MANAMA: It was a triple treat as three sports entrepreneurs bagged $50,000 worth of business in the third episode of ‘Beban’, with total funding in Bahrain’s ‘Shark Tank’ inching towards the $1 million mark.
Making a pitch for high-quality women’s sportswear brand Inclus, founder Reem Al Doy received a pre-order from Spartan Fitness Bahrain owner Faris Alkooheji for 1,000 outfits to equip his sports ventures and businesses.
Inclus also received an offer for a customised truck from Hope Ventures, acting in partnership with Itsonwheels - Bahrain, to serve as a mobile store for the brand.
An overjoyed Ms Al Doy said: “I pitched on the show for investment, but what I got was better – a customer! I had only sold 200 outfits before the show and this order will help boost my sales tremendously. The incoming revenue will help me develop my business the same way the investment would have; now I will be able to launch my website and take on larger orders.”
The episode also featured entrepreneurs Mohammed Saad and Rasoul Shukrullah, the founders of BaSpoLab - a specialised laboratory that helps develop athletic performance, and Yusuf Zaman, the founder of Ryde; a smart performance centre for virtual cycling and running.
The start-ups were seeking support to expand beyond Bahrain, aiming to take their brand across the region within five years.
Ryde received digital screen marketing on billboards in prime locations through Gulf Media International (GMI), while BaSpoLab is to enter a partnership with Mr Alkooheji’s nutrition platform, take part in competitions by global fitness community F45, and receive PR and communications services from TRACCS.
Commenting, Mr Zaman said: “The recent boom in cycling across the kingdom has driven us to start our business. Ryde aims to meet the needs and expectations of those passionate about the sport by providing them with a safe, indoor space that steers them away from the traffic-ridden roads and hot climate. The investors shared valuable advice that will help us revise our plans of reaching a wider target audience.”
Thanking the supporters, Mr Shukrullah said the upcoming partnerships would help the company to grow regionally in the future.
“Fitness is more than just about regular exercise, and at BaSpoLab, we are dedicated to providing our customers with a better understanding of their bodies in order to enhance their performance levels and ultimately achieve their health goals,” he added.
Besides Mr Alkooheji, the investors panel included sports industry veterans Yusuf Juma and Eshaq Eshaq, as well as Youth and Sport Affairs Minister Aymen Almoayed, who came on as the representative of Hope Ventures, the company that owns and operates Beban.
Dallaspresso, a localised coffee and tea capsule specialist, got a cash influx of $212,000 during the second episode of the entrepreneurship themed show, whereas edtech platform Lumofy continues to top the chart with the $500,000 it netted in the opening episode.
The final episode of Beban featuring promising manufacturing start-ups airs on BTV at 6pm Wednesday.
The show can also be viewed anytime on Shahid, the MBC Group’s Arabic streaming platform.
avinash@gdn.com.bh
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