Regional entrepreneurship-themed reality television show ‘Beban’ selects 40 Kuwaiti businesses to participate in a 2-week intensive training program with the support of its Country Partners Zain and Sabah Al Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity (SACGC) – founded by Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS).

The bootcamp, which is taking place at the Zain Innovation Campus (ZINC), will offer the 40 entrepreneurs two weeks of specialized training delivered by industry experts in various areas that will solidify and develop their businesses in various business areas, including preparation of their financial model, growth plans and pitching.

Following the completion of the bootcamp, 5 Kuwaiti entrepreneurs will be selected to proceed to Season 3 of Beban TV Show for the opportunity to pitch in front of a panel of regional investors for equity investment and strategic business development opportunities.

In addition to the 5 Kuwaiti finalists, season 3 of Beban is anticipated to feature 35 regional opportunities from the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Commenting on the occasion, Fajer Saleh Alpachachi, General Manager at Hope Ventures, the investment arm of Hope Fund and producers of Beban TV show, shared: “Beban was launched as a regional investment platform that matchmakes entrepreneurs with strategic investors who can provide funding, expertise or access to a network to support their growth and expansion. The show aims to create a borderless platform that allows entrepreneurs to seamlessly enter new markets through strategic partnerships. We are excited for entrepreneurs to embark on this new chapter of the Beban journey, and we look forward to selecting the 5 Kuwaiti finalists who will be moving on to season 3.”

Waleed Al Khashti, Chief Corporate Affairs and Relations Officer, Zain Kuwait said: “Proud to host this distinguished bootcamp at the Zain Innovation Campus (ZINC), which will run for two weeks and offer invaluable experiences and key skills to enrich the business journeys of 40 aspiring Kuwaiti entrepreneurs. We can’t wait to have the top 5 entrepreneurs represent Kuwait in Beban, which we consider a regional gateway for investors from the region’s markets to learn about Kuwait’s promising business talents and their ability to compete locally and regionally.”

Al Khashti continued: “This announcement shapes the first step of our recently announced partnership with Beban and Sabah Al Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity, through which we open up exciting new horizons for Kuwaiti entrepreneurs to compete in the program. Under this partnership, we continue our 13-year journey of supporting and empowering business owners as part of our award-winning Zain Great Idea tech startup accelerator program, which has since become a comprehensive ecosystem for entrepreneurs, idea owners, and investors.”

Neda Abdullah Al-Dehani, General Manager at Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Giftedness and Creativity, said: “We aim through our participation in Beban season 3 to encourage the exchange of valuable expertise and provide considerable support for youth innovations. We seek to shed light and promote these innovations and businesses across the region. We also look forward to providing entrepreneurs with the tools and resources that ensure their full readiness to pitch their businesses before the selection committee in a professional and distinguished manner.”, he added.

It is worth mentioning that Beban is anticipated to commence shooting for season 3 starting from October13th and until October 23rd, while the show itself will begin airing in early January 2024 on national channels across the region as well as video-on-demand platforms.

To stay up to date with Beban and the journey of Kuwaiti entrepreneurs, follow the show on social media@bebanme.