partnership:
techstars_

year:
2019

project manager

In April 2020, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic began with force on the Omani market, al jabr had the opportunity to  support the local efforts of the Omani government in alleviating the problems caused by the pandemic here in the Sultanate.

A global initiative, organized by Techstars, a USA based global innovation and investment platform, with more than 50 countries taking part across the globe, was a virtual version of the Startup Weekend’s held by Techstars all over the world. Taking into account the circumstances at the time, Techstars decided to host country-level startup weekends to support the quest for solutions to the pandemic. The idea behind making them country-based is to support the solutions that are unique to the needs of a particular country, while also enabling the participants to work within the laws and regulations of the respective country. 

Al jabr played the role of the national competition operator in Oman by coordinating with ecosystem partners across the different regions in the country to onboard participants. There were 24 Omani tech startups shortlisted from 150 applicants that took part in the competition, formulating innovative startup solutions to address challenges created by the pandemic, through workshops and mentorship sessions. The selected startups offered solutions mitigating in the following areas of focus:

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• Healthcare

• Education

• Logistics

• Project management 

The first place winner in Oman was one of the 20 country level winners that were invited to participate in an exclusive Techstars Innovation Bootcamp; a  three day program. This program was a testament to the growing startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Oman, reflecting its agility and fast response to sudden changes.

Noor Al Haddabi

| lead business analyst