SHIFT Group and Qatar Development Bank host “The Founders Meetup” to empower MENA startups

Ms. Joy Alvarez (Shift Group), Mr. Kais Al-Essa (Vision Venture), Mr. Mohammed Al Emadi (QDB), Mr. Abdulrahman Totonji (Shift Group), Mr. Haitham Buaisha (Vision Venture), Mr. Hasan Haiden (+VC), Ms. Zainab Al Sharif (+VC)

Doha, Qatar – SHIFT Group, in partnership with Qatar Development Bank (QDB), successfully hosted The Founders Meetup on May 08, 2025, at the Mondrian Hotel Doha. The business-casual gathering brought together a dynamic mix of startup founders, investors, and innovation leaders from across the MENA region, with the shared goal of nurturing the startup ecosystem and escalating early-stage ventures.

This event, held in collaboration with Consulting Haus, PLUS.VC, Vision Ventures and Pamoja Ventures, welcomed 17 startup companies from varying sectors such as construction, health tech, e-commerce, food tech, insurance, logistics, fintech, and property tech. These startups ranging from pre-seed to seed stages had the opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to investors and venture capitalists.

The event was spearheaded by Mr. Abdulrahman Totonji, Managing Partner of SHIFT Group, whose leadership and vision helped bring this initiative to life. Under his guidance, SHIFT continues to build such platforms that strengthen the startups and investment landscape both locally and across region.

The event kicked off with the welcome remarks by CEO of SHIFT Group, Ms. Joy Alvarez, who emphasized the spirit of collaboration. “This is more than just a meetup. It is a platform to engage. We’re doing this for the startups and the founders, to give them an avenue where they can find the right partners, investors and potential clients aswell”

She was joined by Mohammed Al- Emadi, Executive Director of Investment and Incubation, who emphasized the bank’s continued commitment to enabling innovation and entrepreneurship through strategic support and investment in the VC space.

Startups presented their pitches in two sessions, with a networking coffee break in between. Attendees were able to scan a QR code to directly connect startups of interest, making real time connections possible. The event concluded with dinner further networking among founders and investors.

Qatar Development Bank, plays an active role in supporting innovation and helping the venture capital space grow. With events like ‘The Founders Meetup’, QDB is working to position Qatar as a leading hub for startups and VC activity in the region.

Shift Group, similarly is actively investing in regional VC partners and playing a hands-on role in creating opportunity for collaboration and growth. As a continuous supporter of both local and regional VC ecosystems, SHIFT is committed to build platforms like such as ‘The Founders Meetup’ that enables meaningful connections and unlock potential within the MENA region whilst giving a special focus on boosting the VC sector in Qatar.

The Founders Meetup marks a promising step towards building a more connected, collaborative, and opportunity-rich startup ecosystem across the MENA region.