Sheraa, DMZ to empower Sharjah startups in North American market

New partnership with Toronto-based incubator to support aspiring entrepreneurs; Sharjah-led startups to expand their efforts into North American territories

Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, and Abdullah Snobar, executive director of the DMZ and CEO of DMZ Ventures, shake hands after signing the agreement. — Supplied photo

A Staff Reporter

Published: Wed 28 Dec 2022, 2:53 PM

Last updated: Wed 28 Dec 2022, 2:54 PM

The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) have announced a partnership with The DMZ, that will foster a new wave of entrepreneurial success for the entrepreneurs of Sharjah and empower 15 startups from the emirate to the DMZ-led soft-landing program.

The DMZ is a world-leading startup incubator based at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). The incubator helps to equip the next generation of tech entrepreneurs with the tools needed to build, launch, and scale highly impactful startups.

During a visit to begin their work with Sheraa earlier this year, the DMZ organisation from TMU discussed capacity-building strategies that would support Sharjah’s growing entrepreneurial landscape. Given the two organisations’ alignment in developing world-class startup ecosystems while driving local economic impact, this initial engagement highlighted the need for continued collaboration, and led to today’s announcement.

With the launch of this partnership, Sheraa’s startup community will now have access to the DMZ’s on-demand learning platform called ‘Launchpad’. The platform is designed to support aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs in developing foundational business skills. In addition, 15 Sheraa startups selected at the annual Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival which took place this past weekend will join the DMZ’s intensive two-week program at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to learn about scaling operations utilised in North America. Additionally, the selected Sheraa startups can also have access to the DMZ’s global network to explore new markets for business expansion.

Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said: “Our partnership with the DMZ reinforces Sharjah and Sheraa’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurial excellence by offering a solid foundation for innovative, sustainable and socially minded ventures.”

“We’re confident that by tapping into the DMZ’s world-renowned startup expertise and support, the success of Sharjah-grown startups will be accelerated substantially,” she added.

Abdullah Snobar, executive director of the DMZ and CEO of DMZ Ventures, said: “As one of the fastest-growing economies in the Mena region, Sharjah has created a name for itself as a thriving startup and innovation hub and has drawn the attention of the global startup community.”

“Driving impact through entrepreneurship around the world is in the DMZ’s DNA, and I’m thrilled we have the chance to continue our work with Sheraa,” he said.

— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com