Techstars

Techstars is a global platform that invests in and supports early-stage technology companies. Founded in 2006, it operates a mentorship-driven accelerator program, providing seed funding, intensive mentorship, and access to a network of investors and entrepreneurs. Techstars has programs in various locations worldwide, including Boston, Boulder, New York, Seattle, London, Chicago, and Austin. It invests $118,000 in each company, with $18,000 in seed funding and an optional $100,000 convertible debt note. Techstars also has industry-specific accelerator programs, such as Techstars Retail and Techstars Music, focusing on retail and music technology, respectively. Its portfolio includes over 1,000 companies with a combined market cap of $8.1 billion.

Hyder Alabed

Program Director

Ethan Austin

Director

Sarah Bain

Managing Director

Ravid Chowdhury

Investment Manager

Saalim Chowdhury

Managing Director

Andrew Cleland

Chief Investment Officer

Todd Deacon

Managing Director

Maelle Gavet

CEO and Board Member

Kirstin Hunter

Managing Director

Matt Kozlov

Managing Director

Scott Kraege

Managing Director

Ryan Kuder

Founder and Managing Director, Techstars Anywhere Accelerator

Kerty Levy

Managing Director

Raphaele Leyendecker

Managing Director

Bob Moczydlowsky

Managing Director and Founder, Techstars Music

Bruno Morency

Managing Director

Zach Nies

Managing Director

Hilla Ovil-Brenner

Managing Director

Julie Penner

Program Director

Neal Sales-Griffin

Managing Director

Martin Schilling

Managing Director

KJ Singh

Managing Director

Vijay Tirathrai

Managing Director

Kartik Varma

Managing Director

Jenna Walker

Managing Director

Anne Wellington

Managing Director

Past deals in Gulf Cooperation Council

Revent

Pre Seed Round in 2024
Revent is on a mission to help hundred thousand SMEs in GCC unlock $750M of Capex while saving 1M devices from prematurely ending up in e-waste

ViewIT

Pre Seed Round in 2023
ViewIT is a technology company specializing in real estate solutions. It offers a mobile application that simplifies the listing process for real estate agents and provides clients with verified video walkthroughs of properties. The platform addresses issues of fake listings and inconvenient viewings by enabling agents to conduct geotagged video tours. Currently operational in Dubai and Karachi, Pakistan, ViewIT has approximately 425 monthly active users and 800+ listings, with a monthly growth rate of 12% for listings and 10% for users.

Revent

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Revent is on a mission to help hundred thousand SMEs in GCC unlock $750M of Capex while saving 1M devices from prematurely ending up in e-waste

Autobia

Seed Round in 2023
Autobia is a B2B marketplace based in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, founded in 2021. The company focuses on addressing infrastructure and after-sales issues within the automotive industry. By leveraging data, Autobia connects wholesalers and resellers, providing integrated digital, operational, and logistical solutions. This platform enables clients to access spare parts trade digitally, facilitating business expansion on a global scale.

Voyance

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Voyance is a big data company that utilizes machine learning to assist businesses in predicting future outcomes based on their data. Its platform is designed to simplify data science by acquiring, validating, storing, and securing data while also handling administrative tasks such as planning and cleaning data for analysis. This enables organizations to generate reports aimed at securing buy-in from stakeholders and team members. Voyance's technology can address various business inquiries, such as forecasting revenue, detecting fraudulent transactions, and assessing customer churn. The company is currently conducting pilot programs with banks, e-commerce firms, and fintech companies in Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Dawafast

Seed Round in 2022
Dawafast is a pharmaceutical manufacturing firm located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that operates an online pharmacy shopping platform. The platform is designed to connect customers with a wide range of pharmaceutical products, providing a convenient and efficient way to purchase medications and healthcare items. By focusing on quality delivery and affordability, Dawafast aims to enhance the overall shopping experience for users seeking pharmaceutical solutions.

