Tank of talents!

All they had was ‘Hope’ and the courage of their convictions. But sometimes that’s all you need as 12 intrepid Bahrainis showed when they took the plunge into the ‘Shark Tank’.

They say fortune favours the brave, and it sure did as the entrepreneurs snagged a whopping $1 million to fund their bright ideas as the first season of Beban drew to a close.

Beban, which in Arabic means opening doors, is the aptly chosen title of Bahrain’s first entrepreneurship-themed reality TV show which has seen promising businesses battle it out in wooing potential backers over the last four weeks.

Inspired by the famous American series Shark Tank, the programme is part of a series of projects by Hope Ventures, the investment arm of Hope Fund which was set up in 2020 by His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa to support youth projects.

The premise of the show is simple: Bring your business idea and convince a panel of ‘sharks’ or venture capitalists to invest in you, and if you succeed not only do you walk away with a pile of cash but also grab the attention of the viewers who have tuned in to watch on BTV or on MBC Group’s Arabic streaming platform Shahid.

The 12 finalists of the first season were selected from a pool of 200 applicants and while only five succeeded in getting investments, all business founders who took part in Beban came to benefit from the show.

Sitting on the investors’ panel in all four episodes of the first season was Youth and Sport Affairs Minister and Hope Fund chairman Aymen Almoayed, who has called it a ‘tremendous success”.

“Beban has left a powerful impact and impressed the Arab world, as it showcased the competencies, talents and capabilities of Bahraini youth in the entrepreneurship sector,” he beamed.

“The show served to reflect their ambition and their ability to compete and excel globally in various aspects and fields, including trade and entrepreneurship. We commend the entrepreneurs who took part in the show, acting as an inspirational model for creativity and innovation as they set out to achieve their goals.”

Mr Almoayed said the purpose of Beban is to have a positive impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the kingdom, by supporting promising businesses to achieve regional and global growth, while securing rewarding returns for project owners and investors alike.

To learn more about the successful startups, turn to Page 3.