Zain Group announced the selection of 13 tech startups by judging panels across six of its operating companies and subsidiaries in the region to advance to the flagship phase of its award-winning accelerator, Zain Great Idea. The selected founders will take part in the upcoming Global Acceleration program in Palo Alto, California, at the heart of Silicon Valley, the world’s capital of entrepreneurship.
From Kuwait, the shortlisted startups are Farah; the one-stop destination for wedding planning, LumenPro; a platform that brings the most powerful AI tools together in one place, Playbook; a digital platform for discovering and booking kids’ parties, Provis Management; a specialist in sourcing and recruiting talent for the culinary sector, Tenmeya; the first Arabic platform that enables creators to monetize their content, and theQA; Kuwait’s first research platform connecting brands with verified local participants to collect fast, high-quality insights.
From Jordan, Avancer.AI; a platform for detecting manipulated digital content and fake media. From the United Arab Emirates, FortyGuard; an AI-driven temperature intelligence platform. From the Kingdom of Bahrain, Wajba; a digital platform for F&B vendors to sell surplus food at discounted prices.
From the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, WePay; a fintech platform offering escrow-based payment solutions. From Iraq, Andalusi; an edtech provider of apps, digital classrooms, creative tools, and training simulations, Jaamila; an e-commerce platform that connects buyers and sellers to enable digital trade and inventory management, and Saleem; a platform for digital healthcare innovations such as telemedicine, homecare apps, and medical devices.
Alongside the finalists, Zain announced six runners-up from Kuwait: Actly; a leading platform for AI agents, QETAE; a mobile app for purchasing spare parts and accessing automotive services, Athletes Elevator; an AI-powered sports talent platform, Go Tickets!; an all-in-one ticketing platform for movies, shows, events, and leisure activities, Outing; a platform for booking chalets, villas, farms, campsites, resorts, and holiday homes, and Vehab; a VR application that enhances rehabilitation experiences.
The finalists were announced following the conclusion of the Super Saturday events held in each of the six markets. During these events, participants from every country applied the knowledge and skills gained in the first phase, the intensive bootcamp, to present final concepts for their companies and pitch business plans to judging panels. The panels then selected the finalists based on a set of academic criteria.
In Kuwait, the judging panel included senior executives, experts, and investors: Malek Hammoud, Chief Investment and Digital Transformation Officer at Zain Group, Volkan Şen, Head of Zain Ventures, Othman Ayman Boodai, Board Member and Group CEO at Rawasi Holding, and Nasser Al-Mutawa, Head of Digital Group at Warba Bank.
The panel also included Mohammad Al-Munifi, Head of Investments at Faith Capital, Ahmad Marafi, Co-founder and CEO of CODED Academy, Seham Al-Hussaini, Former General Manager of Deliveroo in Kuwait and Qatar, Bashar Al-Abdulhadi, Founder of KuwaitNet, and Mai Al-Owaish, CEO of CINET.
The finalists will now head to the Global Acceleration program in Palo Alto, California in Silicon Valley, offering an exceptional opportunity to experience business dynamics up close. The program comes in collaboration with Vibranium VC, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital fund specializing in startup investments.
The program is set to feature workshops, networking with startup founders, visits to major accelerators and technology companies, pitching to venture capital funds, relationship building, and a deep dive into the global entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The first phase of the program, the intensive bootcamp, recently concluded across Zain’s markets as part of the new edition launched in several GCC and Arab countries. The program carries an ambitious vision to empower founders to develop their startups and build more impactful and sustainable business models.
The opening weeks featured a series of intensive sessions focused on strategic pillars such as marketing, finance, operations management, and digital transformation. The goal was to accelerate startup growth and prepare them to enter regional and international markets with confidence and efficiency.
The bootcamp also featured one-to-one and speed mentoring sessions focused on core areas, helping participants strengthen their foundations and move faster toward sustainable growth and market expansion.
This year’s edition is supported by Zain Ventures, the Group’s investment arm for emerging technologies, and ZainTECH, its regional digital and ICT solutions arm. For the first time in the program’s 15-plus year history, applications were opened to candidates from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, creating new opportunities for mentorship, funding, and international exposure.
Zain Ventures aims to identify and invest in promising startups from the cohort. ZainTECH will work closely with ZGI to support selected startups joining the Silicon Valley phase, offering expertise in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytics, robotics, and other advanced technologies that drive growth.
The expansion marks a major milestone for ZGI, as previous editions focused on the Kuwaiti market. The new regional launch underscores Zain’s long-term commitment to advancing technological innovation and entrepreneurship across the region.
Source: Zain Press Release
