Young entrepreneurs from Jordan among winners of 4th ‘Startup Roadshow’

AMMAN — Under the patronage of HRH Princess Sumaya bint Al Hassan, Jusoor on Tuesday marked the conclusion of the fourth edition of its flagship regional project “Startup Roadshow”.

Jusoor is an international NGO that works in educational and entrepreneurial programmes for Syrian refugee children and youth, as well as young people in host communities.

Competing for seed fund prizes during the project’s “Demo Day”, 10 startup finalists pitched their ideas to a panel of judges comprising investors as well as representatives from regional business incubators and accelerators. Three startups from young Jordanian and Syrian entrepreneurs residing in the Kingdom were among the winners.

“During periods of crisis, champions are forged, and amidst challenges, entrepreneurs rise,” said Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Ahmad Hanandeh, deputising for HRH Princess Sumaya.

The minister was keen to mention that “Jordan is considered a regional and global hub for entrepreneurial thinking”, noting that the Kingdom hosts the region’s first entrepreneurship incubator, from which the first ever Arabic language search engine emerged. 

“The world of entrepreneurship is one of the most hopeful and exciting spaces of working with youth, where everyone involved must hold both great courage and great faith,” said interim executive director at Jusoor, Alexandra Chen.

“We concluded the fourth chapter of our ongoing journey with the launch of the World Refugee Week 2023. We pride ourselves in supporting startups that represent the determination and strength of entrepreneurs around the world,” Jusoor’s Head of Entrepreneurship, Ziena Abu Dalbouh, told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

The Startup Roadshow is an intensive four-month incubation programme that hosted a cohort of 85 early-stage startups from young entrepreneurs within the Syrian refugee and host communities of Jordan and Lebanon. The project aims to build participant’s entrepreneurial capabilities by providing them with training, mentorship and networking opportunities.

The fourth edition was co-funded by SPARK, the Islamic Development Bank and the Abdul Aziz Ghurair Foundation.