DD-Ready is a platform that enables investors and due diligence service providers to manage deal flow, allocate resources and mitigate risks. This is done by an automated solution for collecting documentation from fundraisers via Information requests with industry templates – or customized according to your needs. This can be tracked via the DD-Ready dashboard, enabling investors to efficiently manage investment deal flow, collaborate with due diligence service providers, and follow with fundraisers or portfolio companies.

Furthermore, DD-Ready offers startups to be first-in-line for investors review and to finalize their financial round by using the enterprise value set by them. It helps them with their due-diligence process by guiding them through which documents are missing in which template format required according to their investors, allowing them to get faster investment decisions and have more efficient funding rounds.

DD-Ready is ready to establish several pilots and collaborations with global entities, like their collaboration with Startupbootcamp, where the COO of Startupbootcamp MENA and Russia, Ibrahim Seksek expressed his excitement about using DD-Ready as a tool to onboard companies in Startupbootcamp’s programs and he states: We have already started using DD-Ready to onboard Startupbootcamp Fintech companies and Startupbootcamp Smart Cities program is next. DD-Ready makes our process significantly more efficient and brings value to all startups applying and participating in the program!

DD-Ready’s CEO, Co-Founder Heikki Kauppinen expresses how thrilled he is that he is collaborating with a notable and global organization like Startupbootcamp and states: Startupbootcamp is a global organization with over 20 industry-focused programs all over the world! We are dedicated to expanding collaboration and creating value to thousands of applicants from all over the world! 

Read more about DD-Ready: www.dd-ready.com

The post Startupbootcamp is using DD-Ready in the MENA region appeared first on Dubai Smart City Accelerator.

This partnership will leverage both companies’ strengths and will enable Lexyom to empower SBC’s portfolio companies by providing them with adequate, continuous legal support and prime access to its legal innovative solutions.

The COO of Startupbootcamp MENA and Russia, Ibrahim Seksek expressed his excitement about using Lexyom as the legal go-to tool for SBC’s startups: “Legal is one of the main challenges our startups face constantly, from company incorporation to shareholders agreements. Lexyom will bring great value to all our startups by making their legal processes more efficient, accessible and personalized to their legal needs”.

Rami Alameh, Chief Executive Officer at Lexyom. expresses how thrilled he is about this partnership and said “Startups in the region are looking for the latest tech solutions to conduct their legal affairs. With Lexyom, we are enabling Founders and Entrepreneurs to be safely secured in the driver’s seat, with a legal partner who truly understands the challenges of being a Startup, so they can focus on what really matters: Growing their Business. Lexyom’s legal solutions are Fast, Accurate, Experienced and completely Price-Predictable. We also strongly believe in empowering entrepreneurs, which is why we are also dedicated to constantly developing our ever-growing knowledge base”.

The partnership represents a step-change in the way Legal is addressed in the Startup ecosystem. By leveraging on each other’s strengths and capabilities, SBC and Lexyom look forward to many successful initiatives together as they join forces to empower tomorrow’s leaders.

Learn more about Lexyom and sign up now at http://www.lexyom.com

The post Startupbootcamp Announces Strategic Partnership with Lexyom appeared first on Dubai Smart City Accelerator.

The 11 startups were carefully selected from a pool of 800+ international applicants and underwent a three-month extensive acceleration program. Their technology focus areas include AI, smart retail, data analytics, IoT, big data, tourism, and more. The startups are currently ready to take their businesses to the next level, and Demo Day aimed to connect them with the leading smart city players in the region.

Ibrahim Seksek, Managing Director of DSCA, said: “We are thrilled about our third Demo Day, as it supports the Smart Dubai 2021 strategy through bringing top smart city startups to Dubai and fast-tracking their growth. The 11 startups underwent an intensive acceleration process to help them scale their business in the UAE and internationally. In the upcoming period, we will continue assisting the startups in raising investments and securing more pilot projects with corporates.”

