Programs For
Startups
Managed Incubators, Accelerators, and Market Entry Programs
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Focus Tracks for Optimized Growth

Working with partners looking to build startup sectors and ecosystems, we design and operate programs that help global & local startup founders validate, launch, and scale their companies in local markets.

Managed Incubators & Accelerators

Through our proprietary curriculum, we help a range of partners, from multinationals to government entities, build and run their accelerator and incubator programs. Our industry experts help founders design their models, find their product-market fit, and adopt high-growth scaling strategies.

Designed For Impact

Every element of the design process, including the sourcing strategy, startup selection criteria, workshop topics, and mentorship plan, is carefully crafted with our partners to achieve program outcomes.

Executed for Effectiveness

Our accelerator program design and delivery are tailored and can be adapted to include live, hybrid, and fully virtual models.

Delivered for Excellence

Our programs are delivered by our extensive network of entrepreneurs-in-residence and industry experts able to provide high-quality insight for local success and scalability.

HIGHLIGHT
PROGRAMS

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MARKET ENTRY PROGRAMS

Welcoming global cohorts of emerging businesses to MENA

Our Market Entry Programs are designed as a landing platform for global and regional founders to find their footing in the UAE & Saudi Arabia. Founders will benefit from tailored on-ground engagement with the local market through:

1. Market Landscaping

Our expansion and business experts will take cohorts on an in-depth exploration of the local commercial and business frameworks. Working with our company setup experts, founders are guided through the process of legally setting up and operating in MENA

2. Network Exposure

Our programs provide a multi-touchpoint opportunity for founders to engage with potential partners, leads, and investors to kickstart their scaling journeys

3. Mentorship for Local Scalability

In a series of workshops and 1:1 mentorships, founders will be guided by local industry experts on how to pivot their global business models to reach an optimal local market fit.

CASE

Studies

Game Changers (MCIT)
Game Changers is an accelerator program commissioned by the Saudi Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), accelerating the growth of the gaming sector in Saudi Arabia. Through an intensive bootcamp, monthly sessions, and a 4-month accelerator program, young Saudi gaming professionals honed their skills in entrepreneurship and game design.

By the end of the program, 10 new game studios had been established. Game Changers was also an opportunity to empower women-led initiatives, with more than half of the studios launched being founded or managed by female entrepreneurs.

Key insights:
43 participants
2-week bootcamp
4-month accelerator
10 new registered game studios
60% of studios founded or managed by women
KOCCA Enter MENA Program
The KOCCA Enter MENA Program was designed to give East Asian startups seamless access to various local communities, including gaming, extended reality, and content production.

The program provided emerging businesses with new opportunities for growth and expansion through mentoring sessions, practical workshops, panel discussions, and networking events where participants were able to meet and engage with industry experts and key ecosystem movers.

Key insights:
30 introduction meetings
20 mentoring sessions
15 workshops and panel discussions
10 networking events
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Forward KSA
Forward KSA is a 2-year initiative made possible with the support of the U.S.-Middle East Partnerships Initiative, Latham & Watkins, and Google for Startups. Through this program, we were able to train and educate over a thousand Saudi talents in a wide scope of digital skills.

The initiative has helped many high-growth startups establish a presence in Saudi Arabia through the Forward KSA Accelerator Program. Also under the Forward KSA umbrella, AstroLabs Talent is leading the Forward Career Accelerator Program to connect fresh Saudi graduates with early opportunities in the market.

Key insights:
1,000+ Saudis trained in business understanding and development
100+ tech and digital companies scaled to Saudi Arabia
17 startups supported
AstroLabs x Italian Trade Agency Global Startup Program
We partnered with the Italian Trade Agency to create a focused market entry program, enabling global entrepreneurs to successfully access the UAE market.

Participants underwent 2 months of mentorship and consulting to understand the nature and intricacies of the UAE market and met with local and regional partners to establish long-term business connections.

Key insights:
12 Italian startups enabled
23 comprehensive workshops
11 networking events
170 business introductions
2 ecosystem visits
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