Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority launches Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Program
The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) has announced the start of their in-person Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Program with 20 selected startups and the first Demo Day on 16 March 2023, which will include startups pitches, keynotes from thought leaders, and networking sessions. The third cohort of the Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Program launched in January 2023 and, over the past number of weeks, offered mentorship and localization to six growth-stage startups, which are eligible for funding from the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), along with 14 early-stage startups.
The aforementioned six start-ups met for the first time on Monday, 20 February 2023, in Abu Dhabi for the in-person phase of the program. The ECA is a government entity based in Abu Dhabi that supports holistic early childhood development.
Based in Abu Dhabi, Anjal Z's goal is to support and empower global startups that are at their growth stage of development. The initiative is designed to support innovative solutions that enhance the quality of early childhood and tackle developmental challenges. Following the success of Cohorts 01 and 02, Cohort 03 in partnership with Techstars offers mentorship and resources to help early childhood education entrepreneurs grow their businesses and develop their solutions in Abu Dhabi.
The 20 startups selected for the Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Program are:
Cappella
Enrichly
Femtech Solution
HolexP
Kanjo Health
Kidaura Innovations
Kindello
Kokoro Kids
Littera Fun
Magic Kids
Nuwa Robotics
Ostaz
Peekabond B.V.
Peekapak
Pengguin
Pink Fox Games
Snapi Health
Teach Kloud
Think Nursery
Toto Sleep
Of these, the six receiving $220 thousand USD (£182 thousand GBP) in funding from ADIO and in-person mentorship from Abu Dhabi entities to create a proof of concept (POC) project, are:
Enrichly
Kanjo Health
Kokoro Kids
Nuwa Robotics
Peekapak
Snapi Health
The startups are developing solutions across a wide range of areas including edtech, healthtech, gaming, wearables, communications, and social learning. Kanjo Health, Kokoro Kids, Peekabond B.V., Pink Fox Games, Teach Kloud, Think Nursery, and Toto Sleep are all UK or European-based startups.
The ECA and ADIO formed a strategic partnership in 2021 to provide support for startups developing next-generation technology to address challenges facing the next generation. ADIO is providing $4 million USD (£3.3 million GBP) over three years to fund ECA’s Anjal Z program and embed innovation and advanced technology in Abu Dhabi’s early childhood sector. Previous Anjal Z Cohorts have supported 12 startups via virtual and in-person mentorship, localization, and funding.
According to Wamda’s monthly report, startups in the Middle East and North Africa region (Mena) raised $125 million USD (£103 million GBP) in December 2022 across 38 deals, taking the total amount raised last year to approximately $3.6 billion USD (£3 billion GBP) (a rise of 13 percent compared to 2021) spread over 628 deals. Figures from Nesta show that global venture capital investment specifically in apps and technology for parents has risen 50 percent faster than the total investment growth over the last decade.
Commenting on the launch of the Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Program, Dr Yousef Alhammadi, Executive Director at ECA said: “We are delighted to launch Cohort 03 of Anjal Z in partnership with Techstars. Our mission is to help develop early childhood projects and startups to promote innovation in this sector across the region. The early years of a child are key to helping them grow into healthy and capable adults and it is essential to offer parents and industry professionals the support they need. We are certain that Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Program will positively impact the wider society in the long-term.”
Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, Acting Director General of ADIO, said: “Abu Dhabi offers an enabling environment for edtech startups to develop and commercialize their ideas to address challenges facing the next generation and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow. ADIO is an advocate for the ECA’s Anjal Z program and the opportunities it creates for startups to thrive in Abu Dhabi’s early childhood sector.”
Speaking about the program, Katie Smith Head of the Founder Catalyst Program at Techstars said: “We are excited about the powerful platform we are creating alongside the Early Childhood Authority to support startups that improve the quality of early childhood education and meet families’ needs across Abu Dhabi and the Region. The high caliber of diverse founders from around the world who applied demonstrates the need for this program and indicates the deep impact on the community we will see as a result of it. We are so proud to welcome the participants and celebrate their successes now and in the future. We also send a special thank you to ECA for making this opportunity a reality.”
The Anjal Z Techstars Founder Catalyst Program is taking place between January and March 2023.
