• Participation from partner network 12 leading financial and insurance institutions 

Dubai, UAE:– DIFC FinTech Hive, the first and largest financial technology accelerator in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, announced today the launch of AccelerateHer, a mentorship programme which equips budding female professionals with necessary tools and experience to play a more active role in the development of the region’s FinTech landscape.

Held in partnership with Cater Murray, a global specialist marketing and sales recruitment agency, the mentorship programme will run from April to November 2019. AccelerateHer will connect young aspiring executives to accomplished professionals with relevant expertise from across DIFC FinTech Hive’s strategic partnership network, which includes some of the world’s leading financial organisations.

On this occasion, Raja Al Mazrouei, Executive Vice President of DIFC FinTech Hive, said: “Research shows that women remain significantly underrepresented in the upper levels of financial services, so we are very excited to launch today’s initiative under the FinTech Hive umbrella.  DIFC’s fintech accelerator plays a crucial role in our efforts to shape the future of the regional financial landscape. I’m confident that AccelerateHer will complement these efforts by exposing the young female talent of the UAE to a diverse range of experiences that allow them to play a more influential role in the future of the industry.”

The first edition of AccelerateHer was formally launched during a breakfast session today, presenting mentees with an opportunity to engage with mentors from a diverse range of fields at this early stage of their career development. The launch event saw 12 mentorship pairings established between mentees and mentors from Arab Bank, AXA Insurance, CIGNA, Emirates Islamic, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, Insurance House, Noor Bank, Noor Takaful, Standard Chartered, VISA, and Zurich. 

AccelerateHer complements the established FinTech ecosystem in DIFC that includes an enabling infrastructure, fit-for-purpose-regulation, subsidised licensing and most importantly, access to some of the world’s pioneering financial institutions.

DIFC FinTech Hive recently announced it has begun accepting applications for the third cycle of its hugely successful accelerator programme. The third cycle will kick off in September, 2019, welcoming selected FinTech start-ups to an intensive three-month programme, which will include guidance and mentorship from 21 partners, comprising financial institutions, insurance firms and strategic partners.

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About Dubai International Financial Centre

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is one of the world’s most advanced financial centres, and the leading financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), which comprises 72 countries with an approximate population of 3 billion and a nominal GDP of USD 7.7 trillion.

With a 15-year track record of facilitating trade and investment flows across the MEASA region, the Centre connects these fast-growing markets with the economies of Asia, Europe and the Americas through Dubai.

DIFC is home to an internationally recognised, independent regulator and a proven judicial system with an English common law framework, as well as the region’s largest financial ecosystem of more than 23,000 professionals working across over 2,100 active registered companies – making up the largest and most diverse pool of industry talent in the region.

The Centre’s vision is to drive the future of finance. Today, it offers one of the region’s most comprehensive FinTech and venture capital environments, including cost-effective licensing solutions, fit-for-purpose regulation, innovative accelerator programmes, and funding for growth-stage start-ups.

Comprising a variety of world-renowned retail and dining venues, a dynamic art and culture scene, residential apartments, hotels and public spaces, DIFC continues to be one of Dubai’s most sought-after business and lifestyle destinations.

For further information, please visit our website: www.difc.ae , or follow us on Twitter @DIFC. 

About DIFC FinTech Hive

The DIFC FinTech Hive is the first and largest financial technology accelerator in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. The programme provides start-ups from all around the world the opportunity to engage with world-renowned financial institutions, insurance firms and strategic partners to test and develop technologies that address the sector’s ongoing challenges.

The accelerator offers its participants a wide-range of benefits accessible through DIFC’s dynamic FinTech ecosystem, including cost-effective licensing solutions, fit-for-purpose regulation, an interactive and collaborative workspace, access to DIFC’s US $100 million FinTech fund, and the largest financial community in the r2egion – today comprising over 2,100 companies, of which 80 are FinTech sector-related.

Through its network of over 60 financial, insurance, strategic, digital, and legal partners, the accelerator welcomes start-ups that cover the emerging trends of FinTech, InsurTech, RegTech and Islamic FinTech, and supports both early stage entrepreneurs as well as those in their growth period. Today, DIFC FinTech Hive’s network of international partnerships extends across 14 FinTech hubs in various parts of the world, including New York, London, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Mumbai, Paris, Brussels, Holland, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

For further information, please visit our website: www.fintechhive.ae , or follow us @DIFCFinTechHive

For media enquiries, please contact:
Manal Shaikh
Dubai International Financial Centre Authority
Senior Manager, Communications
Tel: +971 4 362 2453
Email: manal.shaikh@difc.ae 

Nour Nahhas
Brunswick Group
Tel: +971 56 503 4851
Email: DIFC@brunswickgroup.com 

© Press Release 2019

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