‘Abu Dhabi Youth Challenge+ Techstars Startup Weekend’ to run October 25 to 27
Grants of up to $10,000 for teams in post-programme phase in November
Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Youth Challenge+ (ADYC+) Techstars Startup Weekend will run from October 25 to 27.
The event is organised by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) in collaboration with Techstars and Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), which will provide its expertise and access to its extensive network during the event and post programme.
This year, ADYC+ joins the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week, a WED Movement initiative led by ECA, to focus on early childhood development through a programme of research, innovative solutions, and advocacy.
· Eight winners will be announced and invited to join the ADYC+ Post Programme.
· The top eight teams will attend WED Innovation Day on October 29 and participate in a day filled with knowledge sharing sessions featuring global ecosystem leaders.
ADYC+ Post Programme (November 2024)
At the end of the ADYC+ Post Programme, three winning teams among the eight will be eligible to access equity-free grants of up to $10,000 per team.
Additional Opportunity (November 2024 – January 2025)
Participants aged between 18 and 26 years that complete the ADYC+ Techstars Startup Weekend can also apply to a three-month long internship program to work with leading, global ECD startups.
Three themes
Designed around three themes (Intentional Parenting, Culture, and Identity and Sustainable and Family-friendly Cities), the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Week also aims to inspire community involvement and collaboration in advancing Early Childhood Development (ECD) – including through the innovations launched at ADYC+.
Organised by community leaders and innovators, this 54-hour journey is an opportunity to forge collaborations and demonstrate their entrepreneurial spirit in the early childhood development sector. The ADYC+ Techstars Startup Weekend is designed for anyone over the age of 18 – students, recent graduates, professionals, academicians and aspiring entrepreneurs, for example.
The top eight teams will be invited to join the ADYC+ Post Programme, a month-long incubation programme that will support them to further develop their startup ideas. The teams will work with a dedicated programme manager and best-in-class mentors, industry experts and ecosystem leaders to refine their idea, work on their implementation strategy and build an MVP.
This edition focuses on four challenge areas with a particular interest in leveraging AI:
-Intentional Parenting
-Culture and Identity
-Sustainable and Family-Friendly Cities
-Out of School Activities