Are you a woman entrepreneur in Bahrain who is keen on launching a tech startup? Or maybe you have already launched one (Congratulations!) and are currently on the lookout for the best incubator program with an edge to take things to the next level?
Well, how about the Halcyon Incubator program? It is a US-based incubator with a lot to offer for budding entrepreneurs, designed exclusively for women-led tech startups.
Guess what? In collaboration with Amazon Web Services and in collaboration with StartUp Bahrain and Startup MGZN, Halcyon Incubator has just opened up applications for women entrepreneurs in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
This comes after Bahrain has been listed on many different platforms as one of MENA region’s hottest startup ecosystems. Along with 48% of tech startup founders in Bahrain being women, there’s simply a lot of potential for that number to surge with the right set of tools and knowledge.
To know more about the program, we recently got in touch with Halcyon representatives. Here’s a rundown of how the interaction unfolded:
What is the Halcyon Incubator program?
Halcyon is an established incubator based in Washington, DC. The platform focuses on startups with the potential to make a positive social impact through their unique business model.
This is an eight-month-long program for women-led tech startups in Bahrain. It will include a series of monthly virtual meetings (yes, virtual, you didn’t think that COVID-19 would get in the way of supporting budding women techies, did you?). In those meetings, founders will be mentored and trained to develop their entrepreneurial skills and how to scale their startup.
Each founder will be offered individual mentorship sessions by handpicked experts from Halcyon’s global network. Additionally, the program will include a one-week trip to Washington DC, where the founders will have the opportunity to network and pitch their businesses to investors, experts, and business leaders from different sectors.
Are you as excited as we are? Yes? Great!
Why Bahraini women entrepreneurs, though?
We asked Halcyon about the factors that encouraged them to choose Bahrain and women in Bahrain in specific as their target audience.
They told us: “Halcyon chose Bahrain because of its flourishing startup ecosystem and the country’s unique role in the regional economy. As a nation, Bahrain is a shining example of economic diversification and trade.” (Yes we blushed)
As for the reason to zero in on women-led startups, the company said: “We chose to focus on women-founded startups because we are dedicated to supporting traditionally underrepresented founders. A lack of women founders in the tech startup space is unfortunately not unique to Bahrain, but a disparity faced in the US and countries across the globe.”
Biggest challenges to women entrepreneurs.
Halcyon summarized the lack of adequate access to mentorship and support, as well as the lack of access to markets and funding for their ventures as the biggest hurdles standing in the way of women entrepreneurs.
“All sectors need more women participation – including, but not limited to, AI/ML, Analytics, IOT and other advanced technology-based solutions for Finance, Health, Transportation, Smart Cities,” the company added.
If you need more information about the Halcyon Incubation program or other similar programs targeted at women entrepreneurship, don’t hesitate to reach out to us using any of our social media channels over at Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn!
