Techstars

Techstars Central LLC, founded in 2006 and based in Boulder, Colorado, operates as a startup accelerator and venture capital firm focused on supporting early-stage technology-oriented companies. It specializes in a mentorship-driven accelerator program, selecting ten startups each summer to participate in a three-month incubation period, offering funding of $120,000 in exchange for equity. Techstars invests primarily in sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, augmented reality, and IoT, while avoiding investments in medical devices, healthcare technology, and local service-oriented businesses. In addition to its primary accelerator, Techstars has various specialized programs, including those focused on music, retail, mobility, and social impact, with global reach extending to regions such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm prefers taking minority stakes, typically between six and ten percent, without seeking board representation or investor rights. Techstars has built a robust network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners to foster innovation and growth within its portfolio, which includes over 1,000 companies with a significant collective market capitalization.

Ethan Austin

MD of the Techstars Western Union Accelerator

Max Kelly

Managing Director of Techstars London

Lesa Mitchell

Managing Director

Vijay Tirathrai

Managing Director

Mark Tortorella

Advisor

Nathanial Zola

MD

Past deals in United Arab Emirates

Trado (Formerly MeatoDoor)

Pre Seed Round in 2022
The meat procurement process for food businesses is highly unorganized with multiple suppliers, stock availability challenges, variation in quality and pricing and, lack of transparency. MeatoDoor is digitizing the meat ordering process by providing a one-stop solution ensuring quality standardization, transparency, and convenience in the procurement process. MeaoDoor is addressing the pain points of a $6.1 Bn GCC meat market that is growing annually @5.4% until 2030. With global health concerns, changing consumer expectations, and government regulations, it is the right time for organizing the multiple stakeholders in the supply chain to deliver quality and trust. MeatoDoor has created a reverse auction platform that offers instant quotes, access to promotions, competitive pricing bringing efficiency and reducing cost in meat procurement. The customers are owned by MeatoDoor as the orders are executed by in-house team.

Voyance

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Voyance is a big data company that leverages machine learning to assist businesses in making predictive analyses based on their data. The platform enables organizations to answer critical questions regarding revenue forecasts, transaction fraud detection, and customer retention. It simplifies data science by acquiring, validating, storing, and securing data while also preparing it for analysis. Additionally, Voyance facilitates the creation of reports to engage stakeholders effectively. Currently, the company is piloting its services with various organizations in sectors such as banking, e-commerce, and fintech across Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Glamera

Seed Round in 2022
Glamera is a mobile application designed for Arab women to easily book and pay for health and beauty services. Launched in 2019 and based in Nasr City, Egypt, the app addresses common challenges associated with scheduling appointments at salons and beauty professionals. Users can select their desired location and service, schedule appointments, and choose from various payment methods, including options for payment in the salon or through the app itself. The platform features over 200 service providers, allowing clients to discover new services while saving time and effort. Glamera also enhances the user experience by offering discounts and loyalty points through its payment gateways. The application operates in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, making beauty services more accessible and convenient.

jalebi

Pre Seed Round in 2021
jalebi is an early-stage B2B food-tech startup unifying a food businesses content + data value-chain, transforming rudimentary and inefficient processes in a surging $8.1 trillion global industry.

Klaim

Seed Round in 2021
Klaim is an InsureTech platform offering a SaaS medical claim management and financing platform all in one. They provide them with total visibility on their revenue cycle, increase their revenue through reduced claim processing time and errors, and faster payments.

Glamera

Seed Round in 2021
Glamera is a mobile application designed for Arab women to easily book and pay for health and beauty services. Launched in 2019 and based in Nasr City, Egypt, the app addresses common challenges associated with scheduling appointments at salons and beauty professionals. Users can select their desired location and service, schedule appointments, and choose from various payment methods, including options for payment in the salon or through the app itself. The platform features over 200 service providers, allowing clients to discover new services while saving time and effort. Glamera also enhances the user experience by offering discounts and loyalty points through its payment gateways. The application operates in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, making beauty services more accessible and convenient.

