Weekly Wrap-Up: September 22-26
If you had the chance to exit, would you sell your startup to a competitor?
From the inception of the idea, to switching gears when nearing launch date, building a startup is often compared to raising a child. A week ago, we sent out a quick poll on Facebook to get a sense of what our readers thought about selling their startup to a competitor, and connected with some of the region's top entrepreneurs to get their thougths on the matter. Here's what we learned.
Upcoming Events
- 28 Sept - First TechCamp in Algeria
- 28 Sept - SYL Workshop: “Lessons Learned from Entrepreneurs” - Casablanca
- 01 Oct - Google for Entrepreneurs & Community Outreach Meetup in Dubai
Be sure to check wamda.com/events, or follow @WamdaME on Twitter to stay up to date about more of the regiona's top events!
Articles you Might have Missed
PayPal Insights e-commerce report reveals trends in mobile, travel in the Middle East
When it comes from shopping fmor outside their homes, shoppers in the Gulf prefer smartphones to computers. Check out this new study by PayPal for more on how mobile transactions are taking over the region.
What are the most surprising e-commerce trends in the Middle East this year?
This week, PayPal released the results of their study on e-commerce trends in the Middle East. We chatted with Elias Ghanem, Managing Directior of PayPal in MENA, to find out what results surprised him the most. Here's what he shared.
6 people entrepreneurs should look for at a networking event
If you're looking to connect with some MBAs, you might need to crash some of their upcoming networking events. In this post, Wamda contributor Kia lists the 6 types of people to look for the next time you're out to build some connections, what to ask, and what to offer them.
Addy raises $320K in Silicon Valley, launches address system for Middle East e-commerce
While initially more of a B2C venture focusing on users adding their addresses to the platform, Addy is now focused on B2B and going live in 15 major cities across the Arab world. Here's what sets Addy apart.
7 reasons why Middle East marketers and businesses cannot ignore Google Plus
Is your brand's Google Plus page dormant? Straight from our Community Blog, this piece offers 7 reasons why you can't afford to ignore Google's backbone network.
What did startups learn at Astrolabs' recent workshop in Amman?
This past weekend, Astrolabs brought their scaling workshop to Amman, where they chatted with 8 up-and-coming startups about digital marketing, analytics, conversion, investments, and more. So what did the startups leave the session with? Find out in this post.
Why Bee Labs' new game is one of the hottest from the Arab world this year
Earlier this year, the Bee Labs team launched with a focus on educational games, but when they didn't find the traction they were expecting, they decided to create ShibShib War. Our Features editor Glen tried it out and chatted with them to find out more on their move to non-educational games.
What Mashrou' Leila's crowd funding success means for the Arab music scene
In just over a month, Lebanese indie rock band Mashrou' Leila crowdfunded a total of over $66,000 USD through Zoomaal. Is the wide success of their campaign to fund their third album, Raasuk, the revelation of a new opportunity for other emerging artists in the region?
Meet the 6 social startups joining virtual incubator i2i from across Pakistan
Invest2 innovate, or i2i, is Pakistan's newest incubator, has just launched its first full incubation round, bringing 6 social startups together for an intensive weekend retreat of mentorship, accounting and legal support. Meet the first 6 startups enrolled.
Can e-commerce site Cazamoda overcome the challenges of family business?
Cazamoda is retail and media company Reach International's fashion retail site. While Reach International already supplies for Sukar.com, MarkaVIP, and Desado, here's what sets its own e-commerce site, launched with the daughter of the founders, apart.