500 Startups and Misk Innovation will host the second batch of its accelerator program based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to fuel startups throughout the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.  Batch 2 of the Misk 500 Accelerator Program will bring experts from Silicon Valley and beyond to educate 15-20 early-stage startups from MENA. The program will consist of 14 weeks of mentorship and workshops that will have an emphasis on growth hacking techniques, product design, and fundraising. In addition to the educational component of the program, participants will have a unique opportunity to make long-lasting connections with investors and corporate partners from the region. 

Following the highly sought after Misk 500 Accelerator Program Batch 1, 500 Startups and Misk Innovation are excited to continue working with startups from the region. The goal of the program is to empower local and regional startups by raising the level of training standards for young people in MENA. 500 Startups regional fund, 500 Falcons, will invest USD $50,000 into each participating startup in exchange for 7% equity.

Applicant Qualifications:

• Pre-seed and seed-stage technology companies based in the MENA region
• Company founders are expected to fully participate in all aspects of the program. A maximum of two additional team members (per company) will be also allowed to participate at any time during the program
• Startups must have an available product or service (MVP) or live beta

Space is limited to 15-20 startups. Apply here before July 26th, 2019.

Misk 500 Accelerator – Batch 2 Program Dates:

Looking Back on Batch 1

Batch 1 of the Misk 500 Accelerator Program consisted of 19 startups who took part in the 16-week program in Riyadh. Participants joined from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Palestine, and the United Arab Emirates. 37% of these companies had at least one female founder. The program concluded with a Demo Day, where startups gave a 3-minute pitch to a packed room of over 200 attendees, which consisted of both investors and corporations from the region. 

If you are a startup interested in participating in the Misk 500 Accelerator program, apply here.

Notes:

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