Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec), part of DSOA, signed a MoU with OQAL Angel Investors Network, the leading early-stage investor group in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, to enhance the venture investment culture in startups and support young entrepreneurs.
The MoU aims to strengthen cooperation between Dtec and OQAL, to support entrepreneurs in the GCC with innovative and bold ideas, through bridging the communication gap between them and the various business sectors. Under this agreement, entrepreneurs will have the chance to meet angel investors, elite experts and specialists, and schedule meetings and agreements.
William Chappell, CFO and Executive Vice President for Technology and Entrepreneurship at DSOA, and Faris Al Rashid, Founder & Chairman of OQAL Org, Khaled Zainalabedin, Founder & President of OQAL Bahrain and Latifa BaNasr, the Chief Executive Officer of OQAL Org in Saudi Arabia, signed the MoU from both parties.
According to the MoU, Dtec and OQAL will be key partners who will support, mentor, and provide special consideration for investments to OQAL and Dtec-based entrepreneurs who would pitch and participate in joint demo day events.
Speaking on the occasion, William Chappell, CFO and Executive Vice President for Technology and Entrepreneurship at DSOA, said, “The agreement supports entrepreneurs in Dtec and the wider UAE. It also opens new financing opportunities for them, especially in the fields of new technology and work trends based on technology solutions and innovative applications.”
The two parties will participate in events aimed at encouraging bold investments, angel investing and establishing a culture of entrepreneurship, to highlight innovative start-ups executed by entrepreneurs and introduce investment companies to them.
In addition to investment considerations, the MoU sets out the general frameworks for supporting cross-pollination for a new market entry and scale of target start-ups to both the UAE, Saudi and Bahrain markets.
Faris Al Rashid, Founder & Chairman of OQAL, said “Access to early-stage smart capital and angel investment is key to help nurture start-ups, and our partnership with Dtec, a strong backer of UAE and regional start-ups is invaluable.”
