Securing your first customers
Startup Sweden and GITEX Future Stars are hosting this session to tackle the hard questions about expanding in the Middle East North Africa or MENA region. Emerging markets are often overlooked by startups in the West because it's not always easy to understand the dynamics nor see the potential. Most GDP growth today comes from emerging markets so we would argue that the future of market capitalisation growth for tech companies globally is within these markets. Scaling in MENA is not impossible, our guest startups will share their strategies on how to make expansion in MENA a success.
Webinar Agenda
11:00 Welcome and Introduction
Arash Sangari, Startup Sweden and Laureline Schwarz, GITEX Future Stars
11:05 Keynote: Business Opportunities in MENA
Massoud Biouki, Trade Commissioner of Sweden to the UAE & Market Area Director Middle East and Simon Wessberg, Business Sweden
11:15 Startup Panel - How to secure your first customer - tips, insights and learnings from European startups in the region.
Our guests include:
Sebastian Bond, Head of MENA -Storytel /founder of Kitab Sawti
Kitab Sawti is an Arabic audio entertainment service offering audiobooks and podcasts through mobile apps. Storytel acquired the startup in 2020.
Hannah McKinlay, Co-founder, Clara
Clara is a legal tech startup that offers a single platform to execute agreements, manage stakeholders, and make more informed decisions
Fanny Modin, Business Development Manager, Norbloc
Norbloc blockchain KYC products enable Individuals, organizations and regulators to manage and securely share customer data
Firas Marafie, Senior Market Lead - Middle East, What3Words
what3words has divided the world into 3 meter squares and has given each square a unique combination of three words. It's the easiest way to find and share exact location.
Moderated by Shereen Abdulla, Spark with Shereen
12:00 Fireside chat with Zarko Ackovik, GITEX Future Stars - What to expect at GITEX and GITEX Future Stars?
Interviewer Shereen Abdulla
12:10 Startup Sweden Access MENA program presentation and Q&A
Dawn Nordenblank, Startup Sweden & Sarah Bacon, Astrolabs
12:30 End
**Please pre-register on Zoom in the link below to join https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FpcSXiwyStikZCD9h-BUKg
