The Zain Great Idea (ZGI) tech startup accelerator has launched its first regional edition with a series of intensive training bootcamps across Zain’s markets. The program aims to help tech startups accelerate their growth and prepare for expansion both regionally and internationally.
In Kuwait, Zain hosted an orientation session at its Shuwaikh headquarters before the bootcamp began. The session included the company’s executive management team and provided participants with an overview of the bootcamp’s objectives and roadmap. The regional format of the program is intended to give founders in Kuwait and other countries access to mentorship, funding, and greater exposure.
Entrepreneurs participating in the bootcamp engaged directly with partners such as ZainTECH and Zain Ventures, as well as industry leaders including Abdulaziz Al-Dhubaib, Founder of Nizek Tech; Saud Al-Subaie, Founder of Cuadro Business Consulting; Omar Al-Othman, Co-founder of Prismic Media; and Fahad Al-Ibrahim, CEO of Prismic Media.
The bootcamp included one-to-one and speed mentoring sessions on key areas like product development, go-to-market strategies, finance, and operations. These sessions were designed to help participants build stronger foundations for their startups and move toward sustainable growth.
International and local experts led the bootcamp. Among them was Prof. Paris de L’Etraz from IE Business School in Spain, who has over 20 years of experience in investment and venture capital and is Managing Director of IE Venture Lab. Paul Marca, CEO of Parallax Global Advisors and former Associate Vice Provost at Stanford University, also participated as a speaker on innovation and entrepreneurship.
Other sessions were led by Gaelle Abou Abdo, CEO of Ivy & Company and former head of Innovation and Transformation at Nestlé Middle East, as well as Norhan Al Dhann, CEO of Noor Coaching, who has advised over 450 startups in six countries on investment readiness and financial planning.
Zain specialists from various departments took part in the program, along with alumni from previous editions who shared their experiences with the new cohort.
This year’s program is supported by Zain Ventures, which serves as the group’s investment arm for emerging technologies, and ZainTECH, its digital and ICT solutions arm. For the first time in over 15 years, applications were open to candidates from Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. This expansion offers new opportunities for mentorship and international exposure.
Zain Ventures plans to identify promising startups from the cohort for potential investment. ZainTECH will support selected startups joining the Silicon Valley phase by providing expertise in areas such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytics, robotics, and other advanced technologies.
The regional expansion represents a significant milestone for ZGI. Previous editions focused solely on Kuwait. The broader launch highlights Zain’s ongoing commitment to supporting technological innovation and entrepreneurship across the region.
