Four local startups shine in the spotlight at the seventh edition of StartUp Bahrain Pitch event, with Kashta Tours crowned as the winner
StartUp Bahrain, the leading platform for startups in the Kingdom of Bahrain, recently hosted the seventh edition of the eagerly anticipated StartUp Bahrain Pitch series. The event was organized in collaboration with key industry stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Bahrain Economic Development Board, and Bahrain Development Bank (BDB). The Pitch event included a keynote speech by entrepreneur and investor, Bader Al Essa, who shared his valuable insights on the power of setting specific and measurable goals in driving the realization of these goals.
The event showcased four Bahraini startups which presented their business ideas to a distinguished panel of judges, featuring local and regional experts, including: Mr. Ali Abdulhussain, Investment Manager at Oman Investment Authority, Sameer Uchi, a board member of Bahrain’s Hope Fund and serial entrepreneur, Suzy Kanoo, CEO of Khalil bin Ebrahim Kanoo and Bader Al Essa, entrepreneur and investor from Kuwait.
The four startups represent different sectors after going through an intensive fundraising and pitching bootcamp, ‘Raise: Art of Fundraising’ carried out by industry experts. Among the participating startups were Kashta Tours, a platform that designs and organizes new and innovative entertaining programs and leisure trips for all people to book and join; XTRUDE ENGINEERING, a manufacturing solutions company that utilizes digital manufacturing and lean manufacturing methods to provide product development and production, reverse engineering and spare parts production in polymers and composites; FACEKI, a platform that specializes in providing AI-powered facial recognition and identification technology; and lastly TWB Watches, a local business focused on selling luxury watches that fit the local taste while seamlessly matching the quality and elegance of world-renowned luxury brands.
The esteemed panel of judges meticulously evaluated each startup’s potential and ideas, acknowledging their impressive presentations. Ultimately, Kashta Tours, founded by Ahmed Jamsheer was announced as the first-place winner.
“The bootcamp experience was a revelation, providing my team and me with invaluable skills and a deep understanding of fundraising and the market,” expressed Ahmed Jamsheer. “The StartUp Bahrain Pitch event provided a crucial platform to showcase our business and we highly appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in this initiative including the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Tamkeen, the Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bahrain Development Bank, the esteemed panel of judges, and, of course, StartUp Bahrain for their unwavering support and for granting us this incredible opportunity.”
Entrepreneurs interested in participating in the next cohort of StartUp Bahrain Pitch can stay tuned to new announcements and learn more about new cohorts through startupbahrain.com/pitch.
If you’re interested to learn more about StartUp Bahrain and how you can be involved, follow @startupbahrain on social media, and get in touch to learn more.