Dubai: As part of its continuous efforts to boost the entrepreneurship ecosystem, Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED) announces its partnership with Bahrain-based Hope Ventures to expand Hope’s entrepreneurship-themed reality television show ‘Beban’ to the United Arab Emirates in its highly anticipated third season.This follows the show’s established expansion to the UAE for season two and its success in facilitating investment and strategic opportunities for UAE-based businesses. Having aired for two seasons, Beban featured a total of 62 businesses of various sizes and resulted in successful co-investments by the private and public sectors exceeding USD 6 million in GCC-based startups.Beban is centered around entrepreneurs and business owners as they pitch their businesses before a panel of regional investors for equity investment and business opportunities. The show's expansion aligns with KFED’s mission of creating opportunities to boost the UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and supporting SMEs by offering financing and service options, as Beban will contribute to the ease of access of UAE-based businesses to a diversified pool of investors and strategic partners who will fast-track their business’ growth into regional and international markets.Furthermore, Beban entrepreneurs will also benefit from the intensive training bootcamp they will undergo as part of the Beban journey to develop their businesses in various aspects like expansion planning, financial modeling, and pitching in front of a panel of regional investors on a televised show.Commenting on the partnership, Her Excellency Alia Al Mazrouei, CEO of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, shared: “Through our partnership with Bahrain's Hope Ventures, Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development is excited to bring the entrepreneurial spirit of Beban to the UAE in its highly anticipated third season. By expanding Beban, we are creating valuable opportunities for UAE-based businesses to access a diverse pool of investors and strategic partners, accelerating their growth in regional and international markets. With intensive training bootcamps and exposure on a televised platform, Beban will empower entrepreneurs, foster cross-border knowledge exchange, and fuel the UAE's entrepreneurial ecosystem. We look forward to seeing all of the applicants for Beban season 3 and seeing them seize the benefits of this remarkable journey towards success."On his part, His Excellency Aymen bin Tawfiq Almoayed, Chairman of Hope Fund, said: “Beban was established as a regional investment platform that connects regional entrepreneurs and investors of diverse sectors and facilitates equity investment and strategic business development opportunities that would have been rather challenging for these entrepreneurs to access.”He further added: "This partnership with the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development will provide UAE-based entrepreneurs with the tools and resources they require to develop their businesses while giving them added regional exposure through the show, all while promoting cross-border knowledge exchange between entrepreneurs of the region. We encourage and invite entrepreneurs based in UAE to apply for Beban season 3 and reap the show’s benefits.”It is noteworthy to mention that entrepreneurs will be selected through an evaluation process comprising five stages, starting with screening businesses for viability based on certain criteria, followed by an evaluation stage led by experts and specialists in the business sector. Candidates will then be nominated to participate in an intensive training bootcamp stage. The final stage will announce the eligible finalists, who will then go on to film the production’s episodes. Beban invites UAE-based entrepreneurs to apply for season 3 online through the hopefund.bh/beban by July 6th.

Hope Ventures, the investment arm of Hope Fund and producers of the entrepreneurship-themed reality television show, Beban, has announced the conclusion of its second season, whereby entrepreneurs pitched for equity investment in front of a panel of regional investors which aired on Bahrain TV, AlRai TV, Dubai TV, and the region’s first and biggest video-on-demand platform, Shahid.Beban was created in alignment with Hope Ventures’ mission of facilitating investment opportunities for promising entrepreneurs with high-potential, scalable businesses alongside strategic investors of the private sector who can accelerate these businesses’ growth into regional and international markets.Through its first and second seasons, the show successfully shed light on a total of 62 entrepreneurs from the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and featured 28 investors representing the private sector from Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.Beban has also successfully facilitated the co-investment in local and regional opportunities by the public and private sectors alongside one another, with the total investments exceeding USD 6,260,000 raised by 30 businesses.The show saw the provision of over USD 320k worth of perks, courtesy of 21 value-add partners across both seasons, where entrepreneurs gained access to unique business development opportunities in areas where they need the most support, such as marketing and PR, bookkeeping and accounting, and sales, among many others.In addition to access to business perks, Beban participants benefited from the intensive training bootcamp, which was delivered by professionals and industry experts in preparation for their pitching on the show.Beban has continued to grow and reach new arenas throughout both of its seasons, with season 2 being the first television show in the MENA region to be 100% powered by renewable energy through Hope Ventures’ partnership with The Oil and Gas Holding Company B.S.C (closed) (“nogaholding”) and the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA). Another milestone of Beban season 2 was the introduction of ‘Beban Crowdfunding,’ an equity-based crowdfunding platform that allows viewers to invest in-real time in opportunities pitching on the show, making Beban the first interactive reality TV show in the world with an interactive crowdfunding element to it.His Excellency Aymen bin Tawfiq Almoayed, Chairman of Hope Fund, said: “Beban is a regional investment platform that promotes cross-border deal flow, funding and exposure to strategically accelerate the growth of promising businesses by matchmaking them with regional investors who can provide access to their expertise, networks and on-the-ground knowledge to support their expansion beyond local borders.”He added: “As a television show, Beban has left a powerful impact, educating and inspiring the pursuit of entrepreneurship while highlighting that there are no limitations to creativity and innovation once paired with hard work and dedication. Today, after Beban, who is to tell a 16-year-old girl, that she cannot be an entrepreneur, pitch her business on a television show broadcasted on the region’s biggest channels, and successfully fundraise from four strategic investors? Who is to tell a business that persisted in the LogiTech sector that it cannot have a unicorn of the same sector guide it towards international growth? Doors of opportunity are open to all, and our goal of synthesizing hope amongst the community remains to be a key objective.”Fajer Saleh Al Pachachi, General Manager of Hope Ventures, commented: “I am thrilled to be concluding season 2 of Beban with the remarkable results and impact the show has left amongst viewers. At Hope, we commend the entrepreneurs who took part in the show, and our aim remains to facilitate strategic investment opportunities for high-potential, scalable businesses alongside the private sector through Beban. The show’s distinctiveness comes from its multiple offerings that empower entrepreneurs to scale their businesses, be it the opportunity to fundraise, regional exposure, business perks, or alternative funding through Beban’s seamless equity crowdfunding platform ‘Beban Crowdfunding.’ Having concluded season 2, we are excited to welcome the new season’s entrepreneurs and look forward to facilitating more success stories in the MENA region.”Entrepreneurs looking for an opportunity to fundraise to register and participate in the show through the website hopefund.bh/beban, noting that applications close on April 30th.Beban Season 2 acknowledges its sponsors; The Oil and Gas Holding Company (nogaholding), Tamkeen Bahrain, Al Areen Palace & Spa by Accor, TRACCS, BEYON Money, Zain Bahrain, GMI, Ahli United Bank, Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain), The Benefit Company, Amakin, and Al Salam Bank for their affirmed commitment to empowering Bahraini entrepreneurs and accelerating their growth through investment, knowledge, and access to business opportunities.