Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre – Sheraa, the UAE’s first university-based accelerator programme, is selecting its very first cohort of start-ups who will take part in the Sheera flagship accelerator programme in October 2016.
Sheraa – ‘Sail’ in Arabic – commenced operations in January in the American University of Sharjah (AUS) campus.
Sheera will also launch its state-of-the-art 650 square metre facility in October.
Initiated under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), and chairperson of Sheraa, the centre offers a mentorship-driven, three-month entrepreneurship boot camp to support teams that demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit and courage.
The hands-on accelerator also provides seed-funding and strategic mentorship by industry professionals, and a suite of other competitive benefits.
Speaking on the inspiration behind Sheraa, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi explained: “The Emirate of Sharjah seeks to provide an attractive environment which supports entrepreneurs of all nationalities, with a special focus on young Emirati women and men.
“Our aim with this initiative is to allow these aspiring business professionals to utilise their creative ideas and turn them into projects that achieve tangible benefits to the community and generate positive financial rewards that enhance the economic development of the UAE and the region.”
A 2015 survey titled ‘Fresh Graduates in the MENA’ by Bayt.com and YouGov reported that 80 percent of the millennial respondents ‘considered setting up their own businesses in the future, with 39 percent considering it actively.’
Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi stressed that Sheraa Centre empowers dynamic youths to launch highly competitive sustainable ventures and supports them by following up and developing their projects to ensure they meet the needs of the community.
Najla Al-Midfa, general manager of Sheraa, explains that the accelerator programme is open to students and aspiring entrepreneurs of all educational backgrounds and nationalities where they sift through the most promising ideas.
“Sheraa will help turn concepts into business propositions, and will provide the business with seed-funding, free license, office space, mentorship, market access, focus group tests, and real time customer engagement,” Al-Midfa says.
“The accelerator is a transformative experience, molding young graduates into successful entrepreneurs with a commitment towards building sustainable and scalable enterprises with a positive social impact.”
In addition to the accelerator, Sheraa has also established an academy that aims to tackle the skills gap by providing students with the most in-demand 21st century skills. The workshops cover a host of topics, ranging from digital and technology through to interpersonal and critical thinking skills.
For more information, please visit: www.sheraa.ae
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