On October 3 — a mere 48 hours from now — the Middle East and North Africa’s startup scene is in for the ride of its life. That’s when 15 of the region’s best early-stage startup founders will gather in Beirut, Lebanon to compete in TechCrunch Startup Battlefield MENA 2018.
Join us to watch these competitors launch their startups on a global stage and hear directly from MENA’s top tech and VC leaders as they discuss the issues facing the region’s startup scene. It costs $25 + VAT to attend Startup Battlefield MENA 2018, and you can buy tickets here.
The 15 teams will each have six minutes to pitch and present a live product demo in one of three preliminary rounds. Our panel of judges consists of expert technologists and VC investors who will follow up each team’s pitch with a rigorous, six-minute Q&A.
Only five teams move to the finals to pitch again and answer more questions from a new panel of judges. One startup will emerge victorious to become the first TechCrunch Startup Battlefield MENA champion.
What’s at stake? The winning founders receive a $25,000 cash prize and a trip for two to Disrupt San Francisco in 2019 — where they get to compete in that Startup Battlefield (assuming the company still qualifies to compete at the time).
That’s a lot of action for a one-day conference, but we’re not done yet. We also have an outstanding series of speakers and workshops lined up and focused on the most pressing technology and investing trends and issues facing MENA’s startup scene.
For example, you’ll hear Mandali Khalesi, Toyota’s global head of automated driving mobility and innovation, discuss the company’s latest research findings and its plans for the region. You’ll even have a chance to offer feedback on how Toyota should develop automated driving mobility for MENA and work with entrepreneurs in the region.
Join 10k+ tech and VC leaders for growth and connections at Disrupt 2025
Netflix, Box, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, Vinod Khosla — just some of the 250+ heavy hitters leading 200+ sessions designed to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech. Grab your ticket before doors open to save up to $444.
Join 10k+ tech and VC leaders for growth and connections at Disrupt 2025
Netflix, Box, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, Vinod Khosla — just some of the 250+ heavy hitters leading 200+ sessions designed to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss a chance to learn from the top voices in tech. Grab your ticket before doors open to save up to $444.
You’ll also hear Paul Chucrallah (BeryTech Fund), Hussam Hammo (Tamaten) and Rami Al Qawasmi (Mawdoo3) discuss MENA’s lack of online Arabic language content for consumers — and what they’re doing to fill that void.
There’s plenty more programming on tap — check out the full agenda right here.
Only 48 hours left until TechCrunch Startup Battlefield MENA 2018 takes place in the Beirut Digital District in Lebanon on October 3. Don’t miss out on the thrilling competition, the informative discussions and the business networking opportunities. Buy your ticket today.
