Key Opportunities for Investors, Businesses, Financial Institutions in the Middle East

Doha, Qatar – 7, February 2022:  Qatar FinTech Hub (QFTH), founded by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) to support the growth of the FinTech industry in Qatar, has announced the Wave 3 Demo Day for its flagship Incubator and Accelerator Programs, which will take place virtually on 14 February, 2022.

The QFTH Demo Day is considered one of the major FinTech events in the region. Wave 3 of the event will host key players from the local and regional financial services ecosystem, as well as investors, global startups, international FinTech hubs, aspiring entrepreneurs and FinTech enthusiasts. 

The Incubator and Accelerator Programs attracted FinTech entrepreneurs and startups from more than 50 countries from across the world including India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Canada, and Qatar. Under the theme Embedded FinTech for TechFin, the program has witnessed great success with over 500 applications from early-stage startups and mature FinTechs. 

The early-stage and mature FinTechs that have been selected from the application pool and who will be presenting their innovative solutions on QFTH 3rd Virtual Demo Day are ToneTag, T2meen, GFI Fintech, Restock.id, Whrrl, Open CBS, Infrabase, NeuXP, Netdollar, AIOTF, Loopay, VoicePay, S-Treasury, Alwasia, QatarCrowd, and Tiptiptop.

Participants took part in more than 300 business development sessions with 15 financial institutions, completing a series of Masterclasses and FinTech Bootcamps conducted by QFTH partners and renowned speakers from across the world. 

Mr. Abdulrahman Hesham Al Sowaidi, Acting CEO of Qatar Development Bank, said: “Numerous companies, especially tech ones, are shifting towards offering financial services through their platforms as a way to keep their customers within their ecosystem for the longest intervals. Therefore, finding solutions that can easily integrate with existing services and systems is a growing need. This wave focused on innovations that can support companies on that front.” 

“I would like to thank all the participants and partners who are continuously contributing to the growth of our programs, and we look forward to welcoming everyone to the much-awaited third virtual Demo Day,” he concluded.  

Applications are now open for Wave 4 of the QFTH Incubator and Accelerator Programs, which will focus on Next Gen Banking. FinTechs with innovative solutions in this domain can visit QFTH’s website (fintech.qa) to get more details and to apply until mid-February. All applications undergo a thorough evaluation process, where shortlisted candidates will be invited to present their solutions in front of a jury panel comprised of key stakeholders from Qatar’s financial services ecosystem.

As part of its commitment to offering world-class expertise to participating FinTechs, QFTH is continuously collaborating with strategic stakeholders within the FinTech ecosystem including financial institutions, technology providers, payment networks, global FinTech hubs, academia, and regulators. Microsoft is participating as the program technology partner. Other recent partnerships include Amazon, Progress Soft, Vodafone, and Global Positioning System to name a few. 

QFTH Demo Day will be held on the 14th of February at 11:00 AM Qatar time.