William Chappell, Chief Financial Officer at DSOA and EVP Technology & Entrepreneurship at Dtec, the largest tech hub and coworking space in the MENA region, wholly owned by Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), said: “Our partnership with DSCA reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to empower entrepreneurs and provide them with all the necessary facilities to launch and grow their projects.”

He added: “The impressive batch in the accelerator’s third cohort presented innovative ideas built around the latest technological developments. We invite all startups and entrepreneurs to participate in our program and benefit from the opportunity to improve their leadership skills through the right mentorship, which is critical in taking new ideas from concept to completion.”

Dr Aisha bint Butti bin Bishr, Director General of the Smart Dubai Office, said: “Smart Dubai is pleased to offer its support to innovators with bold ideas to harness emerging technologies. The efforts of these ambitious startups aligns perfectly with Smart Dubai’s mission to embrace promising technological breakthroughs and translate them into smart services for the emirate’s citizens, residents, and visitors.”

She added: “This, in turn, reflects our commitment to the vision of our wise leadership to attract entrepreneurs and empower them to implement their projects. DSCA provides us with an ideal platform to discover ideas that have the potential to drive Dubai’s efforts to establish itself as the world’s happiest and smartest city.”

Otto Williams, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Fintech, and Ventures for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Visa, said: “Visa is delighted to be a long-standing partner of DSCA. We are excited about mentoring the program’s third cohort and working alongside this next wave of global start-ups to support Dubai’s connected city ambitions.”

Sahem Azzam, Vice President for the Middle East and Africa at Orange Business Services, said: “Demo Day is one of the highlights of the DSCA program experience for the selected startups. It offers them a chance to demonstrate not only the value proposition of their technical innovations and the associated business models, but also, most importantly, the quality of the team. Investors invest in people first and foremost, and the 11 teams at Demo Day showcased their impressive talents very effectively.”

He added: “Orange Business Services is a global leader in smart cities, and has been privileged to collaborate with these startups as a co-innovator and pilot customer for proofs of concept (PoCs). Digital transformation is essential for the region and relies on talent. Our working relationship with the accelerator program has been a valuable experience for our own smart cities team at the regional center of excellence, based here in Dubai.”

Dr Youssef Al-Assaf, President of Rochester Institute of Technology – Dubai (RIT Dubai), said: “Our mission at RIT Dubai is to transform society through education, research, and innovation. Therefore, we are proud to collaborate with DSCA. This year, 11 startups were selected, including one created by our students, who pitched to investors and industry leaders. RIT Dubai has always supported ideation, innovation, and creative startups that help solve industrial challenges and create the right culture and mindset to build a better future.”

Anthony Shiner, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at du, said: “du has always supported local startups and our participation in Startupbootcamp is but a continuance of our policy to encourage innovative ideas. It’s exciting to see wide participation and quality startups bringing ideas to life. We appreciate the effort and dedication of the startup bootcamp team in managing this program and we are confident it will continue to be a launchpad of successful businesses”

Natalia Sycheva, Manager of Entrepreneurship at Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Dubai Chamber), said: “Dubai Chamber’s involvement in this program aligns with its comprehensive entrepreneurship strategy as well as its efforts to attract innovative startups to Dubai and position the emirate as a testbed for cutting-edge technologies that can support its transition to a global smart city.”

She added that the presence of several UAE startups among the selected candidates reflects the country’s strong entrepreneurial spirit.

The Dubai Smart City Accelerator is supported by DSOA, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, du, Smart Dubai, Visa, Orange Business Services, and RIT Dubai. The partners have played an integral role in accelerating the growth of the startups, providing them with mentorship, introductions, and market entry facilitation. The 11 startups have so far secured 11 PoCs with the partners and are in discussions for a further 33.

The third cohort included three startups from the UAE – Shorages, which assists e-commerce companies in unlocking new markets through providing storage and fulfillment services, Lightified, which helps interior designers and construction professionals make better lighting choices, and Monocle Reality, an augmented reality platform that allows its users to experience their surroundings through a camera lens.

