Programme profiles
What should I expect?
One clean page per programme. What it actually is, who it's really for, how long it takes, and the things founders only learn after they apply.
Hope Fund
Interest-free financing for early Bahraini-owned businesses that need capital without giving up ownership.
- Ticket
- BHD 5,000 – BHD 50,000 (typical range)
- Equity
- None — you keep 100% of your company
- Timeline
- Roughly 2–4 months from application to money in the account
Hope Ventures
Equity investment plus a structured programme for startups with a working product and early traction.
- Ticket
- USD 100k – USD 500k+ (staged, follow-on possible)
- Equity
- Yes — typically a minority stake, negotiated per deal
- Timeline
- Roughly 3–6 months, driven by cohort and committee cycles
Tamkeen
Government support that co-pays for Bahraini salaries, equipment, consultancy and growth costs — you fund part, Tamkeen funds the rest.
- Ticket
- Support typically covers 50–70% of approved costs, capped per programme
- Equity
- None — support, not investment
- Timeline
- Roughly 1–3 months per application, depending on portfolio
Bahrain EDB
Not a funder — the agency that helps you set up, license and land in Bahrain, and opens doors to regulators and partners.
- Ticket
- No direct funding; facilitation, introductions and setup support
- Equity
- None
- Timeline
- Setup support in weeks; relationship building is ongoing
Flat6Labs Bahrain
A cohort-based accelerator: small cheque, intense programme, demo day, and access to a regional investor network.
- Ticket
- Historically about USD 30k–32k per startup in Bahrain cohorts, plus in-kind support
- Equity
- Yes — usually a single-digit to low-teens percentage
- Timeline
- Cohort application windows; roughly 2–4 months to selection, then a 3–4 month programme
Beban
A pitch platform and angel network where founders present to a room of investors and can walk away with commitments.
- Ticket
- Typically BHD 10,000 – BHD 100,000 depending on investor appetite
- Equity
- Yes — negotiated directly with the investors who commit
- Timeline
- Roughly 1–3 months from application to pitch, then deal-by-deal closing
Tenmou
Bahrain's original angel investment company, backing very early startups with a first institutional-style cheque.
- Ticket
- Not published — historically up to about BHD 20,000–30,000 as a first round
- Equity
- Yes — historically a sizeable stake (around 20–30% reported), often with follow-on support
- Timeline
- Roughly 2–4 months
Brinc Bahrain
A global accelerator with a Bahrain presence, strong on hardware, IoT, food tech and climate ventures.
- Ticket
- No cash cheque — a free advisory bootcamp (about 9–10 weeks) ending in a pitch to Tamkeen
- Equity
- None — the bootcamp takes no equity
- Timeline
- Cohort based; 2–3 months to selection, then a multi-month programme
Bahrain Development Bank
Bahrain's development bank for SMEs — Sharia-compliant business finance, working capital and equipment lines for licensed companies.
- Ticket
- From BHD 5,000; the joint BDB–Tamkeen scheme runs about BHD 5,000–29,000, larger facilities by assessment
- Equity
- None — this is financing, repaid on a schedule
- Timeline
- Roughly 1–3 months once your file is complete
Al Waha Fund of Funds
A USD 100m fund-of-funds that backs venture capital funds, not startups directly — the reason many regional VCs write cheques in Bahrain.
- Ticket
- No direct cheque to founders — invests into VC funds
- Equity
- Not applicable — you raise from their portfolio funds instead
- Timeline
- Not applicable to founders; use it as a map of who to pitch
Bahrain FinTech Bay
The Gulf's largest fintech hub — workspace, accelerator programmes, corporate pilots and a direct line into the regulator.
- Ticket
- Usually no direct cheque; programme and pilot access, with investor introductions
- Equity
- None for membership; specific accelerator cohorts may have their own terms
- Timeline
- 4–12 weeks to join, then programme-length engagement
Bahrain Business Incubation Centre
Subsidised offices, industrial units and hands-on business support for very early Bahraini companies finding their feet.
- Ticket
- No cash cheque — subsidised space and services, with a route into BDB finance
- Equity
- None
- Timeline
- 4–8 weeks from application to moving in
Export Bahrain
Cost-sharing support that helps Bahraini SMEs sell abroad — market entry, certification, logistics and trade fairs.
- Ticket
- Cost-sharing typically covering a share of eligible export costs
- Equity
- None
- Timeline
- Roughly 1–3 months per approved support package
StartUp Bahrain
The national startup ecosystem platform — events, visibility, ecosystem mapping and introductions rather than money.
- Ticket
- No funding — community, exposure and introductions
- Equity
- None
- Timeline
- Immediate; value builds over months of participation