Voyance

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Voyance is a big data company that utilizes machine learning to assist businesses in predicting future outcomes based on their data. Its platform is designed to simplify data science by acquiring, validating, storing, and securing data while also handling administrative tasks such as planning and cleaning data for analysis. This enables organizations to generate reports aimed at securing buy-in from stakeholders and team members. Voyance's technology can address various business inquiries, such as forecasting revenue, detecting fraudulent transactions, and assessing customer churn. The company is currently conducting pilot programs with banks, e-commerce firms, and fintech companies in Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Autobia

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Autobia is a B2B marketplace based in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, founded in 2021. The company focuses on addressing infrastructure and after-sales issues within the automotive industry. By leveraging data, Autobia connects wholesalers and resellers, providing integrated digital, operational, and logistical solutions. This platform enables clients to access spare parts trade digitally, facilitating business expansion on a global scale.

AlGooru

Pre Seed Round in 2021
AlGooru is a Saudi-based educational platform that connects students with qualified private tutors for a wide range of subjects, including academic, vocational, and recreational areas. Through its dynamic tutor matching service, AlGooru offers both online and in-person tutoring options, allowing users to find vetted tutors quickly and efficiently. The platform is designed to cater to the individual needs of students, facilitating personalized long-term subscriptions that enhance the learning experience. By providing access to a diverse pool of tutors from various disciplines, AlGooru aims to support motivated learners in achieving their educational goals.

StrategyConnect

Seed Round in 2021
StrategyConnect is a technology-driven platform based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, that connects businesses with specialized boutiques and experts to facilitate the delivery of mission-critical projects efficiently. Founded in 2017, the company focuses on aggregating talent to meet the needs of businesses seeking cost-effective solutions. By operationalizing agile teams, StrategyConnect simplifies project complexities through its expert recruitment services, enabling organizations to access external talent that aligns with their specific requirements. This approach not only helps businesses overcome local talent shortages but also provides experts with opportunities to engage in international projects.

Workathlon

Seed Round in 2020
Workathlon is an AI-driven recruitment solution specifically designed for the hospitality industry, combining advanced marketing tools to assist companies in attracting and hiring top talent. It serves as a pivotal platform for the emerging hospitality workforce, allowing over 30,000 professionals to explore potential employers and apply for job opportunities. The company connects more than 350 clients, including hotels, tour operators, restaurants, and cruise companies across various countries such as Greece, Cyprus, Germany, Malta, the UAE, and Switzerland. Workathlon offers a range of services, including headhunting, recruiting, and HR consulting, which help hospitality businesses streamline their hiring processes and reduce associated costs.

EduChain

Seed Round in 2020
EduChain Inc. is a company based in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, that specializes in developing enterprise software tools for blockchain-enabled digital document management. Founded in 2016, EduChain offers a secure digital platform for the issuance, sharing, and verification of academic documents. Its flagship solution allows academic institutions to issue official credentials such as diplomas, transcripts, and certificates digitally. By utilizing blockchain infrastructure, EduChain enables instant issuance and authentication of these records, empowering registrars with control over document management and granting students authority over who can access their academic information. This innovative approach helps educational institutions reduce administrative costs, streamline processing times, and explore new revenue opportunities.

Lancify

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Lancify Connect FZ-LLC is a Dubai-based company founded in 2017 that operates a platform connecting student freelancers with businesses seeking talent. The platform provides diverse project opportunities across various fields, including web development, design, photography, and writing. In addition to facilitating freelance connections, Lancify offers online courses designed to teach young people essential skills related to modern software tools, such as website creation with Webflow and design systems with Figma. These courses are structured to be engaging and allow participants to apply their skills immediately in real freelance projects. By focusing on equipping the young workforce with in-demand skills, Lancify aims to enhance career prospects in the growing freelance marketplace. The company is supported by Techstars and notable angel investors.

Cake

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Equity should be a piece of cake. We’re on a mission to simplify companies issuing and transferring shares, options and notes, and keeping your owners sweet. Started in Australia, we now help startups in Singapore, US, UK, India, UAE, New Zealand and growing fast!

Derq

Seed Round in 2017
Derq Inc. is a company founded in 2016 and based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, that specializes in artificial intelligence and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology aimed at predicting and preventing car accidents. The company has developed a real-time predictive analytics platform that provides a unified view of all road users, enabling the prediction of their movements continuously. By leveraging data from existing infrastructure, cameras, and sensors, Derq's platform offers a live dashboard for road operators and sends alerts to connected vehicles. This technology enhances driver behavior modeling and facilitates communication between vehicles and infrastructure, ultimately contributing to safer roadways and the reduction of crashes.
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