A place for a vital start-up scene

 ‘We provide a protected space for founders in which germinating business ideas can become reality. We offer a three-month full-time programme for tech companies that are developing ideas or are at an early business stage. It covers all areas – from market research and product development to sales strategies. Between 10 and 15 individuals take part in each programme.

‘Many investors do not know about the start-up scene here.’

 

ALICE BOSLEY (31), Executive Director of Five One Labs, an initiative for business founders in the autonomous Kurdistan Region

We try very hard to adapt the content to the local market. With GIZ’s support, we have been able to invite international experts, such as Josh Williams, Senior Product Manager at Starbucks, and Marios Harrane from Careem, a successful ride-hailing app in the region. We also organise events such as hackathons. At these kinds of large-scale digital events, the teams jointly develop solutions to a particular problem. And in university lectures, students find out more about entrepreneurial skills. We also want to show investors from the whole region and across the globe that a great deal is happening in this country. Iraq is a huge market. Although many investors are aware of the business potential, they do not know about the existing start-up scene. In the course of our partnership with GIZ, we have also found out about other start-up initiatives in Iraq. Setting up a tech company here is not easy because the government is constantly issuing new requirements. At the same time, the dynamic nature of these kinds of companies is fantastic. We have introduced grants for women founders because we realised that it is often more difficult for women than for men to drive their company forward. All the women who have taken part have been able to establish their business. Some have now appeared at public events.’

‘This generation is really innovative.’

 

RAVIN BUHRAN (27), corporate trainer and employee at The Lab:Suli, a start-up centre in Sulaymaniyah that is part of the Five One Labs

‘I am a web design expert and I help companies in the fields of design, user experience, user interface, setting up a technology team and project management. We meet at least three times a week, and it’s fun to see the progress made. The start-ups improve their web design, for example, or refine their products. Some of the young companies that we support are already enjoying rapid growth, including Larixca, an e-commerce trading company for sustainable clothing, and Chara Plus, a simple app with which you can order medicine to be delivered to your home. Our portfolio is very diverse, with ideas that offer solutions to everyday problems.

One example is Tasty not Wasty, a delivery service that sells leftover food from restaurants at a lower price, therefore avoiding waste. There are so many ambitious, creative people here and so many possibilities for positive change. This generation of young Iraqis is really innovative, and our focus is on supporting them by means of training and networks. There is a lack of jobs in Iraq. Many people don’t know what to do after graduating from university. We try to support the private sector so that more jobs will be available in future. Today’s investors are looking for new ideas in areas other than the old business sectors such as construction or oil production. The new start-ups don’t need major investment, which makes them attractive options. Some are already having a positive impact on people’s lives. They offer services that people really need. These providers are redefining the market in these areas.’

‘I realised ­straightaway how good the quality of training is.’

 

ZAHRA FAHDIL (33), founder of Fix IT, a portal to find tradespeople

‘Last year, I was at home with my child and the kitchen sink was leaking. I needed help but I couldn’t find a qualified plumber. I originally come from Najaf, south of Baghdad, and don’t speak very good Kurdish yet. That makes it more difficult to solve everyday problems here in northern Iraq. That’s how I had the idea of developing a basic app which people can use to contact tradespeople such as electricians and plumbers. I knew that I needed expertise to make sure my business idea worked. While searching on Facebook, I discovered the range of courses offered by Five One Labs. I didn’t really expect them to accept me. When it started, I realised straightaway how good the quality of training is. I felt I was part of a family. I’ve made very many new friends.

I’m currently in the third month of the founder programme and am learning the skills you need to lead a successful company. I’ve also already started developing the app, setting up a team and marketing the product name too. The brochures and flyers have been printed and distributed as well. After the course, I want to stay on here as a volunteer and help organise events. The events here are tailored precisely to the skills we need. I think my business idea has a good chance, because there are a lot of houses that are in need of proper repair work. I’d like to roll out the app across Iraq so that other people don’t have the kinds of problems that I had. I hope they can use the app to find the service provider they need easily and conveniently.’

‘I’ve already found two investors.’

 

LAYLAN ATTAR (29), founder of Dada Babysitting, a digital platform for arranging childcare

‘I was employed in the private sector when I became pregnant. My employer disbanded the division I was working in at the time, so it was easy to make me redundant. I was looking for a new professional challenge. I knew about the problems that families without childcare face, so I thought: why not set up a babysitting service? In March 2019, I registered the name of my firm and we’re now in the test phase. People usually send their children to kindergarten or have help from their families. My idea is to establish a culture and a concept for new forms of childcare. So far, it’s all happening by word of mouth, but we’ve still already had more than 50 enquiries from interested parents. It’s easy for people to register on the website. All of our babysitters go through a strict selection process to ensure that they are suitable and qualified.

We’re still offering the service free of charge at the moment, because we want to become known. Not everything has gone smoothly, but Five One Labs has given me a great deal of self-confidence and support. I’ve been able to extend my knowledge and I now have access to various networks. The staff also make you feel that anything is possible. I was far on in my pregnancy when I started the Five One Labs course and didn’t really believe that I would manage to set up the company. And now I’ve found two investors, one from Iraq and one from London. It’s very helpful being in a community that is facing the same challenges. The centre is also helping to put this part of the world into the spotlight and to show that a lot of new things are happening in Iraq and in the autonomous Kurdistan Region.’ 

published in akzente 2/20