Among the other participants was Near Motion LLC from Saudi Arabia, an interactive building system that interacts with visitors according to their locations, welcomes them on arrival, and guides them indoors step by step towards their destination through digital wayfinding. All the way from the USA, BasilLabs helps decision-makers crack the offline consumer experience (CX) puzzle. Two startups from Jordan also made it into the cohort. The first, Carers, is a marketplace that provides peace of mind for families by using the best matching algorithm to connect them with trustworthy and reliable in-home nursing, physiotherapy, and childcare services for their loved ones, subject to the highest vetting standard. The second, Controlcast, is a digital out-of-home marketplace platform that enables companies to instantly and affordably advertise on local digital screens directly through an easy-to-use app dashboard to increase their marketing reach and effectiveness.

From India, Dressire, an AI- and computer vision-based hyper-personalization platform helps brick-and-mortar retailers know their customers’ preferences so they can present the right product at the right time to the right person. Global Miles from Turkey is a blockchain platform that enables the distribution of miles across the world to be used and managed by a mobile application for frequent flyers and airlines. Meanwhile, Receet from Palestine empowers merchants to build customer loyalty, be sustainable, and enhance the customers’ shopping experience through digital receipts and new marketing channels. Finally, Revotonix from Lebanon specializes in developing mobile robots and mechatronics solutions for any application.

-Ends-

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Following an exhaustive scouting process where we visited 25 cities receiving more than 1300 applications from 99 cities and conducting more than 400 meetings with founders, we were finally able to select the top 20 startups joining our Selection Days.

On December 9th, 20 startups from 9 different countries landed in our offices at Dtec in Dubai Silicon Oasis to compete for a spot in our 4th cohort. The startups pitched their ideas and value propositions to a panel of partners and mentors, and then they got to have 1:1 meetings with more than 20 mentor, partner, and corporate executive where they received valuable feedback and networked with different stakeholders. Finally, although it wasn’t the easiest decision, the top 10 startups joining the program were selected.

The 10 startups are currently based at our offices in Dtec, the largest co-working space in the MENA region, and they will undergo a three-month intensive acceleration program providing them with hands-on mentorship and workshops with more than 100 Smart City experts.

UAE’s top Smart City stakeholders are supporting the award-winning Dubai Smart City Accelerator. The program is backed by Dubai Silicon Oasis, Dubai Chamber, Smart Dubai, du, Visa, Orange Business Services, and RIT Dubai. Those partners are providing the startups joining the program with the funds needed to expand their business in Dubai, an extensive network of experts and mentors, and the opportunity to secure a collaboration with them.

The 4th cohort features startups working in AI, Automation, Sustainability, Gig Economy, E-Commerce, Hospitality, PropTech, Legal Tech, and Mobility. Here is a glimpse about the new cohort:

• Aoun (Jordan): an on-demand service management platform powered by AI and ML.
• Bawaki (UAE): connects F&B outlets to end-users to provide surplus food at discounted rates to help curb food wastage.
• Inelense (Canada): an artificial intelligence video analytics that provides actionable alert to people monitoring surveillance cameras.
• Jaaem (UAE): builds a novel platform where users can proceed to checkout with one click while watching video content.
• Lexyom (Lebanon): provides experienced, international, and price predictable legal services with state of the art technology. 
• Paymatrix (India): facilitates short-term credit to individuals for them to better manage their cash flows and cash crunches.
• Pickyto (India): delivers Express Food Ordering Solutions for Restaurants & Hotels of all sizes and shapes. 
• Shiftling (UAE): an on-demand, pay as you go platform that enables businesses to book staff as and when they need them, instantly. 
• Tenex (UAE): is a solution that streamlines the two-way communication between Tenants, Landlords, and community management.
• Vetifly (UAE): helps its users save up to 80% of their current point-to-point commute time, through a unique multi-modal transportation approach. 

The previous cohorts have collectively secured so far 59 PoCs, and raised $USD 4,855,246.

“We’re thrilled by the fact that 60% of the new cohort’s startups are coming from the local UAE market, and that these startups are providing outstanding Smart City solutions that can fit both the local and international markets,” said Leen Nabulsi, Managing Director of DSCA. “We’re excited to see what will be the outcomes of the 4th cohort, and we will work on supercharging the startups’ potentials to expand and support the Dubai 2021 Smart City strategy.”

