RiseUp, the leading connector of startups to local and global networks, resources, and ecosystems, is taking 6 startups on a RiseUp Explore trip to Silicon Valley—the US home of startup and global technology companies in San Francisco, California—from 4 to 13 April. This year, RiseUp Explore is organised in partnership with TechWadi & Voyaj, and it is being enabled by the World Bank. The 6 explorers attended the LAUNCH Festival—the world's largest startup event supporting startup founders and inspiring innovation that happened from 3– to 7 April in San Francisco. The event will host more than 12,000 founders and top level speakers on every stage. The explorers will go on a tour with TechWadi around the campuses of Google, Facebook, and 500 startups. They will receive valuable workshops and meet with experts and similar startups. With Voyaj, explorers will get to experience this melting pot of cultures. Con O'Donnell, RiseUp's cofounder, said that the team is excited to take some of the regional entrepreneurs to San Francisco, adding that experiences like these open doors for the entrepreneurs and even change startup industries. He noted that RiseUp caters an experience where startups have an opportunity to get exposed to new markets, connect with global industry leaders, network with investors and the global media, and most importantly gain know-how that will help them build better businesses. Out of 112 applications, the RiseUp team chose 23 startups before going through a series of trainings and competitions to select the final six of them. The pre-set criteria for startups included maturity, scalability, innovativeness, and presentability according to global standards. Through the nine-day trip, the explorers will engage with thought leaders and ecosystem drivers in various events and activities that will portrait the region's entrepreneurial talent and highlight technologies. Each trip is arranged around world-class events, conferences, and summits, such as TOA, Slush, LAUNCH Festival, and others. This is happening for the second time, where the startups will get connected to the most relevant global resources while showcasing the startup talent in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to the world.
