Meet the 10 Female-led Startups in Womentum’s 1st Cycle!

Angel investment group Womena selected 10 female-led tech startups from across the Arab world for the first cycle of their accelerator program Womentum that will kick of this July. 

The four-month accelerator program will start with two weeks of in-person sessions in Berlin, followed by a remote execution phase in founders’ home countries, involving virtual mentorship to allow entrepreneurs to validate their products in localized contexts. The startups will end their journey with two weeks in Dubai to hone their pitches in preparation for the demo day in October.

The program is designed to give early stage startups immersion in Berlin’s innovative ecosystem and connection to investors, mentors and regional markets from the Dubai hub. Womentum is powered by Impact Hub Berlin and sponsored by Latham & Watkins in partnership with the TECOM Group.

Womena has also teamed up with Elves, human-assisted AI personal concierge app, as the official travel partner for Womentum. The app will take care of participants’ travel bookings and other logistical needs.

1. X Pay (Egypt) – a mobile app and web portal working on cashless transformation for community members with a family wallet, utilizing blockchain technology. X Pay’s team said, “we believe that Womentum is a game changer for us...We cannot wait to start.”

2. Seabex (Tunisia) – An e-monitoring and smart automation system of environmental data using AI to help farmers make better decisions. Saabex’s team said, “The entrepreneurship and innovation field is still male-dominated...We strongly believe that change comes from brave and smart women when there are enough opportunities and Womentum is one of the best opportunities out there that empower women entrepreneurs, open doors and break barriers.”

3. Sadeed (Jordan) – Social media automation tool powered by artificial intelligence to manage and respond to public comments on media platforms. The tool uses machine learning to improve performance and to better understand inputs of all languages.

4. We Share Property (UAE) – An integrated platform that assembles upwards of $500 from multiple investors into a property they choose, earning rental income and capital growth with zero hassle.

5. Mrayti (Jordan) – Salon booking website for the Arab world where customers can book different services of their choosing in addition to a booking system for stylists and artists integrated with their calendars. “We believe Womentum could launch Mrayti into the Arab world after a successful pilot in Amman. We want our ideas challenged, tested and exposed, and we can’t wait for it to happen within the Womentum program,” Mrayti’s team explained.

6. Mathaqi (Saudi Arabia) – On-demand food delivery application and web portal offering authentic home-cooked meals from a variety of international cuisines. Mathaqi’s team said, “the thing that got us excited is the uniqueness of the program: No upfront stake or equity giveaway and exposure to international and regional investors and mentors. We are also excited about the visit to Germany, which will help us understand the work that we need to do on our business model in order to scale internationally.”

7. Zelij (Morocco) – A project to turn plastic waste into sustainable building materials in Morocco, such as eco-friendly paving stones and floor tiles made from plastic waste. Zelij’s team said, “for the Z team, it’s time to scale. From Morocco to Berlin to Dubai, it’s time for us to shine internationally thanks to the Womentum program. Let the adventure begin!”

8. Jaazi (Saudi Arabia/UAE) – An employee engagement platform where employees can browse, book & manage perks and benefits for employees using a redeemable points system. Jaazi aims to combat disengagement in the workplace.

9. Furnwish (Egypt) – Offering Immersive augmented reality experiences to allow homeowners to discover, visualize and interact with furniture, making it more practical to shop for furniture and home decor.

10. Humanitas (Jordan) – The company’s mobile video app Dandi enables organizations and youth to collaborate on local community issues, using AI to make sense of that data and present it in a localized analytics dashboard useful for organizations and donors

Womentum is a female-focused, early-stage accelerator that aims to support tech startups with at least one female founder from or operating in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Womena is dedicated to encouraging gender diversity and inclusion in the regional entrepreneurship ecosystem. Founded in 2014, it has built an award-winning Angel Investment group that facilitated over 3 million AED in funding into 10 companies.