After graduating, the startups will continue to have our support in closing rounds of investments and signing more pilot projects with corporate, as part of our Global Alumni growth program.

The post Sourcing Local Innovation – DSCA reveals its 4th cohort appeared first on Dubai Smart City Accelerator.

Hello Mai! Can you please tell us more about your area of expertise and how did you get into the field?  

I am a media, music and entertainment lawyer. I Joined MBC Group about four years ago handling legal matters related to the production of movies, series, and shows in general. I have also worked in the music industry through our record label company. In addition to that, I handle App development matters, digital content and new media, licensing agreement and much more.

What else have you previously worked with?

I graduated with an LLM degree in International Commercial Law with a specialization in banking and Finance. After graduating I joined a law firm in Jordan where I trained and received my Bar membership. I later joined a South African company called GroFin where we extended facilities to SMEs aiming to help grow them in Jordan and the region. My role there as a legal counsel enabled me to assist the company in all facility agreements and transactions while mentoring the SMEs wherever needed to ensure that they remain legally compliant.

Have you previously done mentoring work?

This is my first time mentoring. Previously it was done as part of my job.

Were you mentored in your career? If so, what impact did this have on you? If not, why have you decided to embark on mentoring?

Not officially no, but I used to constantly seek advice from experts in their fields wherever I felt there was an opportunity. Having a mentor from the start would have had a tremendous effect on my career path and businesses and this is why I would like to help others embarking on similar a journey. It is our duty as individuals to provide and offer support wherever and whenever possible. Keep in mind, that it will be and should be us that is reaching out and not the other way around. We benefit no one by withholding our knowledge and experience. And we stand to gain everything by sharing our knowledge and more importantly our experience, where the benefits will not only affect this generation but will trickle down to the next.

Tell us about the startups with SBC that you are mentoring. How are you excited to help them throughout their journey in the Accelerator program? 

I have had the pleasure of working with Dressire and Controlcast so far, both Yaman and Ashish are highly motivated individuals who are passionate about their businesses. Our meetings are a combination of business and legal aspects of the startup and how both intertwine. The way we work is by breaking down the business to identify areas where legal attention is required. We analyze the business’s key goals and work towards securing and reviewing them from a legal perspective.

What do you wish to gain from mentoring startups?

I wish to learn from these startups as much as they learn from me. I hope I can shed some light on the importance of proper legal structure when setting up any business. A strong legal structure is a foundation and blueprint for any business, and I strongly believe that by taking care of that startups stand a better chance of surviving the first critical years.

Who/what inspires you?

I co-own a bridal store where my business partner and I design our own bridal collection yearly. This business taught me that inspiration is everywhere around us. I get inspired by the way people interact with each other, by music and nature around us and anything you could think of. However, when I think of individuals, I am lucky to consider myself surrounded by many inspirational people. A lifetime inspiration for me has been my father whom without, I would not be where I am today. One of the many lessons he taught me is that we are not defined by the way we are conditioned growing up and that we can beautifully adapt to the individuals we aspire to become. He raised me as an equal to my brother in Arab society and taught me day after day that I can achieve anything I desire with the right mindset. But most importantly he taught me that greatness loses its spark if when achieved we forget to remain humble and grateful.

Anything else you would like to add/share?

Starting your own business is a difficult journey, and we all sure have had our own “I give up moments”, but our capacity to push through and fight as human beings is beyond our imagination. Even when the initial business plan collapses, with the right support and knowledge, participants in this program will know that that collapse in itself is an opportunity to usher in a better plan. I would like for all the startups to leave this program feeling stronger, supported and inspired.

The post #MeetTheMentor: Mai Ali appeared first on Dubai Smart City Accelerator.

Based in Warsaw, Daniel is an experienced mentor who has mentored hundreds of startups all over the world. He has worked with startups from many different industries, including MedTech, FoodTech, AgTech, SpaceTech, and more. He is also the founder of an EdTech startup; his passion for mentoring extends to teaching skiing in his free time.

