The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre, Sheraa, has awarded its first Access Sharjah winner, ‘Little Thinking Minds’, a US$100,000 equity-free grant.
‘BoBu’, ‘Narrativa’, and ‘almentor.net’ in the second position, were presented with a $20,000 equity-free grant, said a press release issued by Sheraa on Monday.
Sheraa dedicated the inaugural edition of the programme, which was launched in celebration of Sharjah World Book Capital 2019, to those working in the publishing and digital content sector. This was done to support the Emirate’s vision of investing in the knowledge industry, with a strong focus on embracing pioneering and innovation-driven efforts.
Launched late last year, Access Sharjah is a global platform that connects digital start-ups to relevant public and private entities in Sharjah and across the United Arab Emirates.
Participating entrepreneurs were given access to Sheraa’s team of experts and network of global mentors, business set-up support, rent-free co-working spaces and free licensing, a pool of skilled human capital and media coverage.
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Head of the Advisory Committee of Sharjah World Book Capital, SWBC, said, “Investments in entrepreneurs in the publishing sector is an investment in the future of the international book market. The aspirations of these businesses, combined with their sustainable products and services, drive the growth and success of the publishing industry.
“It also stimulates cultural entities to embrace projects and initiatives which advance knowledge and culture. As Sharjah serves a year-long stint as World Book Capital 2019; the SWBC Committee had set a number of goals to achieve in 2019-2020. Most notably, enabling access of all segments of society to books and knowledge, and fueling the publishing industry’s growth,” she explained.
“To attain them, the Emirate organised a host of activities, including large-scale cultural events which received the firm support of both public and private institutions. Sharjah entities have added to our efforts by devising excellent initiatives, including Sheraa’s Access Sharjah programme which is a fitting testament to these efforts, and a clear example of how all our cultural projects and companies are guided by a collective vision – to facilitate people’s access to knowledge and pave the way for new investments in publishing,” Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi added.
After the COVID-19 crisis and due to travel bans, the programme was delivered online, including remote pitch training, mentorship, and final pitch day with external judges.
Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said, “Access Sharjah was created to solve one of the most critical challenges that start-ups face, which is gaining access to markets.”
“The programme serves as a launchpad into the Sharjah and wider UAE market, supporting the growth of innovative start-ups as well as furthering the emirate’s vision to be a global destination for high impact businesses,” she added.
