Thara Connect Forum in Ajman Sets Five-Year Startup Targets

The first Thara Connect Forum, organised by Ajman Chamber to coincide with the launch of the Thara Investment and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, has concluded at the Thara Entrepreneurship Centre in Ajman. It brought together government leaders, investors, founders, industry experts and representatives of economic institutions.

Five-year targets

Marwan Hareb Al Aryani, Group Chief Executive Officer, set out Thara's economic goals for the next five years. They include at least AED 700 million in cumulative economic value added to Ajman, 3,135 direct jobs, and support for 100 companies that establish, relocate or expand in the emirate.

The ecosystem also aims to support 600 startups through Thara X, prepare more than 220 companies for investment, help startups attract AED 69 million in external financing and make direct investments in 71 companies.

H.E. Maryam Khalifa Al Nuaimi, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, said Thara runs on an integrated model of six specialised companies. They offer flexible workspaces, incubation and acceleration, investment and operational solutions, and community initiatives, covering founders from set-up through growth and expansion.

Recommendations from the panels

Three panel discussions covered the government's role in supporting entrepreneurship, investment readiness, founders' experiences and the challenges of financing, growth and market access. The recommendations call for closer cooperation between government, the private sector and investors, more incubation and acceleration programmes, and easier access to funding, customers and regional markets.

Participants also urged startups to improve investment readiness through sustainable business models, stronger governance, operational efficiency and specialised mentoring. They called for more direct contact between founders and venture capital funds, support for young entrepreneurs, Emirati talent, women and people of determination, and partnerships between established companies and startups. The forum further stressed the need for clear performance indicators to measure job creation, business growth and economic diversification.

Startup competition

A startup competition drew applications from more than 45 emerging companies. Alfredo won an AED 100,000 prize, presented as a cheque.

Participants said the next step is to keep up engagement after the event and turn potential collaborations into practical partnerships and concrete initiatives.