Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center and Motivate Media Group partner to offer tech startups access to AED 1 Million fund to aid COVID-19 recovery

Striving to create favourable conditions for the entrepreneurial community during these unprecedented times, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) and the region’s leading multi-platform content producer, Motivate Media Group, have established an AED 1 Million Fund of in-kind services to support tech startups and boost their growth.

Sheraa’s portfolio of selected tech startups will get exclusive access to these services, receiving benefits from Motivate including advertising space in their print magazines, digital marketing, editorial support, as well as guidance with their marketing and promotional plans.

The initiative will provide marketing and advertising across Motivate brands, including Gulf Business, What’s On, Emirates Woman and Identity, with the aim of helping tech startups bounce back, using well-established platforms to reach a wide market audience. Motivate will guide startups on best practices, helping them target relevant audiences, to ensure that campaigns deliver optimal results.

Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, said: “Sheraa is excited to partner with Motivate Media Group to provide media opportunities for our startups, particularly at a time when exposure to wider markets can make all the difference towards their survival. Collaborations like these are a testament to the growing sense of community within the entrepreneurship ecosystem. We look forward to building on our partnership to further support our founders, both in the current climate and beyond.”

Ian Fairservice, Managing Partner of Motivate Media Group, said: “Motivate are committing a substantial fund in the form of advertising and marketing, to support UAE-SMEs across all platforms, during what we are referring to as a period of business revival. This contribution forms part of our overall support and we couldn’t do better than to work with Sheraa to cover the essential Tech sector.  MMG want to help and encourage SMEs during this challenging period and see their businesses grow as we approach 2021 – the 50th anniversary of the UAE.”