Invest Qatar, the Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar, proudly marked its successful participation in the inaugural Web Summit Vancouver, held from 27 to 30 May. The event showcased Qatar's welcoming and dynamic startup ecosystem through the "Startup Qatar" pavilion, which attracted significant attention from attendees and industry leaders.

The "Startup Qatar" pavilion, a collaborative effort between Invest Qatar and key ecosystem partners including Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Qatar Development Bank (QDB), Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), and Qatar Research Development and Innovation Council (QRDI) highlighted the exclusive advantages and extensive opportunities available to startups and entrepreneurs looking to establish and expand their ventures in Qatar.

Throughout the four-day summit, the pavilion facilitated connections between attendees and key stakeholders in Qatar’s startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem. It emphasised the country's thriving business environment, multi-sectoral opportunities, and tailored benefits designed to empower ambitious startups and support their long-term growth.

Senior representatives from the Qatar delegation actively engaged in panel discussions and networking sessions, highlighting the country’s progress in driving innovation and technological advancement. Hamad Al-Naimi, Strategy Manager at Invest Qatar, participated in a panel titled “From Seed to Scale: Catalysing Startup Growth in Emerging Tech Hubs” alongside António Dias Martins, CEO of Startup Portugal. During the discussion, Al-Naimi shared valuable insights into the policies and initiatives Qatar is pursuing to strengthen its position as a dynamic hub for innovation and startups. He also highlighted Qatar’s recently launched $1 billion incentives programme, aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability and global competitiveness of startups and fintech companies. The programme focuses on key sectors, including technology, with targeted support for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity and data-driven innovation, to foster a robust digital economy and attract high-impact investments.

The participation at Web Summit Vancouver builds on the significant interest and record success of the "Startup Qatar" initiative during previous international tech events. The initiative, launched ahead of the inaugural Web Summit Qatar, has recorded over 450 business registrations facilitated by QFC and received more than 4,000 applications for the “Startup Qatar Investment Programme” by QDB. This programme offers funding of up to $500,000 for seed-stage and up to $5 million for growth-stage companies. To date, the programme has awarded $23.5M in funding to 19 startups from across the world, including Italy, Oman, Singapore, the U.K., the U.S. and Turkey. These startups benefit from funding, mentorship and other support services in Qatar’s innovation-driven ecosystem.

The “Startup Qatar” initiative is designed to support startups at every stage of their journey. It provides an innovative one-stop online platform (startupqatar.qa), catering to all business requirements and enabling them to access Qatar’s extensive network of support services, opportunities, funding, incubation programmes, government grants, networking events and various other resources.