Hi Daniel! What is your area of expertise, and how did you get into the field?

My area of expertise covers MedTech, TeleHealth, and Health Care fields. It was not a coincidence that I got my interest in this particular field. It was rather a fulfillment of an urgent need of my best friend’s father who happened to live far away from the nearest physician’s office and hospital. The TeleHealth solution that I implemented through my extensive technology search helped him to become remotely monitored and regularly checked via IoT solution. Ever since that time, I decided to work on this field as I truly believed that this is the future of medicine and with the world population getting older, these technological advancements are the only way to go.

What else have you previously worked with? (What is your background)?

Other fields that I previously worked on include FoodTech, AgTech, GreenTech, CleanTech, FinTech, SpaceTech, EdTech, Smart City and Urban Mobility. I worked on these areas while being a Managing Director of the Start-up Incubation Hub and Entrepreneurship and Innovation Lead at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (Climate-KIC). Core background comes with 14 years of working for the Corporate Finance environment (treasury, procurement, pension & investments, M&As, budgeting & controlling) in the United States of America. The industry mainly included big pharma, investment banking, and telecoms.

Other fields that I previously worked on include FoodTech, AgTech, GreenTech, CleanTech, FinTech, SpaceTech, EdTech, Smart City and Urban Mobility. I worked on these areas while being a Managing Director of the Start-up Incubation Hub and Entrepreneurship and Innovation Lead at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (Climate-KIC). Core background comes with 14 years of working for the Corporate Finance environment (treasury, procurement, pension & investments, M&As, budgeting & controlling) in the United States of America. The industry mainly included big pharma, investment banking, and telecoms.

What is your motivation for mentoring/Why did you decide to mentor?

Personally, I treat mentoring as a fan and the ability to gain personal satisfaction where more experienced individual shares knowledge, experience, and advice with a less experienced person. For me, the biggest motivation to become a mentor was to build the leadership skills, improve communication techniques, learn new perspectives and, most importantly, advance interpersonal relationship skills. Therefore, I believe, that being a mentor does not only benefit the mentee, it is a two-way experience where both sides benefit from the relationship. This is exactly the main reason why I became a mentor.

Have you previously done mentoring work? Where?

I’ve been involved with light mentoring since 2012. First, as a Managing Director of the Start-up Incubation Hub where I acted as the advisor to the start-ups that were in the incubation program. Then, I got involved with the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) where I began more in-depth mentoring of various entrepreneurship and acceleration programs related to the EIT Health, EIT Food and EIT Climate-KIC. Since a couple of years now, I am also an active mentor for private and public acceleration programs in Poland, other Central Eastern European countries and globally. Examples include:

• MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF), a global organization of dedicated professionals with local chapters, affiliated
  with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
• Space3ac accelerator which is dedicated to space startups with direct cooperation with big enterprises,
• Foodtech startup accelerator that understands that the food industry of tomorrow means healthier food, less
  pollution and the optimal use of raw materials.

Were you mentored in your career? If so, what impact did this have on you? If not, why have you
decided to embark on mentoring?

I was first mentored in primary school by the math teacher and later on in high school by the professional soccer coach. In both instances, it was to gain the focus on the math skills and on the soccer-playing techniques. The high school soccer coach put a big impact on me. He made me understand that it is not the game skills that are important but the mental condition is the one that decides on the performance of the player. I guess this was a trigger that put me into this mentoring journey. The soccer career continued for many more years and now I can say withholding nothing back that the personal mentoring helped me achieve the goal of successfully playing in the 2nd division of the national soccer league. After my soccer episode concluded, I knew I need to give back to society and start mentoring other less experienced people to help them out in achieving their personal dreams or business goals. And here I am today.

What do you wish to gain from mentoring startups?

