Viaka Newsletter: uMake -- Building a Community of Entrepreneurs in Palestine!
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
This week, we’re featuring uMake and Daoud Ghannam!
What is uMake and how/why did it come to life?
uMake is the number one destination for aspiring entrepreneurs, promising founders, and emerging startups in Palestine. Home to a truly diverse community of visionaries, innovators and change-makers, truly committed to social impact, uMake as a space houses everything from inspiring talks, to coworking space, to acceleration.
What is your personal story and relation to the problem (alongside your founders)?
Daoud has always had an interest in innovation and entrepreneurship, and after working in the private sector for a number of years he decided leave his job in 2017 to open up uMake version 1.0. At the time coworking was an alien concept in Palestine, and most entrepreneurship hubs were focusing on short-term solutions including training and hosting for 1-6 months, but no initiative was truly committed to building a community with longevity. The first uMake space hosted up to 20 innovators and creators and fostered communal learning and growth through events and activities. Fast forward 5 years and uMake 3.0 hosts 100 community members, three entrepreneurship training tracks and a wealth of events and activities.
What market are you attacking? Are you adding on or trying to replace a current offering?
uMake is different from most other innovation hubs and tech ecosystem players in Palestine. Rooted in its community members, uMake is a commercial initiative (by Palestinians for Palestinians) on a mission to challenge the status quo of an aid-funded tech sector. In doing so, uMake is attempting to break the cycle of the short-term, repetitive interventions dominating the development sector. Instead, uMake puts the community first, in the pursuit of creating actual, viable solutions with longevity based on the needs of the community members.
What are you looking for from the Viaka community?
We are looking for supporters. Whether it might be VCs or angel investors looking for investment opportunities, or experienced business professionals looking to mentor or perhaps individuals looking to sponsor uMake and our programmes. And of course, anyone visiting Palestine should definitely visit uMake.
Where will that take you?
Ultimately supporting uMake means supporting our mission to build a strong, self-sustaining tech ecosystem in Palestine.
Promising Opportunities from Our Partners
New opportunities added in May 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.
Unshackled Ventures is hosting an event during LA tech week! This great event will feature a discussion of successful immigrants in entrepreneurship. See more here.
Tooraj Helmi is hosting a webinar on using AI in your startup! The event will feature many useful tips on building a successful AI-focused startup. Click here.
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.
Seddik Cheriet writes on how Algeria’s funding scene may be lacking.
The Realistic Optimist digs into the impact of Instadeep’s $680M exit.
a16z looks into their “commandments” of raising equity in a tight market.
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! 👋
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