Endeavor Lebanon strengthens expansion and networking opportunities for high-impact Lebanese companies
As part of its continuous efforts to support Lebanese high-impact entrepreneurs to scale their businesses across borders, 20 investors and high impact entrepreneurs from the Endeavor Lebanon network joined DealMakers 2020 in Riyadh, a flagship investor networking event organized by Endeavor Jordan in collaboration with Endeavor Saudi, with additional support from Endeavor global network.
As in its previous rounds, DealMakers 2020 once again created a platform for strategic networking opportunities between key local, regional, and international investors and the region’s most promising entrepreneurs running high-impact entrepreneurial companies.
The event was sponsored by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), the Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), and the Saudi Jordanian Investment Fund (SJIF), in partnership with Monshaat and the World Bank Group. It brought together over 500 investors, entrepreneurs, and key ecosystem enablers, hailing from 25 countries and 32 different nationalities. Over 1,000 touch points were established between investors and entrepreneurs, through one-on-one speed networking sessions during which entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to potential investors.
Participating countries included the USA, the UK, Bulgaria, Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, China, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, and South Africa.
Panel discussions and roundtables were held addressing such topics as “MENA as an Emerging Entrepreneurial Hub;” “Funding & Investment Opportunities in Saudi Arabia;” and “Smart Capital Goes Global: Global Trends in Angel Investing and Venture Capital.” Parallel workshops were also held for participating entrepreneurs on scaling beyond borders, and important issues concerning good governance, corporate culture, and the legal implications and liabilities when scaling beyond borders.
Commenting on the event, Endeavor Lebanon’s Managing Director Christina Chehade said, “In light of the economic challenges faced by high-impact scaleups in Lebanon, there is an essential need to expand and open up to new regional and global markets, to ensure growth for these companies.”
“Endeavor Lebanon’s participation in DealMakers 2020 comes in the context of its firm commitment to developing a supportive entrepreneurial environment for Lebanese scaleups, and to drive transformative scaling opportunities to new markets beyond Lebanon’s borders,” Chehade added. The event “provided an opportunity for Lebanese companies to put forward their ideas and aspirations on a regional platform, bringing prominent investors together with influential entrepreneurs.”
Endeavor Jordan’s Managing Director, Reem Goussous, expressed that “the rapid change Saudi Arabia has recently undergone- has cemented it- not just as an economic nucleus, but also as a regional hub for digital innovation and entrepreneurship, and hence our decision to hold this edition of DealMakers in Riyadh”. Goussous added “as the largest market in MENA, Saudi Arabia has long been a focal point for entrepreneurs seeking to scale their businesses”.
About Endeavor Lebanon:
Part of the global Endeavor network founded in 1997, Endeavor Lebanon was launched in 2011 with the same mission of selecting, accelerating, and cultivating high-growth scale-ups.
As a non- profit organization, Endeavor Lebanon supports high-impact entrepreneurs to catalyze their long-term economic growth and helps them maximize their potential by leveraging their network of experts and mentors and providing them with talent programs and introductions to capital.
Since its launch, the Endeavor Lebanon office has selected 40 high-impact entrepreneurs from 31 companies. These entrepreneurs have managed to generate more than 260 million dollars in revenue in 2018, growing 275 percent, and employing more than 2,300 people.