Kuwait – Zain Group has announced the selection of 13 technology startups from across six regional markets to join the flagship phase of its Zain Great Idea (ZGI) accelerator — the Global Acceleration Program in Palo Alto, California, at the heart of Silicon Valley.
The finalists, representing Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, and Iraq, were chosen after a competitive selection process held during the “Super Saturday” pitch events across Zain’s markets. The judging panels, comprising senior executives, investors, and industry experts, evaluated participants based on innovation, scalability, and business potential.
From Kuwait, the chosen startups include Farah, LumenPro, Playbook, Provis Management, Tenmeya, and theQA. Other regional finalists are Avancer.AI (Jordan), FortyGuard (UAE), Wajba (Bahrain), WePay (Saudi Arabia), and from Iraq: Andalusi, Jaamila, and Saleem. Each of these startups is tackling unique challenges in sectors such as AI, fintech, edtech, sustainability, and digital commerce.
The Global Acceleration Program, held in partnership with Vibranium VC, a Silicon Valley-based venture capital fund, will expose founders to workshops, networking sessions, and meetings with top accelerators, VCs, and global tech leaders. Participants will also gain hands-on experience in pitching, product scaling, and building international partnerships.
The program’s expansion to six countries marks a new milestone in ZGI’s 15-year history. Supported by Zain Ventures and ZainTECH, the initiative now provides regional entrepreneurs with access to mentorship, funding opportunities, and deep technology expertise in cloud, AI, data analytics, and robotics.
Zain Group’s Chief Investment and Digital Transformation Officer, Malek Hammoud, noted that the regional scale of ZGI reinforces Zain’s long-term vision to empower entrepreneurship and accelerate digital innovation across the Middle East.
Through ZGI, Zain continues to nurture the next generation of innovators, bridging regional talent with the world’s leading startup ecosystem and helping build sustainable, high-impact businesses capable of shaping the region’s digital future.
