Qatar-based online lifestyle platform is latest beneficiary of QSTP's product development fund

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovation (QF RDI), has awarded its Product Development Fund (PDF) to a local startup, Tech Hub, to support their project ‘DietHub’. PDF assists and encourages small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups to develop innovative products or services, in their areas of expertise, that are relevant to the needs of the local market.

The funding agreement was signed by Yosouf Abdulrahman Saleh, Executive Director, QSTP, and Ali Abdulla Al-Yafei, Founder and CEO, Tech Hub, at a ceremony in QSTP today.

PDF’s lastest project beneficiary, DietHub, is an online platform that connects people keen on living a healthy lifestyle, and losing or gaining weight, with nutrition experts and health coaches. Clients subscribe to platform-based coaching packages through which the coaches provide a food and exercise plan, water consumption rates, and lifestyle programs that are tailored to specific needs. DietHub opens a one-to-one channel between the client and the coach to allow daily communication and follow-up which enhances the user experience and the success rate of the diet journey.

“Providing support to our entrepreneurs is essential to encourage their innovative efforts aimed at addressing local and global market needs. We are delighted to be empowering Tech Hub to develop their product, promoting healthy lifestyles, for commercial impact in the vital healthcare sector,”  said Dr. Richard O’Kennedy, Vice President for Research, Development and Innovation at QF.

Commenting on the award of the grant to Tech Hub, Mr. Saleh said: “The QSTP Product Development Fund program is nurturing a new generation of entrepreneurs and innovators, who are contributing to advancing our ultimate goal of promoting new high-tech products and services, and supporting the commercialization of market-ready technologies.

“Since its inception, the program has consistently attracted local SMEs that are driven to address challenges specific to Qatar’s unique market needs. We are very proud of the achievements and results so far, particularly since a number of our graduates have gone on to expand their businesses, both in Qatar and further afield. We look forward to helping PDF’s newest innovator, Tech Hub, reach the same success.”

Since its launch in 2016, QSTP’s PDF has awarded subsidy grants to 17 SMEs, eight of which have successfully graduated from the program with innovative products that range from a smart edutainment app, ‘Haya’, by Al-Doha Link LLC, to an autonomous delivery vehicle, ‘Droid’, by Airlift QSTP LLC; and an ‘Automated Customer Profiling Platform’, by iHorizons WLL.

A key element of QSTP’s mission to create a dynamic tech innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Qatar, and as a vital contributor to Qatar’s drive towards economic diversification, PDF is increasing the engagement of private sector SMEs and startups in product development and optimizing the overall effect on the national economy. The program targets startups working in the priority industries of energy, environment, healthcare, and ICT.

Ali Abdulla Al-Yafei, Founder and CEO of Tech Hub, said: “We are very excited to begin this working relationship with QSTP and to receive the support of their professional team of mentors. For our team, the QSTP PDF will be invaluable to accelerating the intensive development of our product to be ready for the market. We see the initiative as a prime example of how QSTP is encouraging a generation of tech entrepreneurs in Qatar.”

To be eligible for the PDF, at least 20 percent of the private sector SME should be owned by a Qatari individual, and the SME should have up to 249 employees. Qatar-based SMEs that are successful in securing PDF support may be awarded funds of up to 50 percent of the cost of the product or service proposal. Currently, five new projects are under evaluation by QSTP’s team of industry managers, and QF’s research, development, and innovation experts.

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Qatar Science & Technology Park

Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), part of Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovation (QF RDI), is a Free Zone, accelerator, and incubator for tech-product development in Qatar. The park fosters an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Qatar that works to accelerate commercialization of market-ready technologies to realize Qatar’s national diversification drive.

QSTP’s focus ranges across four overarching themes, comprising Energy, Environment, Health Sciences, and Information & Communication Technologies, in line with the Qatar National Research Strategy announced in 2012.

Located in Qatar Foundation's Education City, QSTP has access to the vital resources of a cluster of leading research universities. Members of QSTP’s Free Zone include SMEs, international corporations, and research institutions. They are collectively committed to investing in new technology development programs, creating intellectual property, enhancing technology management skills, and developing innovative new products.

QSTP supports QF RDI’s economic and human development objectives for Qatar and is increasingly recognized as an international hub for applied research, innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship.

For more information, please visit the QSTP website at www.qstp.org.qa 

Qatar Foundation Research, Development and Innovation (QF RDI)

The Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovation (QF RDI) division’s role is to play an integral part in identifying and addressing challenges and opportunities across ICT, energy, environment, healthcare, and agribusiness, in alignment with Qatar’s national RDI strategy and priorities. QF RDI is at the forefront of Qatar’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, accelerating economic development through supporting the commercialization of market-ready technologies and facilitating the creation of new high-tech products and services.

QF RDI is responsible for translating Qatar’s national RDI strategy into specific initiatives and actions for Qatar Foundation’s (QF) RDI entities. It also directs their efforts in relation to economic value creation, knowledge transfer, and the establishment of mutually-beneficial national and international RDI partnerships. To ensure these efforts deliver maximum impact, the QF Vice President for Research, Development, and Innovation plans, coordinates, and oversees all RDI-related activities across QF.

Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, research and development, and community development.

QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.

QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.

For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, please visit: www.qf.org.qa 

For any media inquiries, please contact: pressoffice@qf.org.qa 

© Press Release 2019