8 international accelerators that welcome startups from the Arab region

Accelerators are all the rage right now, and nowhere more so than in developing countries. Thanks to the hard work of local entrepreneurs and accelerators alike, more and more international players are paying attention to emerging countries’ startups.

Local startups have countless reasons to join an international accelerator since it will give them access to new markets, and larger investment than back home, and will challenge them by confronting them to new ways of doing business.

Here’s a selection of programs that have shown particular interest in startups from the Middle East and North Africa.

YCombinator

This very famous American accelerator confirmed this year its desire to become more international by accepting startups from no less than 22 different countries, creating a great opportunity from which Egyptian startup Ninja SMS benefited last winter.

What You Get: YC doesn’t organize workshop or talks, and doesn’t provide a workspace, but instead gives the participants the possibility to make appointments with Series A mentors from Silicon Valley, and organizes a weekly dinner (which last half a day really) with the current class and some alumni or preeminent entrepreneurs. The team also makes a small investment: between $14,000 and 20,000 USD + an $80,000 note.

What really makes YC stand out is that participants get into a really elite club of alumni (including Airbnb and Dropbox) who are more than willing to help each other, a quality stamp that helps to get international attention, and credibility in the U.S.

Taken from:

8 international accelerators that welcome startups from the Arab region