Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Flat6Labs, the Middle East and North Africa’s leading seed and early-stage venture capital firm, today announced a partnership with North Star to hold a Demo Day — showcasing startups from the latest edition of the Flat6Labs Ignite Program — at this year’s edition of Expand, the increasingly popular startup event taking place at Dubai Harbour from 15 to 18 October 2023.

To be held on 16 October on the Marketing Mania Stage (XMD), Hall 4, from 4pm to 6pm, Flat6Labs' Expand North Star 2023 Demo Day will feature seven startups from the VC firm’s most recent Cycle 5 cohort of its seed-funding and mentorship program, Ignite. Founders will pitch their value proposition and business strategy to potential investors, in a bid to secure additional funding.  

The companies being showcased cover a range of specialties, including HRtech, Foodtech, Healthtech, Enterprisetech, and Adtech. Among investors, attendees are expected to include representatives from the likes of Wamda, Aditium, MEVP, and Global Ventures. The seven startups presenting pitches at the Expand North Star 2023 Demo Day have already raised seed funding anywhere between US$500,000 and US$1.5 million, and this platform will give them the opportunity to gain further follow-on funding.

“The MENA VC ecosystem surpassed US$3 billion in 2022,” said Trixie LohMirmand at Expand North Star. “And as it outgrows colocation at GITEX, Expand North Star is the best venue in the world right now to connect investors to the latest rising stars. Flat6Labs is set to bring seven of the brightest and most promising startups from their UAE program, and we are confident that hands will be joined, and potential follow-on funding will be made into the companies plus many other new opportunities possible only at the event.”

In parallel to the Demo Day, Flat6Labs will also be featuring StartMashreq startups. The StartMashreq Growth Track program, supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is Flat6Labs’ effort to support startups from Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq to scale their businesses and access new markets. The program focuses on empowering women, refugees, minorities, and displaced persons.

“The region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem is starting to see a strong recovery,” said Ryaan Sharif, General Manager for Flat6Labs UAE. “There has never been a more exciting time for investors to immerse themselves in the innovation wave and identify the next big thing. Flat6Labs is playing an integral role in the development of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through our participation at Expand 2023, we hope to entice more visionaries to join our Ignite program so we can help them reach their full potential and take the world by storm.”

Flat6Labs’ Ignite program is the result of a partnership with Abu Dhabi’s ADQ, one of the MENA’s largest holding companies, which is focused on leveraging startups and entrepreneurship for the economic growth of the Emirate. To date, 46 startups have participated, and 14 companies have raised a combined total of US$12.6 million in follow-on funding, over and above investments from Flat6Labs itself.

About Flat6Labs

Flat6Labs is the MENA region’s leading seed and early-stage venture capital firm, currently running the most renowned start-up programs in the region. Annually, Flat6Labs invests in more than 100 innovative and technology-driven start-ups enabling thousands of passionate entrepreneurs to achieve their daring ambitions and ultimately becoming their institutional co-founders.

Flat6Labs manages a number of seed funds with a total AUM in excess of $135M. More than 25 leading institutions have invested into the Flat6Labs managed fund. Alongside investments, Flat6Labs’ start-up programs, executed to cater specifically to the needs of innovative entrepreneurs, help them accelerate their growth by providing them with a plethora of support services and connecting them to unparalleled opportunities with an expansive network comprising hundreds of business mentors, investors and corporates.

Launched and headquartered in Cairo since 2011, Flat6Labs has multiple offices across the region; with ongoing plans to expand into other emerging markets.

Media Contact:
Vernon Saldanha
Procre8 for Flat6Labs
Email: Vernon@procre8.biz