The theme for BDL Accelerate 2015 being “Emerging Startup Ecosystems,” Lebanon’s 2nd international startup conference will be bringing together influential stakeholders from startup ecosystems from 9 key cities – London, Istanbul, New York, Tehran, Berlin, Cairo, Singapore, Madrid, and Beirut. An exceptional set of startups, venture capitalists, accelerators, policy makers, and more will represent the 9 ecosystems that will each have its own pavilion to showcase its institutions.
There will be 2 stages at the conference, one of which will be dedicated to panels, keynotes, and fireside chats as a space for 100 influential speakers from over 30 countries to share their best practices, discuss the challenges they faced during the developing stages of their ecosystems, and exchange their knowledge. The aim of the valuable engagement and knowledge shared on this stage will be a great stepping stone for the Lebanese ecosystem to thrive through learning from the trials and errors of other ecosystems.
The second stage will be dedicated to the startup pitches as part of the two competitions BDL Accelerate 2015 is hosting dedicated for idea stage startups and early stage startups. The aim of these competitions is to educate and provide tools to aspiring entrepreneurs and to assist them in succeeding, as well as to find the best startup in the local scene.
Applications for the Idea Stage Startup Competition are currently open until (updated) November 1. Once teams are selected, successful applicants will be notified to partake in a series of weekly workshops over the span of 5 weeks, around the “Reimagine Lebanon” theme. The workshops are offered by SETT, a think tank focused on enabling emerging startup ecosystems, empowering youth with the entrepreneurial skills to develop solutions for a better Lebanon. The participating teams will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges in front of an audience during Banque du Liban Accelerate 2015 for the chance to win 5,000 USD. To be eligible, one may be of any age and background with the will to learn new methods of thought and passionately wants to create an impact in their community.
The 2nd competition, the Early Stage Startup Competition, features a pitch competition for early stage startups. The deadline for applying for this competition is November 9th, from which the selected startups will pitch at Banque du Liban Accelerate 2015 for a chance to win 10,000 USD in cash, and the opportunity to win a trip to a top tier international startup competition.