Mentoring someone else opens you up to endless string of learning opportunities. What I really want to gain from
mentoring startups is, for instance, to become more relevant. It means that all the effort I want to put in to advise less experienced individuals makes me more valuable. Another benefit I would like to gain is to broaden up my networking horizon where, on one hand, I can open doors for mentees and, on the other hand, they can become a natural source of priceless information or connecting me with some other interesting startups, industries, technologies, and people. This all for the mutual benefit.

Tell us about the startups with SBC that you are mentoring. How are you excited to help them throughout their journey in the Accelerator program?

I am just beginning my journey with the SBC and I do not have any startups that I currently mentor. I am very much
excited and I am looking forward to starting mentoring startups within the SBC network. I am sure it will be one of the best mentoring experiences ever as the organization is a top-notch player it its field.

Who/what inspires you?

There is an extraordinary man who constantly inspires me to be the best you can be and to succeed in life. His name is Nicola Tesla, a Croatian scientist, and incredible inventor. In his desire and actions to help other people, Tesla has shown his giving personality. Near the beginning of his inventing career, Tesla had the idea for the AC motor: “‘No more will men be slaves to hard tasks,’ he told his friend. ‘My motor will set them free. It will do the work of the world.'”. Being totally inspired by Tesla’s giving personality, I decided to use mentoring as the tool to give to the world as well.

Anything else you would like to add/share?

So you don’t think I am all about mentoring, I wanted to also share with you my other interest and hobbies such as, for instance, running my own EdTech startup and being in charge of the regional ski club where I also teach kids and adults how to ski. By the way, the Dubai Indoor Ski Arena rocks!

The post #MeetTheMentor: Daniel Kulig appeared first on Dubai Smart City Accelerator.

Based in Dubai, Ramzi is Co-Founder of The Online Project, the leading digital media agency in the Middle East. Ramzi is also the MENA representative of Silicon Valley Venture and Innovation, a boutique independent innovation and capital formation consultancy.

What is your area of expertise and how did you get into the field?

What else have you previously worked with? (What is your background)?

I am currently the co-founder of The Online Project, the leading digital media agency in the Middle East, as well as the Middle East and North Africa representative for the SVVI.

The last 2 decades of my life have been spent introducing new technologies to regulators, governments, and large scale organizations in the Middle East and North Africa. I have capitalized on innovation waves one after the other. As a founding team member of the first regional SMS Value Added Services Provider in MENA, the founder of the first privately owned and run Radio network, and the founder of the first Social Media services provider in the region, I have mastered the craft of new media,  technology large enterprise business, and partnership development.

I have set up offices and maintain a presence in KSA, UAE, Jordan, Oman, and Egypt. And serving clients in 12 of the region’s leading markets, my regional execution experience is an asset and an advantage. The genuine partnerships created throughout the years have generated tens of millions of dollars in sales for the companies that I have built and partnered with. 

What is your motivation for mentoring/Why did you decide to mentor?

As a serial entrepreneur, I am aware of the value of mentorship and its importance to the founders of any startup journey. I have had several mentorship relationships throughout my journey which have helped me overcome many challenges, avoid mistakes, and most importantly maintain a positive attitude throughout the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur. 

Have you previously done mentoring work? Where? 

I have been mentoring startups for the last 10 years and worked with numerous founders to help them with their marketing challenges and business development challenges. I am an Endeavor entrepreneur and was able to give back to several Endeavor entrepreneurs in several MENA markets.

Were you mentored in your career? If so, what impact did this have on you? 

Yes, I have and feel it is definitely an important relationship that increases the success of the startup.

What do you wish to gain from mentoring startups? 

Personally I would be happy to see the companies I mentor succeed and achieve certain milestones they hope to achieve. If I am able to add value to their journey I would be very happy.

How are you excited to help SBC startups throughout their journey in the Accelerator program? 

I came across some excellent founders and startups and feel this is a strong cohort and I’m excited to contribute to some of their growth and acceleration.

Who/what inspires you?

