Spotlight: Dubai Startup Pitch & Mixer

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Spotlight
Pitch. Connect. Build.

A Day of Networking That Actually Works: Morning Connections, Evening Conversations.

What's included
✅ Morning Virtual Speed Networking (meet 9 founders 1-on-1)
✅ Evening In-person meetup
✅ Chance to pitch live on stage (10 selected at random)
✅ Founders-Only WhatsApp Group
✅ Welcome Drink + Popcorn

🌐 MORNING - 11:30 AM - 12:40 PM
Warm up with a Virtual Speed Networking
Meet 9 founders 1-on-1 in the morning. You'll walk into the evening meetup already knowing faces.

🎲 10 founders will be randomly selected during the virtual session to pitch live on stage in the evening. (if you choose to pitch - For Tech Startups only)

🍹 EVENING - 7:00 PM - 11:30PM
In-Person Meetup
Reconnect with morning matches and expand your network. The goal? Partners, collaborators, and warm investor intros.

✨ The Spotlight: Watch the 10 selected founders pitch live. Rate them 1-10 and help reward the most promising founders.

🏆 The Prizes: The Top 1 win 3 months of 100% OFF our Residency membership! You’ll join a group of 10 other founders to tackle challenges and scale together.
Learn more: www.founderconnects.com/residency

🌟 Guest of the Month
Said Al Sayyed, Co-founder @Tern.

🏦 Co-Founder of Tern, building the UAE's first rental rewards platform from the ground up.
💼 Took rent, the one cost everyone pays and no one questions, and turned it into a card payment that earns points, giving tenants value back on their single largest monthly expense.
📊 Crossed AED 150M in annualised rent volume within months of launch, then earned a strategic investment from dubizzle Group.
This is your chance to hear directly from Said on how to spot an overlooked market, launch a first-of-its-kind product, and earn institutional backing fast enough to put a major regional player on your cap table.

🎟️ RSVP
Morning virtual speed networking.
Evening in-person meetup at Paramount Hotel Midtown.
Access to Dubai’s most curated founder crowd.
A community that gets things done.
Welcome Drink + Popcorn.
Register now, spots vanish fast.

👔 Dress Code: Smart casual.
🚗 Parking: Free hotel valet parking - please validate your ticket.

💔 Can't make it?
Your share could connect two people who truly need it.

🔷 FAQ
Do I have to attend the virtual morning session if I'm interested only in the evening meetup?
Nope - but joining the morning makes the evening 10x better.
Can I buy a spot at the door?
Yes, you can buy the "Same Day" ticket.
Can I bring a guest?
Definitely, yes - Share with them the event page as your guest need to sign up for a ticket too.
Can I refund?
Ofcourse, but we pay the hotel 72 hours before the meetup, refunds are only possible up to that point.