Anjal Z is an international startup program that aims to help instill innovation in early childhood development by empowering growth-stage global startups to develop, localize and execute critical ECD challenges across Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
Who are we?
The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) has launched Cohort 02 of their Anjal Z program, in partnership with MassChallenge. Anjal Z will continue the formula of success as seen with its inaugural Cohort 01, empowering growth-stage startups from around the globe and furthering their innovative solutions to address today’s challenges of early childhood development across Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The 4-month long program will provide a unique and bespoke journey to each of the selected startups, facilitating mentorships from leading industry-specific experts and up to $190,000 of equity-free grants to support localization efforts. Applications for eligible startups are now open and will close on July 21, 2021.
This program targets innovative startups operating across the sectors of Health & Nutrition, Early Care & Education, Child Protection and Family Support.
Abu Dhabi and the ECA want to ensure children, parents, and caregivers have access to appropriate services to support optimal child development. It also aims to create a robust ecosystem to promote accountability and continuous quality improvement.
Who can participate?
We look for entrepreneurs who want to take their businesses to the next level.
We accept applications from growth-stage startups all over the world, interested in solving challenges that improve child wellbeing and development from prenatal stage to the age of eight across the sectors of Health & Nutrition, Early Care & Education, Child Protection and Family Support.
Startups must:
- Preferably have at least $10,000 in recurring monthly revenue, but not essential to apply to the program.
- Demonstrate product/market fit.
- Have a skilled and experienced team.
- Aspire to penetrate the UAE market and possibly the GCC.
- Be able to relocate to Abu Dhabi for the duration of the program.
As the official language of the program is English, the applicant must be proficient in English.
What's in it for startups?
Top startups will be selected to participate in an intensive, 4-month program that encompasses both online and in-person portions where startups develop and implement bespoke project plans to further their localization journeys.
Startups will also receive:
- Mentoring, coaching and in-depth offered by ECD experts, local and global mentors of the MassChallenge network and the entrepreneurial ecosystem
- Financing in the form of an equity-free grant of up to AED 700k (~USD 190k)
- Guidance and support around localization in setting up a local presence including the facilitation of public-private partnerships
- Follow-on investment opportunities by facilitating connections to investors and a private demo-day
- Office space will be provided for the duration that the program requires the startups to be physically present in Abu Dhabi.
The Anjal Z Cohort 02 Startups
DoBrain
DoBrain is an AI-based application that offers an accessible and affordable digital cognitive learning program for young children and is designed to be an assistive tool that achieves the three goals of education, identification and therapy.
FinlandWay
FinlandWay is a school-in-a-box early education franchise network that utilizes technology to transform educator training and support curriculum delivery, learning processes, learning environments and outcome documentation. FinlandWay packages the best of the Finnish early childhood education system in a cost-competitive way to nurseries worldwide.
LuxAI
Through its easy to use humanoid robot, QTrobot, LuxAI improves the effectiveness of autism interventions by increasing the attention and engagement of children with autism. By empowering non-specialized caregivers and parents to deliver tailored and skill-specific autism interventions, LuxAI is making autism education scalable, accessible and affordable.
Monkibox
Monkibox is a subscription program that supports the cognitive and motor development of babies and toddlers with science-backed toys and activities that turn playtime into a learning experience.
RemmedVR
RemmedVR is a telemedicine platform for diagnostics and rehabilitation in neurology and eyecare, able to correct strabismus (crossed eyes) and amblyopia (lazy eye), among other conditions. The RemmedVR medically certified home vision therapy system consists of dedicated VR goggles, therapeutic exercises and a therapist control panel.
Thinkerbell Labs
Annie by Thinkerbell Labs is the world’s first digital braille literacy device that helps the visually impaired learn to read, write and type in braille through interactive audio-guided content in vernacular languages. Annie allows for easy monitoring and evaluation of student progress via Helios, a proprietary online dashboard.
WonderTree
WonderTree is an affordable physiotherapy and educational game provider that uses augmented reality to help children of determination improve their motor, cognitive and educational skills. The games also have a reporting feature through which the child’s progress can be monitored by parents, teachers and medical professionals.
Program Timeline
An initiative led by the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority
