Amaan, a smart jewellery brand for spiritual wellness, walked away with a cash prize of BD4,000 beating 23 other teams to finish on top at the first edition of Techstars Startup Weekend Bahrain.
Organised by StartUp Bahrain, a Tamkeen supported start-up platform, in strategic partnership with Export Bahrain and Tap Payments, the action-packed 54-hour weekend brought together over 100 founders, developers, designers, and marketers to build and launch startups.
A part of the global Techstars Startup Weekend events, the competition saw 116 participants presenting 54 ideas with the top 24 teams pitching and competing for grand prizes worth BD4,000, BD2,000, and BD1,000 for the first, second, and third places.
More than 5,000 events have been held in 150+ countries under the Techstars Startup Weekend umbrella and StartUp Bahrain partnered with the platform to bring a fresh perspective on how startups are built.
The winners also received surprise perks from ecosystem enablers and organisations to further celebrate their achievements.
“Techstars Startup Weekend Bahrain was an exhilarating journey, fuelled by relentless and unwavering teamwork. Winning first place is a testament to the potential of innovative minds when they unite to create and build impactful solutions,” said Amaan founder Kawthar Alsaffar.
Held at the Zain Bahrain Tower in Seef District, the event was sponsored by Amal Invest, GFH Financial Group, Zain Bahrain, Export Bahrain and Tap Payments.
The keynote speech was delivered by Yazin Alirhayim, a prominent serial entrepreneur and the founder of Amal Invest, who emerged as the winner of Bahrain’s inaugural Startup Weekend event in 2011.
Attendees also gained valuable insights from Nathan Minns, a globally recognised trainer and facilitator renowned for his professional coaching and extensive experience in supporting Startup Weekend events worldwide.
The judging panel included industry leaders like Export Bahrain chief executive Safa Sharif; Tap Payments executive vice-president of business Ahmed Al Aradi; Zain Bahrain chief of communications and investor relations Shaikh Abdulla Khaled Al Khalifa, Amazon Web Services (AWS) strategic accounts lead Ahmed AlSawafiri; Tenmou chief executive Nawaf AlKoheji; and Brinc Regional head of corporate innovation for Mena Hussain Haji.
The contestants were guided by 20 Bahraini mentors in the field of entrepreneurship to launch a startup that was later on presented as part of the pitching session on the last day.
Tamkeen’s programme development and partnerships chief Ali Hassan said authority continues to support Bahrain’s entrepreneurs through training, funding, and networking.
“Startup Weekend’s resounding success serves as a testament to our commitment to empowering young entrepreneurs to exhibit inventive concepts, gain wisdom from industry veterans, and transform ideas into thriving startups.”
Techstars customer success co-ordinator Sorawi Phongsakonsunthon commented, “Techstars was proud to support Startup Weekend Bahrain and provide a platform for entrepreneurs to ideate and collaborate on launching innovative ventures. This event truly embodied our commitment to empowering people on their journeys towards building successful startups everywhere.”
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