Welcome to the World’s Largest Competition for Syrian & Host Community Entrepreneurs
The Startup Roadshow has gone virtual and is calling on those with an entrepreneurial mindset to participate in our Entrepreneurship 101 Bootcamp, and have the chance to be trained, incubated, and mentored by leading trainers in the field.
This year, the Roadshow will make a virtual stop in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq to train up to 4,000 audacious entrepreneurs in our Entrepreneurship 101 Bootcamp. Those who complete the Bootcamp will be eligible to apply for 50 coveted spots (Startups and SMEs) in Roadshow Incubator, which includes 12-weeks of advanced training, incubation and mentorship. The 50 entrepreneurs will then compete to pitch at the final Roadshow Demo Day, where they will battle it out for cash prizes of $15,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place winners.
We are looking for the relentless spirits, the inventive minds, and the transformers who turn problems into challenges and take on the entrepreneurial journey with an unquenchable thirst.
Are you one of them?
• Entrepreneurs from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, as well as Syrians living in those 4 countries, are eligible to participate.
• Have the needed computer and internet skills, as well as an entrepreneurial mindset.
• All ages older than 18 years old are welcome to apply.
• Have a team of Syrian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Jordanian, Palestinian, or Turkish founders, aged 18 and up. Must be based in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon or Iraq.
• Pre-established (existing) businesses, anywhere from 6 months to 2 years old.
• Both registered and unregistered businesses are able to join the program.
• Applications can be in any industry with a focus on social and economic development impact.
• Have the needed computer and internet skills, as well as an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Have the commitment to be part of an intensive 3-month program.
• Business founders must have expertise and knowledge in their industry and show the motivation and skills needed to grow their business.
• Businesses must be dealing with legally allowed goods and/or services.
• Business must already have an existent product/service (or MVP) which provides a solution to the community's needs.
• For tech startups, the project has to be innovative in its field and present a novel solution to an existing problem. It has to be scalable and the team should be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of their revenue and profit model.
• For SMEs, have a pre-established business (anywhere from 6 months to 2 years old) that is based in one of the 4 focus countries.
from Google, Microsoft, WBG, UN, etc
created by the best entrepreneurs
for marketing and legal technical assistance
for three winners in each track
to our investors in the final Demo Day
of VCs and Accelerators
Those who completed the intensive 3-month Incubation, where the businesses will battle it out for $60,000 in cash prizes. At the end of the virtual tour, the 2 finalists of the two tracks will be further trained for a Demo Day, where the 6 winners will be selected. But there’s more! Other than the prizes, the 1st and 2nd prize winners from each track will be given further training and mentoring to grow their businesses.
Launched for the first time in 2018, the Startup Roadshow is the largest competition for Syrian and host country entrepreneurs based in the Middle East.
This year the Startup Roadshow includes a new online Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and Roadshow Accelerator. Up for grabs is the chance to win business grants up to $15,000, intensive technical assistance, and to pitch your business to the region’s most important investors. Organized by Jusoor and SPARK, with the support of The Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), entrepreneurs in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq, will be admitted to new open-access online entrepreneurship trainings. Those who complete the training will have the chance to land one of 50 spots in the Roadshow Accelerator. The accelerator provides the 50 selected trainees with 3-months of training, mentorship and direct business services worth $60,000. The selection process will take place in Spring 2021.
First winner at the Amsterdam bootcamp, won the first place at MIT’s Pan Arab Award for the Best Refugees Startup
Won the first place for an EU Youth Award, and operates an online store selling handicrafts to customers around the world.
All entrepreneurs from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, as well as Syrians living in those 4 countries, are eligible to participate.
Zoom. Participants will receive invite links after their admission to the program.
Yes. Training sessions will be recorded and later uploaded to a dedicated YouTube channel.
No. Every startup or SME joining the program must attend the whole training program. Missing 2 days of training could disqualify your team for Demo Day.