Five entrepreneurs from Bahrain and the UAE made a pitch for investment in Beban's second season that premiered yesterday on Bahrain TV and Alrai TV.
Produced by Hope Ventures, the investment arm of Hope Fund, the entrepreneurship-themed reality show takes inspiration from the famous American TV series, Shark Tank.
The five businesses featured in the first episode were: Steel Masters - a barbecue equipment manufacturer co-founded by Mahdi Taheri and Hussain Yousif,
The Collector - a smart safe implementation specialist co-founded by Mohammed Nihad and Nihad Issa, Sakani - a real estate application founded by Ali Sarhan that allows customers to find property, Frozen Nutrition - a preservative and sugar-free fresh frozen fruit and detox cubes provider founded by Mohammed Al Aradi, and iTadweer - a manual recycling process regulating cloud-based platform founded by Jaffar Al Hamad.
They pitched before an investor panel made up of Roaya Saleh, founder of Villa Mamas Restaurants; Mohamed Al Aali, managing director of the United Enterprises Group of Companies and angel investor Suhail Algosaibi; with Hope Fund chairman Aymen Almoayed acting as moderator.
Commenting, Khaled Alrayyes, manager of projects at Hope Ventures, said: "I am enthused to announce the airing of the first episode of Beban season 2 after months of preparations. We look forward to viewers tuning in to witness the making of success stories and getting inspired to embark on their own entrepreneurial journeys."
Meanwhile, Beban Crowdfunding that includes a crowdfunding web portal and mobile application was launched a day ahead of the season 2 premiere of Beban.
The platform enables investors to buy shares in start-up companies for amounts as low as $100 as well as stress-free ownership through post-investment management services.
It is open to all GCC residents older than 21 years of age who meet the qualifying criteria to become retail investors.
Entrepreneurs looking to raise funds will be able to list their businesses and run equity crowdfunding campaigns for a maximum duration of 3 months.
One of the key features of the fully-fledged crowdfunding mobile application is its minimalistic design and user-friendly interface.
Investors will also benefit from Beban Crowdfunding's fully digital onboarding services to streamline their access safely and securely through digital ID verifications.
The launch of the platform has been timed to allow retail and accredited investors to invest in opportunities showcased during Beban 2, besides the select panel of investors.
This makes Beban the first interactive reality TV show in the world with a crowdfunding element to it.
Beban Crowdfunding is available to download on the App Store and Google Play or through www.beban.me.
The sponsors of Beban 2 are nogaholding, Tamkeen, Al Areen Palace and Spa, TRACCS, BEYON Money, Zain Bahrain, GMI, Ahli United Bank, Kuwait Finance House -Bahrain, Benefit, Amakin and Al Salam Bank.
A new episode of Beban will air at 6pm every Wednesday this month, with the 2nd episode scheduled for January 11.
After the telecast, episodes will be available for viewing anytime on the streaming platform, Shahid.
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