The Talal and Madiha Zein AUB Innovation Park (Zein AUB iPark), the flagship startup accelerator of the American University of Beirut (AUB), successfully hosted the first edition of the Zein AUB iPark Angel Investor Meetup (AIM) in Pafos, Cyprus, bringing together 17 angel investors, 13 expert speakers, and five high-potential startups.
Designed to strengthen the regional innovation economy and expand the pool of trained angel investors, AIM attracted participants from Silicon Valley, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Lebanon, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, fostering a highly diverse and collaborative environment. Over three intensive days, attendees engaged in deep learning, open dialogue, practical simulations, and live startup evaluations, all aimed at growing a high-trust investor community that supports founders emerging from Lebanon and the wider region. Keynote speakers included Dr. Wassim El Hajj, AUB Mediterraneo rector; Mouhamad Rabah, general manager of Zeal Communities and CEO of Beirut Digital District; and Dr. Yousif Asfour, chief innovation and transformation officer at AUB.
The program opened with sessions focused on trust-building and purpose alignment, highlighting angel investing as a driver of opportunity creation and economic resilience. Day two delivered structured masterclasses covering investment fundamentals, evaluation frameworks, and portfolio construction, followed by hands-on simulations including a live deal room where participants debated real-world investment decisions. The final day translated learning into action with sessions on term sheets, co-investing, and portfolio support models.
Five Zein AUB iPark startups—Bilo, Schedex, Mina Canaan, Innovating Green Technology, and Impersonas—pitched to the investor group as part of a live deal flow lab, leading to real pilot investments made during the meetup.
“The energy in the room could build economies,” said Maha Zouwayhed, director of Zein AUB iPark, describing the strong momentum and sense of shared mission among participants.
Founders and speakers echoed this sentiment. “The meetup empowered us with deeper insights, stronger networks, and renewed confidence,” said Haytham Dbouk, founder of Innovating Green Technology. While keynote speaker Sandra Helou, CEO of MetaMinds Group, noted, “This was among the top three best events I’ve participated in this year.”
The event concluded with the launch of the iPark Angel Investor Hub, a new platform for ongoing learning, shared deal flow, and co-investment among angels connected to AUB and partner ecosystems. With many sessions held at the AUB Mediterraneo campus in Pafos, AIM reinforced the campus’s role as a bridge for EU access and regional collaboration.
Zein AUB iPark plans to expand AIM in the coming years, gradually growing a community of trained angel investors and channeling more smart capital into the region’s most promising startups.
About AUB
Founded in 1866, the American University of Beirut bases its educational philosophy, standards, and practices on the American liberal arts model of higher education. A teaching-centered research university, AUB has more than 790 full-time faculty members and a student body of over 9000 students. AUB currently offers more than 140 programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s, MD, and PhD degrees. It provides medical education and training to students from throughout the region at its Medical Center that includes a full-service 365-bed hospital.