There are many entrepreneurs who inspire me regionally I can say that one of the best mentors I have had in the past who added a lot of value was Maher Kaddoura. I am also inspired by Fadi Ghandour who happens to be one of our shareholders. I am also very fond of Samih Toukan and Hussam Khoury. I am inspired by my fellow entrepreneurs who are always ready to share knowledge and information to help others. I am inspired by my co-founder Zafer Younis who has been my business partner for the last 15 years. Finally, both of my two brothers and my mother are also entrepreneurs and never cease to inspire me.

Most importantly what inspires me is my passion for overcoming challenges and making a positive impact and helping people around me whether it is employees, partner clients or fellow entrepreneurs in the ecosystem. Above all being an entrepreneur has taught me what really matters in life and how to invest my time in a balanced way between family, friends, and work.

Ultimately, having a great wife and two beautiful kids motivates me to strive to be a better person everyday.

The post #MeetTheMentor: Ramzi Halaby appeared first on Dubai Smart City Accelerator.

Based in Dubai, Yogesh is Head of Innovation at KLME.

What is your area of expertise and how did you get into the field?

My area of expertise is Innovation and Business Transformation Solutions Design / Implementation. I have been in Supply Chain Management for the last 25 years and my current role is a culmination of many aspects of my professional life that helped me to understand Creativity as my key strength.

My background is in Supply Chain Management and I am a Supply Chain Engineer with credentials in Management, Fintech, Sales Management, e-commerce and Blockchain. I have worked with some of the major MNC organizations in the SCM area such as UPS SCS, Maersk, Agility, Ohm and currently I head the Kerry Innovation Hub.

What is your motivation for mentoring/Why did you decide to mentor? 

My personal journey of which has including successes and failures has helped me to understand the vitality of Mentoring. This was precisely my reason to Mentor.

Have you previously done mentoring work? Where?

Yes, with Startupbootcamp Fintech, Intelak, Area 2071, Kerry Innovation Hub, Ohm Engineering.

Were you mentored in your career? If so, what impact did this have on you?

Yes, I have been blessed to have had some amazing Mentors who have helped me in my thought process and action achievements. It helped me steer my path and understand that success is a collaborative path.

What do you wish to gain from mentoring startups? 

The satisfaction of contributing and the happiness of being a part of an achievement by guiding a team to success higher than planned. Of course gains are equally important but they have to be strategic.

Tell us about the startups with SBC that you are mentoring. How are you excited to help them throughout their journey in the Accelerator program? 

I am excited to mentor these startups as all of them are uniquely gifted in their own ways. It would be unfair to decide who is the best, as literally everyone are. What amazes me is the clarity and positive thinking that exists in this cohort. I am in absolute faith that this cohort will be a winning one in many aspects.

Who/what inspires you?

My mother has been my biggest inspiration. She was born blind and fiercely and doggedly lived a life of highest standards without letting the impediment ever be a challenge instead turning it into an opportunity. She taught me to be innovative with life. Equally my wife is an inspiration who constantly engages in thinking out of the box and often just destroying the box. And last but not least, my cat shows me that even animals are innovative by the ingenious ways he figures out ways to get attention and food.

Anything else you would like to add/share?

Let’s get going and make sure the cohort develops into a bunch of successful entrepreneurs!

The post #MeetTheMentor: Yogesh Raje appeared first on Dubai Smart City Accelerator.

What is your area of expertise and how did you get into your field?

I am a Commercial Advisor with over 25 years cross-industry experience in areas including banking, financial services, real estate, media, advertising, events, interior design and F&B. Previously serving as Director of Sales at dubizzle – part of OLX Group, a UAE-based website for classified advertising, I was responsible for growing and fostering an enviable sales performance driven culture. Becoming the ‘go to’ sales leader within the group, I served as an adviser to regional managers across ALMEA and Europe on topics such as commercialization, monetization, sales strategy and recruitment. 

Having enjoyed the advising part of my last employed role so much, I decided to set up a consulting practice to give similar advice to other companies. I also noticed that both start-ups and established companies struggle to source and effectively evaluate sales leadership. I therefore set up Alcon Maddox Management and HR Consultancy in the summer of 2019. 

What else have you previously worked with? (What is your background)?

