Anjal Z Program is enabling the world’s early childhood innovators to dream bigger.

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ANJAL Z Program

The Anjal Z program instills innovation in early childhood development by empowering growth-stage global startups, to localize solutions that address critical ECD challenges across Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

We achieve this through a partnerships driven, customized and experiential fellowship program.

OUR STARTUPS

Kinedu

Video-centric mobile and desktop platform that unleashes early childhood development at scale by fostering quality learning experiences at home and at school.

Lamsa

Mobile application that encourages parents to engage with their children through culturally relevant and interactive Arabic content (stories, games and videos).

Nurturey

Smart mobile application for parents to manage the health and development of their children.

Program Incentives

3-Month program

Encompasses both an online program and in-person program where startups develop and implement bespoke project plans for their localization journeys.

Mentorship

Connects startups with dedicated mentors, both early childhood development and innovation experts.

Financing

Provides equity-free financing in the form of a grant of up to AED 1m in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO).

Localization

Enables public-private partnerships to support startups to launch their pilots in Abu Dhabi.

Providing Investment Opportunities

Abu Dhabi Experience

Promises a rich cultural experience in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI Youth Challenge

The Abu Dhabi Youth Challenge (ADYC) Weekend is an immersive and experiential bootcamp designed for students and recent graduates interested in entrepreneurship and its potential to solve modern-day challenges. During the bootcamp, you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to create your very.

Check out the latest updates from the Anjal Z Program!

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ECA.GOV.AE

The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) is a governmental entity based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. We focus on health and nutrition, child protection, family support, early education and care; from the early stages of pregnancy to the age of eight years old. We are broadening the capabilities of our partners to support holistic child development, developing coordinated and aligned policies and laws, informing decision-making through research, data and evidence and working to transform how people think about and address the needs of young children.

INVESTINABUDHABI.GOV.AE

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) is partnering with the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) on upcoming cohorts of the Anjal Z programme. As part of its mission to support startups, ADIO will support the selection and incentive award process and provide funding through its Innovation Programme, as well as facilitate the setup of the selected companies in Abu Dhabi.

The partnership will increase support for private sector companies seeking to innovate for regional and global impact, ensuring they have greater access to the support and funding required to succeed.

ADIO is the government entity responsible for attracting and facilitating investment in Abu Dhabi. ADIO enables opportunities for innovative investors and businesses of all sizes, facilitating connections across Abu Dhabi’s innovation ecosystem to help them establish and grow in the emirate.

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TECHSTARS.COM

Past Techstars Founder Catalyst programs have resulted in hundreds of business and investor connections and seeded countless relationships between participants and mentors. By providing introductions to world-class resources and education, Techstars helps participants dramatically increase their chances of success. The tools, insights and strategies Techstars offers through its programs and services are based on the experience of operating nearly 54 accelerator programs around the world–and having accelerated more than 3000 companies to date. Collectively, the Techstars portfolio has raised more than $23.8 billion from investors and is worth more than $147 billion today.

FAQs
Please apply by Friday, 28 June 2024
Upon registration, you will receive an email acknowledging the application. You will receive a follow-up email regarding the next steps/if any information is missing/if additional information is needed.
The program has two tracks:

Ignite: This track is for founders with an MRR of less than US$20k (or similar traction), who have not raised more than US$250k, and who have a team of fewer than five people. Founders in this category will:
💡 Receive Virtual world-class Masterclasses
👥 Have Access to a global network of mentors
🗣️ Get Techstars 1-2-1s and Pitch Feedback sessions


Launch: This track is for founders with an existing customer base and traction, MRR of more than US$20k (or similar traction), have not raised more than US$1m, and have a team of more than three people. For founders in this track, in addition to our top-notch resources, masterclasses, and mentorship, you will also have the opportunity to:

🇦🇪Localize your startup in Abu Dhabi
🧳 Launch a POC project in Abu Dhabi with a one-month all-expenses-paid trip
💰 Up to US$220,000 in equity-free funding from our partner, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.
You will receive an email notification during the first week, and interviews will be scheduled between the first and second week of July. Kindly check your emails regularly and ensure availability, as we cannot offer alternative dates. Please look for our acceptance email to confirm your participation promptly, as delayed confirmations will not be considered.
Yes, after applying, if you wish to modify/change it, please email innovationday@eca.gov.ae
We will select up to 20 startups.
Selected Launch Track startups will be invited to attend the in-person program in Abu Dhabi during the last four weeks of October 2024. The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) will sponsor flights and accommodation for two team members per startup.
Participation in the program is free. Startups invited to attend the final four program weeks in person will be eligible for up to a $270,000 equity-free grant to support their localization efforts.
There is no template. Your pitch deck should be submitted as a PDF (.pdf) file.
Please feel free to contact innovationday@eca.gov.ae for more information/queries/support.