StrategyConnect

Seed Round in 2021
StrategyConnect is a tech-enabled aggregator of specialized boutiques and experts offering standardized and repeatable services. The company empowers talent-hungry ME businesses to deliver mission-critical projects cost-effectively. It was founded in 2017 and based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Klaim

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Klaim is an InsureTech platform offering a SaaS medical claim management and financing platform all in one. They provide them with total visibility on their revenue cycle, increase their revenue through reduced claim processing time and errors, and faster payments.

Brio

Seed Round in 2020
Brio Systems, Inc. operates a comprehensive COVID-19 testing platform designed for workplaces to facilitate on-site testing for employees. The platform provides access to lab-backed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody testing, alongside logistics that assist employers throughout the testing process. It includes medical oversight and ensures digital results communication within three days of sample collection. Brio connects employers with a network of FDA-certified laboratories and medical suppliers, offering a complete solution that includes test requisitioning, fulfillment of collection kits, and digital reporting. Founded in 2017 and based in Boston, Massachusetts, Brio serves various industries, including manufacturing and food processing, helping businesses protect their workforce and make informed decisions regarding health and safety.

Brio

Seed Round in 2020
Brio Systems, Inc. operates a comprehensive COVID-19 testing platform designed for workplaces to facilitate on-site testing for employees. The platform provides access to lab-backed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody testing, alongside logistics that assist employers throughout the testing process. It includes medical oversight and ensures digital results communication within three days of sample collection. Brio connects employers with a network of FDA-certified laboratories and medical suppliers, offering a complete solution that includes test requisitioning, fulfillment of collection kits, and digital reporting. Founded in 2017 and based in Boston, Massachusetts, Brio serves various industries, including manufacturing and food processing, helping businesses protect their workforce and make informed decisions regarding health and safety.

Lancify

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Lancify Connect FZ-LLC operates an online platform that connects student freelancers with companies seeking various services. Founded in 2017 and based in Dubai, the company offers a diverse range of projects in fields such as web development, design, writing, videography, and more. In addition to facilitating freelance work, Lancify provides online courses designed to equip users with essential skills for the freelance marketplace, covering areas like website creation, project management, and social media marketing. The platform aims to empower young individuals by teaching them modern skills relevant to current industry demands, enabling immediate application in freelance projects. Lancify has gained support from Techstars and notable angel investors, underscoring its commitment to building a strong young workforce.

Educhain

Seed Round in 2020
EduChain Inc. develops enterprise software tools for designing, issuing, and managing blockchain-enabled digital documents. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Abu Dhabi, Dubai.

Workathlon

Seed Round in 2020
Workathlon IKE operates an online recruitment platform specifically tailored for the hospitality industry, leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance the job matching process. The platform enables job seekers to upload resumes and explore various opportunities in hotels and other hospitality sectors, while also assisting employers in finding candidates that meet their job specifications. Established in 2015 and based in Marousi, Greece, Workathlon has garnered the trust of over thirty thousand hospitality professionals and serves more than 350 companies, including hotels, tour operators, and restaurants across Cyprus, Germany, Malta, the United Arab Emirates, and Switzerland. It has become a key resource for both job seekers looking to advance their careers and employers aiming to recruit top talent in the hospitality field.

Buglance

Seed Round in 2019
Buglance is a crowdtesting platform which provides you access to thousands of testers and devices for affordable price. Buglance provide mobile app testing solutions that allow you to test your app or game with thousands of testers and devices with one click.

YACOB

Seed Round in 2019
YACOB is a nutrition management platform that facilitates communication and operational flow between children, parents, schools & food vendors. YACOB’s mission is to enhance children’s and parents’ health behaviour related to nutrition and physical activity both at home and at school. Based on holistic data ranging from children’s current health levels to their eating habits and physical activity patterns and up to sleeping and screen time balance - in correlation with the international standards set by the WHO, we are developing an adaptive gamified framework in order to trigger children’s desire and determination to become healthier. Our adaptive gamified framework is a blend of physical, digital and phygital tools - from fitness tests to healthy food tastings up to online challenges and competitions based on wearables data, thus creating a seamless flow of experiences across the environments where children already enjoy being.