I’ve spent a lifetime in sales in various capacities: Business Development Manager, Account Manager, Key Account Manager, Relationship Manager, Stockbroker, Sales Manager, Head of Sales, Director of Sales. I’ve sold door-to-door, face-to-face and over the phone in C2C, B2B and B2B2C environments. I’ve built sales teams from scratch and trained every aspect of the function. In addition, I have project managed the centralization of a regional customer services division and set up an international telesales centre in Egypt.

What is your motivation for mentoring/Why did you decide to mentor?

I wish to broaden my network and keep a foot in the technology /online sector. I also love project work. The mentoring program for me is exactly that. Working with these start ups on a three-month project is really exciting. If I can contribute in any way to their success at pitch day or beyond, that would make me very happy.

Have you previously done mentoring work? Where? 

No, this is my first time mentoring!

Were you mentored in your career? What impact did this have on you? 

I have both a coach and a mentor that I speak with regularly. My coach helps me with focus and organization and her advice was a key driver of my success when I moved into my first Director role. My mentor gives me business and industry specific advice. He is the reason my current business has been set up the way it is.

Tell us about the startups with SBC that you are mentoring. How are you excited to help them throughout their journey in the Accelerator program? 

Monocle Reality – I see real value in this kind of application from a user perspective. As Property portals become more customer centric this is the natural next step for them. I think Monocle is a prime example of a company that will be bought out within 5 years. I also see so much more than just Property listings for this app.

City78 – I don’t know much about urban planning, but I can really see that the data these guys have access to will be of real value to this sector. The challenge is how to commercialize this data and present it in a way that makes the relevant organizations want to bite their hand off for it.

Who/what inspires you?

Political leaders inspire me – they get so much accomplished with the time they have.

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Meet this week’s mentor: Alessandro Masaro. Based in Dubai, Alessandro is Vice President of Delta Partners.

What is your area of expertise and how did you get into the field?

My functional area of expertise encompasses business planning, storytelling, fundraising and access to investors. While I might lack direct startup operational experience, startups can use me as a sounding board for their ideas, in particular in the fields of telecom, media and fintech which have been my focus areas for the last 9 years. 

What else have you previously worked with? (What is your background)?

I have an MSc in Finance & Accounting and after a brief period in investment banking, I started working as a management consultant in Africa and Middle East where I helped numerous telecom operators to develop their digital strategies (moving away from connectivity) including mobile financial services. In the last 5 years I have been working in the Investments team of Delta Partners Group where we manage a late-stage fund and a smaller early stage vehicle. We are actively seeking for great teams / ideas and planning to invest in 5 companies per year across geographies and verticals.

What is your motivation for mentoring/Why did you decide to mentor?

I’ve always been very focused on the big picture and now that I’m getting more exposed to early stage companies, I feel I have to develop a different skillset. Mentoring for me is a bi-lateral process where I do my best to help very smart people while I try to learn as much as possible from them. 

Have you previously done mentoring work? Where? 

Mentoring is the essence and driving force of professional services such as management consulting; thus, in a way I’ve been mentored and mentoring others since I moved from Analyst 1 to Analyst 2. After I transitioned to the Investment space, I’ve done more than 20 deals and served on the board of multiple companies where I tried to be as hands-on as possible in order to generate better results for my investors. 

Were you mentored in your career? If so, what impact did this have on you? If not, why have you decided to embark on mentoring? 

I became who and what I am thanks to the expert advice of a multitude of people who spent quality time to improve my soft and hard skills and mold me into the professional I am today. Mentoring is the single most important thing you should seek in your professional and personal life.

What do you wish to gain from mentoring startups? 

Connect with smart people to learn from them. Take as much as possible from these relations in terms of know-how and expertise in specific fields. Provide value as much as possible in order to build a trusted relationship. 

Who/What inspires you?

My inspiration is listening to smart people (in-person and via social networks) and feel the need to continue my personal and professional development. I enjoy discussing any topic and generate multiple iterations so that I’m able to validate my opinions/anecdotes into thesis. 

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