14 start-ups, 25 ecosystem builders, investors and stakeholders from over 5 countries gathered for a series of roundtables, networking events and site visits.
Open Start-up (OST) has successfully concluded the second edition of Global Immersion Week (GIW), a week-long event aimed at connecting different ecosystem players from African and Middle Eastern countries to bring closer ecosystems and promote interregional collaboration through innovation, openness and exchange.
Encourage cross-regional collaboration
This GIW 2.0 is an important step in strengthening OST’s mission to foster cross-regional collaboration and knowledge exchange among innovators. The event was therefore an opportunity for the various stakeholders of innovation ecosystems to discover new perspectives, forge new relationships and learn from each other, thus contributing to the growth and development of the innovation ecosystem. MEA start-ups.
From March 13 to 17, 14 start-ups, 25 ecosystem builders, investors and stakeholders from over 5 countries gathered for a series of roundtables, networking events and site visits, counting the pitching and discussion sessions organized by “Africinvest”, “Meet & Mix” sessions aimed at connecting Tunisian and regional entrepreneurs, and much more.
Global Immersion Week also hosted a delegation from Columbia Business School in New York, the Legatum Center of Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT, and the Executive MBA program at MIT.
During the week of the event, sub-events were organized for tech experts and different ecosystem players, led by top leaders: OST Tech Night — a tech event showcasing the tech landscape of the region, a Deep Dive Session on ecosystems in Africa, presented by Abdou Chaoui, a panel covering investment opportunities in Africa, presented by Michel Amsalem, Diego Arias, Julio Mupemba and Ioto Iovo, and a session presenting the Columbia Global Centers Amman and its impact, presented by Ahmad Al Mousa.
Promote cross-border partnerships
During the ceremony, Houda Ghozzi, CEO of OST, presented OST’s strategy and its four main pillars for the next three years, namely: more regional activities, focus on advanced start-ups thanks to OST Grow (its investment readiness program), focus on Deeptech in Africa thanks to the Brain program, and finally, community building.
“In our region of the world, support for start-ups cannot be intrinsically linked to entrepreneurs and their projects. Without regional understanding and openness, start-ups are quickly faced with narrow markets, resources, networks and ambitions. This is one of the reasons why OST is focused on fostering cross-border partnerships through common interests, alignment and trust… We would like to thank all the start-ups in the region who joined us this week, as well as all the partners and stakeholders who supported the event. The event would not have been possible without their support and contributions,” she said.
As a reminder, Open Start-up (OST) is a non-profit organization that serves as a regional hub for start-ups in North Africa and the Middle East. OST’s mission is to foster entrepreneurship and innovation, providing access to resources, networks and mentorship across continents. Through its various programs, OST helps start-ups and entrepreneurs to create and develop their businesses, thus promoting economic growth and job creation in the region.