USD 9.25 Million in Investments Committed to Start-ups during FinTech World Cup at Dubai FinTech Summit
15 Regional finalists pitched at the FinTech World Cup (FWC) grand finale during the Dubai FinTech Summit
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The much-awaited Grand Finale of the FinTech World Cup (FWC) hosted by Trescon in partnership with Dubai FinTech Summit (DFS), VISA, Emirates NBD & Amazon Web Services (AWS), witnessed committed investments totalling worth over USD 9,250,000 (9.25 million) by various investors.
In an intense showdown, 15 qualified start-ups from around the world – Audax, Xaults Technologies, Monak E-Services, YABX, ALTPAYNET, APPRO, Libeara, Letbloom, Myzoi, Vault22, Lordsystem, MOIN, Alphastream.ai, Validus, and Namara – pitched at the FWC Grand Finale to a room full of global investors during the 2nd day of DFS.
While APPRO emerged as the Winner of FWC and secured on the spot investment commitment of USD 500,000, other startups like Finix196 received commitment of USD 5 million by Dhruv Management, Motive Partners committed USD 3 million to Alpha Stream and Validus got commitment of USD 750,000 by Aum Ventures.
Mohammed Saleem, Founder and Chairman of Trescon, stated, “We were thrilled to host the Grand Finale of our FinTech World Cup at the Dubai FinTech Summit. By joining forces, we created an unparalleled platform for FinTech innovation, providing participants with access to Trescon’s international reach, a regulatory environment that fosters growth and most importantly access to much needed capital. As an FWC Jury Member & a fellow investor, I commit to investing in some of these start-ups too to walk the talk, including the USD 500,000 for FWC Grand Finale Winner Appro.”
Naveen Bharadwaj, Group CEO of Trescon, said, “The FinTech World Cup is an opportunity to solve real-world challenges through collaboration and capital. In addition to the investments totalling worth USD 9.25 million that were announced, I’m happy to share that the winner & first two runner ups will also gain access to mentorship by the esteemed jury, Trescon Credits & Amazon credits – enhancing their resources for growth and development, global brand exposure, industry recognition and a path to success through strategic synergies and partnerships. We are committed to shaping an ecosystem that not only celebrates FinTech excellence but also propels the industry forward.”
The FWC jury was comprised of distinguished professionals from various sectors of the FinTech industry, including Nasir Zubairi, CEO at The LHoFT Foundation; Hugo Bongers, Partner at Motive Ventures; Sara Tabana, Senior Director of FinTech Innovation Strategy at Visa; Melissa Cannon Guzy, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Arbor Ventures; Mohammed Saleem, Founder and Chairman of Trescon; Chetan Mehta, Founding Partner at AUM Ventures; Rana Abdel Latif, Partner at Speedinvest; Nacira Alioua, Head of FinTech Engagement at Emirates NBD; and Tunc Ozgul, Head of Startup and VC Ecosystem at Amazon Web Services.
The 2nd edition of the Dubai FinTech Summit was supported by global corporate partners, including Founding Partners VISA, Emirates NBD (ENBD), Etisalat & (E&) and Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD).
Chris Dixon, a partner who led the charge, says he has a ‘very long-term horizon’
Americans now think they need at least $1.25 million for retirement, a 20% increase from a year ago, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual
Saudi Arabia ranked first among countries for the non-oil exports of national origin with BD201 million (22%)
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Bahrain’s non-oil exports of national origin decreased by 6% to BD894 million ($2.37 billion) in Q2 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The top 10 countries accounted for 64% of the total export value.
According to the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) in its Q2 2024 Foreign Trade report, Saudi Arabia was the leading destination for these exports, totaling BD201 million (22%). The US followed with BD75 million (8.4%), and the UAE with BD73 million (8.2%).
Unwrought aluminum alloys were the top exported product in Q2 2024, amounting to BD267 million (30%), followed by agglomerated iron ores and concentrates alloyed at BD159 million (18%) and non-alloyed aluminum wire at BD49 million (5%).
Non-oil re-exports
Non-oil re-exports increased by 4% to reach BD206 million during Q2 2024, compared to BD198 million for same quarter in 2023. The top 10 countries accounted for 86% of the re-exported value. The UAE ranked first with BD58 million (28%) followed by Saudi Arabia with BD39 million (19%) and UK with BD17 million (8%).
As per the report, turbo-jets worth BD65 million (32%) were the top product re-exported from Bahrain, followed by private cars with BD11 million (5%) and four-wheel drive with BD9 million (4%).
The value of non-oil imports has decreased by 4% reaching to BD1.41 billion in Q2 2024 in comparison with BD1.47 billion for same quarter in 2023. The top 10 countries for imports recorded 68% of the total value of imports.
China Bahrain’s biggest importer
China ranked first for imports to Bahrain, with a total of BD191 million (14%), followed by Brazil with BD157 million (11%) and Australia with BD112 million (8%).
Non-agglomerated iron ores and concentrates were the top product imported to Bahrain worth BD200 million (14%), followed by other aluminum oxide with BD101 million (7%) and parts for aircraft engines with BD41 million (3%).
As for the trade balance, which represents the difference between exports and imports, the deficit logged was BD310 million in Q2 2024 compared to BD322 million in Q2 2023.
Chris Dixon, a partner who led the charge, says he has a ‘very long-term horizon’
Americans now think they need at least $1.25 million for retirement, a 20% increase from a year ago, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual
