Six startups join Speed@BDD’s acceleration program

Beirut, 30 September, 2016 – Speed@BDD officially launched its third acceleration program, on
Thursday 29 September, 2016, at Centrale, Saifi. The event introduced the six selected startups
joining Speed@BDD’s Batch III to a crowd of investors, key startup ecosystem players, and
media representatives.
After a strong first year of operations and thirteen accelerated startups, Speed@BDD opened
the applications for its third acceleration program last June. Lebanese and international
entrepreneurs from all over the world submitted their applications and went through
Speed@BDD’s thorough selection process. Following several interviews to assess team
readiness and solution maturity, six startups were selected to join Speed@BDD’s 3-month
intensive program.
The startups that joined the third acceleration cycle (which started on 15 September) will each
receive $30,000 in cash and the equivalent in in-kind services covering free hosting, product
and business development, financial advisory, legal services, and mentorship from key experts
in various industries. Workshops and talks will be delivered by local and international coaches
from multiple backgrounds and expertise.
During the welcome note, Mr. Sami Abou Saab, CEO of Speed@BDD, shared the achievements
of the first two batches and provided an update regarding the acceleration program:
“Speed@BDD has grown exponentially and gained a lot of experience during its first year. We
have spent a significant effort in collecting and incorporating the feedback provided by the
thirteen accelerated startups. The program has been perfected to better fit the startups’ needs
and expectations from our 3-month acceleration. Based on our commitment from day one, we
have been able to expand our outreach and have attracted 50% of Batch III startups from
abroad. The diaspora is incentivized once again to use Lebanon as a place to launch its ventures
while international entrepreneurs are valuing the impact of the Central Bank initiative on the
local startup scene. We are very proud to be part of this ecosystem that is playing an active role
in bringing the best talent to the country”.
Abou Saab also announced that Speed@BDD became a Launch Member of the Global
Accelerator Network (GAN), enlarging the accelerator’s strong network of investors and
enriching it with a larger pool of mentors and valuable perks for the startups joining the 3-
month acceleration program.
The third acceleration cycle will conclude on 15 December and will be followed by a Demo Day
event on 20 December, 2016.