YACOB

Seed Round in 2018
YACOB is a nutrition management platform that facilitates communication and operational flow between children, parents, schools & food vendors. YACOB’s mission is to enhance children’s and parents’ health behaviour related to nutrition and physical activity both at home and at school. Based on holistic data ranging from children’s current health levels to their eating habits and physical activity patterns and up to sleeping and screen time balance - in correlation with the international standards set by the WHO, we are developing an adaptive gamified framework in order to trigger children’s desire and determination to become healthier. Our adaptive gamified framework is a blend of physical, digital and phygital tools - from fitness tests to healthy food tastings up to online challenges and competitions based on wearables data, thus creating a seamless flow of experiences across the environments where children already enjoy being.

Buglance

Seed Round in 2018
Buglance is a crowdtesting platform which provides you access to thousands of testers and devices for affordable price. Buglance provide mobile app testing solutions that allow you to test your app or game with thousands of testers and devices with one click.

Soluki

Seed Round in 2018
Soluki’s mission is to grow the Arabic web. Arabic Language Middle East SaaS Business

Brio

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Brio Systems, Inc. operates a comprehensive COVID-19 testing platform designed for workplaces to facilitate on-site testing for employees. The platform provides access to lab-backed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody testing, alongside logistics that assist employers throughout the testing process. It includes medical oversight and ensures digital results communication within three days of sample collection. Brio connects employers with a network of FDA-certified laboratories and medical suppliers, offering a complete solution that includes test requisitioning, fulfillment of collection kits, and digital reporting. Founded in 2017 and based in Boston, Massachusetts, Brio serves various industries, including manufacturing and food processing, helping businesses protect their workforce and make informed decisions regarding health and safety.

Felix

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Felix is a B2B SaaS platform to seamlessly connect insurers, intermediaries and their consumers to the insurance ecosystem. Their platform will allow traditional brokers to focus on their key strengths like product knowledge and underwriting whilst simultaneously delivering to their customers a digital experience that surpasses the experience offered by today’s online incumbents.

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 to enhance road safety. The company has developed a real-time predictive analytics platform that aims to predict and prevent car accidents by connecting vehicles, drivers, and infrastructure. Derq's platform utilizes data from existing road infrastructure and deployable sensors to create a unified view of all road users, enabling the prediction of their movements around the clock. This system feeds a live dashboard for road operators and sends alerts to connected vehicles, facilitating improved decision-making and accident prevention. By leveraging advanced analytics, driver behavior modeling, and deep learning methods, Derq contributes to the creation of safer and smarter roadways.

Ecoisme

Seed Round in 2016
Ecoisme sp. z o.o., founded in 2014 and based in Krakow, Poland, specializes in home energy monitoring solutions. The company has developed a device that detects the energy consumption of various household appliances and provides users with insights into their electricity usage through a mobile application. This system employs a single sensor that connects contactlessly to the fuse box, enabling users to monitor their energy expenditures and identify potential overuse of grid or solar energy. Additionally, Ecoisme notifies homeowners of any impending appliance failures. The company has gained recognition for its innovative technology, having successfully launched an Indiegogo campaign and received the CES Best of Innovations Award. Furthermore, Ecoisme has joined the Edison Electric Institute and is collaborating on pilot projects with notable organizations such as EDF, Virgin Media, and Dubai Energy and Water Authority.

Ecoisme

Convertible Note in 2016
Ecoisme sp. z o.o., founded in 2014 and based in Krakow, Poland, specializes in home energy monitoring solutions. The company has developed a device that detects the energy consumption of various household appliances and provides users with insights into their electricity usage through a mobile application. This system employs a single sensor that connects contactlessly to the fuse box, enabling users to monitor their energy expenditures and identify potential overuse of grid or solar energy. Additionally, Ecoisme notifies homeowners of any impending appliance failures. The company has gained recognition for its innovative technology, having successfully launched an Indiegogo campaign and received the CES Best of Innovations Award. Furthermore, Ecoisme has joined the Edison Electric Institute and is collaborating on pilot projects with notable organizations such as EDF, Virgin Media, and Dubai Energy and Water Authority.