ABU DHABI - The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) has announced the start of their in-person Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Programme and the first Demo Day on 16 March, 2023, which will include start-up pitches, keynotes from thought leaders, and networking sessions.

The Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Programme is in Cohort 03 of the Anjal Z initiative and was launched on 16th January, 2023. Over the past weeks, the programme has offered virtual mentorship and localisation to six growth-stage start-ups, eligible for funding, along with 14 early-stage start-ups. The aforementioned six start-ups met for the first time on Monday, 20th February, 2023, in Abu Dhabi for the in-person phase of the programme.

The ECA is an Abu Dhabi-based government entity supporting holistic early childhood development. The goal of Anjal Z is to support and empower global start-ups at their growth stage of development. The initiative helps disruptive businesses put their research to use and tackle early childhood development challenges across Abu Dhabi and the UAE through a partnerships-driven, customised, and experience-based fellowship programme.

Following the success of Cohorts 01 and 02, Cohort 03, in partnership with Techstars, offers mentorship and resources to help early childhood education entrepreneurs grow their businesses and localise their solutions to impact the children and families in Abu Dhabi positively. The programme is designed to support innovative solutions that improve the quality of early childhood and meet families’ needs.

The 20 start-ups selected for the Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Programme are:
● Cappella
● Enrichly
● Femtech Solution
● HolexP
● Kanjo Health
● Kidaura Innovations
● Kindello
● Kokoro Kids
● Littera Fun
● Magic Kids
● Nuwa Robotics
● Ostaz
● Peekabond B.V.
● Peekapak
● Pengguin
● Pink Fox Games
● Snapi Health
● Teach Kloud
● Think Nursery
● Toto Sleep

Of these, the six who have met on Monday, and will receive AED820,000 in funding and in-person mentorship in Abu Dhabi to partner with a local entity to create a proof of concept (POC) project on the ground are:

● Enrichly
● Kanjo Health
● Kokoro Kids
● Nuwa Robotics
● Peekapak
● Snapi Health

The start-ups focus on developing solutions across a wide range of areas, including edtech, healthtech, gaming, wearables, communications, and social learning.

The ECA formed a strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to support start-ups in the form of AED15 million over three years. Previous Anjal Z Cohorts have supported 12 start-ups via virtual and in-person mentorship, localisation, and funding.

According to Wamda’s monthly report, start-ups in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) raised $125 million in December 2022 across 38 deals, taking the total amount raised last year to approximately $3.6 billion (a rise of 13 percent compared to 2021) spread over 628 deals. Figures from Nesta show that global venture capital investment, specifically in apps and technology for parents, has risen 50 percent faster than the total investment growth over the last decade.

Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, Acting Director-General of ADIO, said, “Abu Dhabi offers an enabling environment for edtech start-ups to develop and commercialise their ideas to address challenges facing the next generation and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. ADIO advocates the ECA’s Anjal Z programme and the opportunities it creates for start-ups to thrive in Abu Dhabi’s early childhood sector.”

Commenting on the launch of the Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Programme, Dr Yousef Alhammadi, Executive Director at ECA, said, “We are delighted to launch Cohort 03 of Anjal Z in partnership with Techstars. Our mission is to help develop early childhood projects and start-ups to promote innovation in this sector across the region. The early years of a child are critical to helping them grow into healthy and capable adults. It is essential to offer parents and industry professionals the support they need. We are certain that the Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Programme will positively impact the wider society long-term.”

Speaking about the program, Katie Smith, Head of the Founder Catalyst Program at Techstars, said, “We are excited about the powerful platform we are creating alongside the Early Childhood Authority to support startups that improve the quality of early childhood education and meet families’ needs across Abu Dhabi and the Region. The high calibre of diverse founders from around the world who applied demonstrates the need for this programme and indicates the deep impact on the community we will see as a result. We are so proud to welcome the participants and celebrate their successes now and in the future. We also send a special thanks to ECA for making this opportunity a reality.”