Codot bagged the Grand Prize in the 2nd StartUp Bahrain Pitch by StartUp Bahrain, the leading platform for its category in the Kingdom.

The pitch series aims to empower Bahraini entrepreneurs and founders to connect with investors and secure funding. Collaborating on the event are key industry stakeholders, including the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Bahrain Economic Development Board, and Bahrain Development Bank.

Codot emerged as the winner from a six-strong shortlist of local startups that presented their ambitious ideas to a distinguished panel of regional and local judges, investors and ecosystem leaders, in an effort to secure potential investment opportunities and constant support across all stages of their entrepreneurial journey.

The third of Bahrain’s Success Startups series by BEntrepreneur talks to Othman Al Kooheji, Co-founder of Codot, 2^nd StartUp Bahrain Pitch grand prize winner.

What is the inspiration behind your winning idea?

The amazing talents in the region is what inspired us in creating Codot. We always loved working with freelancers, especially those from the region as it was much easier to get our point across. But the major issue we faced was sourcing for those freelancers, which is why we established Codot as a platform for companies to find amazing talents to work with!

How intensive are the preparations?

Launching Codot took many months of market research to find out what end users want in a freelancing platform. The work does not end even after we have launched Codot, as times change and it is vital for us to keep on innovating and creating the best experience for our users.

Our main advantage is that we are consistently enhancing our platform to open new avenues that will increase the exposure of freelancers from the region and connect them with both regional and global clients.

How do you ensure consistency in standards of work quality among freelancers?

We have multiple ways to ensure that the client is satisfied with the work they receive, such as freelancer feedback and rating as well as real-time messaging between the freelancers and clients to ensure that both parties know exactly what the other’s requirements are.

Codot co-founders Othman Al Kooheji and Abdulrahman Al Kooheji

Overcoming obstacles

There are many challenges that come up when starting a new business. I would say the most important thing to do is to put your head down and push yourself until you make it! It is vital to have a strong mentality when it comes to being an entrepreneur. Most days are not easy… you just need to be strong enough to deal with the problems.

What kind of support did you get to accelerate the startup journey?

The main thing that helped us grow and establish the platform in the market is the hard work and persistence of the team. In addition, we would like to thank our long-term partners from various industries and geographies.

Reflections on winning the pitch:

It was a great pleasure and achievement for the team to win the StartUp Bahrain pitch initiative. We are certain that it will open many doors for Codot and help grow the company exponentially!

The formula for success:

Codot’s success is not based on one item or attribute. There are many factors that are helping us grow and keep on boosting our performance. But I would say that the main reason behind our growth is our strong team and my faith in Allah.

On looking forward to the future of Codot:

Codot is optimistic about the future. We will be introducing many new features in our platform and at the same time, we are looking forward to new partnerships in the industry. They’re all coming soon so stay tuned for more of Codot!