The Sharjah Business Women Council (SBWC) is calling on all female entrepreneurs and start-up owners to apply for a chance to be one of the 10 start-ups it will sponsor during GITEX Future Stars, which will run between October 14-18, 2018 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). 

SBWC, one of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment’s three entities, will be participating in GITEX Future Stars, one of the fastest growing startup event in MENA & South Asia, for the third year in a row, where it will sponsor 10 start-up pods that it will be dedicating to 10 deserving female entrepreneurs whose businesses have an element of technology.

It’s not a prerequisite to be a SBWC member,however, those interested need to apply for SBWC’s complementary membership before sumbittting their application for the pods.  

Last year, SBWC’s member, Sharene Lee from Melltoo, who was awarded one of the pods, won $15,000 for the “Best Female Led Start-up” at the event. 

Sheikha Hind Majid Al Qassimi, Acting Chairperson of SBWC said: “SBWC strives to empower businesswomen and entrepreneurs to realise their business ambitions and goals, and this event is one of the many ways in which SBWC achieves this. Women are encouraged to seize this opportunity and apply to be one of the start-ups that will be sponsored by SBWC.”

“The opportunities are endless for the women who will participate, as they  will have the chance to engage with talented peers and get the opportunity to showcase their ideas to an audience of potential buyers and investors from across the globe, as well as participate in the various pitch competitions and gain exposure.” she added.

GITEX Future Stars is an event that brings a world-class gathering of industry innovators, government leaders, technology creators, and future-forward thinkers. The participants will be competing in the third largest pitch fund, GITEX Supernova Challenge, where the total assigned prized is $180,000 across 9 categories. All categories are open for applicants and each with a cash prize of US$10,000. 
 
The categories include: ‘Best Emirati Start-up’, the condition is that the start-up founder(s) must be an Emirati National; ‘Best Social Impact,’ where the start-up must show development and implementation of solutions in social, cultural, and/or environmental issues; and ‘Best Female Led Start-up,’ where the condition is that the start-up must be founded by female entrepreneurs. Other categories are: Best AI Start-up, Best Creative Economy, Supernova Champion, Best Arab Start-up, Best International Start-up, and Best Youth Start-up.  
 
The criterias that applicants need to fulfil to be considered for one of  the 10 SBWC sponsored pods are: the applicant must be a member of Sharjah Business Women Council, the business must be founded or co-founded by a woman, must be innovative and original, and have not operated for more than five years. 
 
The business should also fall under one of the following categories: Software (SaaS, UX/UI & Bots), Internet of things (IOT), Fintech, E-commerce, Lifestyle, Consumer Tech and creative Economy (food, Music, Sport and Film), Ed Tech (education), Smart Cities, Digital Media (Marketing), Robotics, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Hardware, Health tech (healthcare), Transport and Logistics, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Gaming, Cyber Security, Tourism and Hospitality.
 
SBWC’s team will evaluate the application and choose the best applicants for the 10 pods. September 23, 2018 is the last day to submit your application. For more information and details contact us at membership@SBWC.ae or M: 055 123 7292