The Speed@BDD team met the GITEX Future Stars organizers earlier on this year in Dubai and knew that the Global Startup Movement Competition would be a great opportunity not only for our alumni but also for the whole Lebanese ecosystem!

After receiving sponsorship for free booths from the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) and support from the Lebanese Prime Minister’s office, Speed@BDD gathered 13 Lebanese-founded startups and organized a delegation to GITEX Future Stars 2017. The startups submitted their applications to pitch and compete for prizes worth a total of around $180K and each received a fully branded booth. Scroll down to read about the 13 startups!

More than 200 startups applied to the competition, 50 pitched at the semi-finals, and only 17 made it to the finals on October 10. The competition was fierce and after deliberations from a jury consisting of MDs from Astrolabs, Techstars, 2071, BootUp and Expo2020, two Lebanese startups and Speed@BDD alumni won! 

Modeo walked away with the most disruptive startup title and $15K in cash while Cherpa won the best youth startup and $15K in cash as well.

Fig, another Speed@BDD alumni, only made it to the semi-finals but won the fintech track in Wamda’s Unbox Lounge activities earlier on this week. The founders will be meeting with Barclays to see how they can implement their solutions at the renown bank.

We, at Speed@BDD, are thrilled to have been able to support the Lebanese ecosystem and help in making it shine in the MENA region!

The Lebanese startup delegation:

• CashFlip: the Trivago of currency exchange, getting users offers from exchange shops in the same city.
• SmartPill: a portable medication management device that monitors pill intake via an application (both web/mobile app).
• Myki: an identity management solution that eliminates the need for usernames and passwords.
• Modeo: a new modular do-it-yourself furniture solution based on a mobile application enabling everyone to customize, visualize, and order interlocking modular parts that are very easy to assemble.
• Cherpa: an online platform that teaches robotics and electronics to youth in a fun and interactive way. From building and coding projects to interacting with virtual missions, Cherpa is introducing a new dimension that reshapes the world of robotics.
• Fig: a startup working on creating chatbots that integrate seamlessly into a user’s life by understanding him and learning his habits.
• LightSense: an RGB Led light pimped up with a whole lot of gizmos. It replaces 80% of your current environment Automation devices and controls the rest.
• Moodfit: an online interior design platform that connects people who want to furnish their houses with professional interior designers.
• Mealr: a meal-centric app that curates, suggests & delivers the best meals in town depending on user’s location & behaviour, powered by a recommendation engine & AI.
• Lexium: an online platform for legal answers and services. It connects legal professionals to users. It acts as a marketplace in legal offering premium accounts to legal professionals offering their services on the platform.
• Handiss: a platform where you can find engineers, architects, drafters, and other professionals in the field from all specialties, hire them as independent freelancers, and work with them directly.
• HelloStylists: an online platform that allows users to browse hundreds of hairstylists profiles and salons in the UAE, check out their portfolios, and find the hair professional that is right for them.
• Sarwa: the first hybrid automated investment management platform for young professionals in the Middle-East. Sarwa’s platform makes investing easy and affordable, by combining proven investment strategies with technology that drives down costs.