Venture Challenge

Every month, one member gets backed.

Not a competition for the best deck. A monthly decision about which member is closest to something real, and what would move them forward fastest.

Cycle

Monthly

Ceiling

Up to US$5,000

Equity

None taken

Dubai skyline at golden hour
What backing means01 / Award

Cash is not always the useful part.

Some months the right support is money. Other months it is a paid licence, a bank introduction and twenty hours of mentorship. We decide what the venture actually needs, with the recipient.

Funding

Up to US$5,000

paid in stages against agreed milestones

Setup

Fully covered

licence, visa and banking handled by our team

Mentorship

Six months

monthly check ins with someone in your sector

How we choose02 / Judging

Four questions, weighted evenly.

01

Is the problem real

Something a specific group of people already complains about and already spends money on.

02

Will someone pay

Evidence beats intention. A pre order, a deposit, a signed pilot, a waiting list with names.

03

Can this team do it

Relevant skill, or an honest plan for the skill you are missing.

04

Would our help change it

The support has to be the difference between stalling and moving.

Worth saying plainly

If no entry in a cycle meets the bar, we make no award and we say so. Nothing is carried over to inflate the next month. We would rather skip than hand out a token.

A city at work, early morning
How to enter03 / Entry

Write it yourself, in plain words.

Entries open on the first of the month and close on the last day. You submit from inside your portal: your stage, the country you operate from, a short pitch and a deck if you have one. No video, no production. Shortlists go out in the first week of the following month.

Enter

Entry comes with membership.

Every active member can enter one venture per cycle. Read the rules first, they are short.