Viaka Newsletter: April's Demo Day and Panel Events in Review
Viaka is building the exclusive digital destination for top-tier founders, experts, investors, and talent across the globe with a professional or personal interest in the MENA region
Last week, we hosted our two monthly virtual events:
First, we heard founders in the MarTech and Audio pitch to a panel of investors.
Huge thanks to our partners TechWadi, the founders of Albaloo, uCast, Vbout/Open Build AI and Podeo for their pitches, and to investors from HubSpot Ventures, ZigZag VC, and Nuwa Capital for their feedback.
Then, builders in AI from across the world shared their thoughts on the technological wave disrupting just about every aspect of life and business.
Shout out to Draper Startup House for partnering on this with us, and to Hannah Arafeh (Hula Ventures), Sameh Ben Fredj (Emirates), Abed Kasaji (Anecdote), Kazzy Khazaal (Dreamwell AI), and Waleed Atallah (Untether AI) for sharing their thoughts.
Stay tuned as we announced our May events by subscribing to this newsletter and joining the Viaka Network :)
Promising Opportunities from Our Partners
New opportunities added in April 2023
To invest in:
uMake is raising a seed round to fuel the expansion of their innovation ecosystem model to commercial real estate in Palestine and the rest of the MENA region.
To receive investment from:
533 Syndicate is looking for promising founders across stages and industries. Ticket sizes as low as $20K and as high as $100K.
Click on the button below to see all current opportunities & get involved:
Exciting Announcements From Our Network
Below is a list of updates, wins, and asks emanating from members of the Viaka Network in the “West.”
We’re hosting an AMA with 4 VCs in our Network! Fundraising is tough right now, so we’ll be asking top-tier VCs how startups can still impress.
Get your tickets to the AfricArena Cairo Summit! This conference will include pitches and presentations from 20+ of Africa’s best late-stage startups. Check out more here.
Our friends at LebNet and TechWadi are hosting an event! On May 11, they will be hosting a Bay Area AI in healthcare panel discussion. Link here for more info!
uCast is hiring a sales team member! Interested in joining an early-stage startup in a sales role? Check out the posting here for more info.
If you’re a member of our Network and would like to share your own update next week, email info.viaka@gmail.com or submit an update via this form.
Reads of the Week
Viaka has launched a Network Reading List, where Network members are encouraged to submit media suggestions of their own.
Check out Bayt.com’s survey of Entrepreneurship in MENA 2023.
Here’s a deep-dive into the merits of establishing a paid membership community.
TechCabal has published an article highlighting the strength of AI in Africa.
Check out Viaka’s full reading list here.
Weekly News Digest
Check out our weekly digest — we provide news from all across the MENA startup ecosystem, every single Friday. Be sure to follow our LinkedIn and Twitter for more.
That’s it for this week. Thank you! 👋
Like what you see? Here are some things you should do:
Check out our sparkling new website 💻
Sign up for the Viaka Network 🚀
Subscribe to this newsletter 🤓