Pitch@Palace Bahrain 1.0 drives opportunities: CP

Manama : Terming Pitch@Palace Bahrain 1.0 as a shining example of Bahrain and United Kingdom’s trade relationship, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa yesterday expressed his pride at the range of inventive pitches and ideas put forward by the finalists of the event. 

“It is a shining example of how Bahrain and the United Kingdom’s continues to drive opportunities for businesses in both countries,” said the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. 

The Crown Prince was speaking while attending the Pitch@Palace Bahrain 1.0 event held at the Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed Al Fateh Fort in Riffa along with Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. 

The range of inventive pitches and ideas put forward by the 12 finalists, HRH Prince Salman said, “reflects the level of talent, creativity and innovation that sits at the heart of Bahrain’s growing community of entrepreneurs.”

12 local entrepreneurs were selected from 99 applicants to take part in the first instalment of Pitch@Palace Bahrain 1.0, which saw them each deliver a three-minute pitch to an audience comprised of experts from the worlds of entrepreneurship, technology, media and investment. 

The winners, two of which were selected by audience vote and one via the People’s Choice Award, included ONEGCC, GETBAQALA, and TAMARRAN.

The winners are now invited to pitch at Pitch@Palace Global, which takes place at St. James’s Palace in London, the UK in December 2018.

Held in partnership with Tamkeen, the Pitch@Palace Bahrain 1.0 initiative aims to guide, help, and connect entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses from across the Kingdom with potential supporters, including CEOs, influencers, investors, mentors and business partners. 

The Duke of York founded Pitch@Palace in 2014 to provide a platform to amplify and accelerate the work of Entrepreneurs. Since the initiative was set up, it has supported over 490 businesses, creating 1,865 new jobs and generating over £541 million of new economic

“It is a huge privilege to bring Pitch@Palace to Bahrain,” said the Duke of York in his comments. 

“Pitch@Palace aims to help start-up businesses grow. We do so by supporting businesses to become successful by making connections and asking the Audience to follow up with at least one Entrepreneur on their ASK,” he added. 

In remarks delivered during the event, Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chairman of Tamkeen, noted that Pitch@Palace Bahrain 1.0 marked a fitting opportunity to celebrate innovation and entrepreneurship and to share the brilliant ideas of Bahrain’s entrepreneurs with the rest of the world. 

His Excellency emphasised the Kingdom’s commitment to becoming a leading global destination for business start-ups, noting that Bahrain’s entrepreneurs represent the backbone of the Kingdom’s increasingly innovative and diverse economy.