: On March 4, the capital of Saudi Arabia will inaugurate the Al-Farabi Innovation Hub. The hub aims to serve as an entry point for Kazakh businesses seeking to scale into the MENA market, offering a soft landing, including visa assistance, office space, and accommodation at discounted rates tailored specifically for startups venturing into the region.
Mutual interest: Abdullah Alshamrani, General Manager of the Digital Entrepreneurship Center, emphasized the mutual interest between businesses in Central Asia and the MENA region. He stated, "The markets of the Central Asian region and the Caucasus are interesting to us, just as you are interested in the Middle East and North Africa, so the creation of a hub to connect our regions is a necessity."
