Flat6Labs, the Middle East and Africa’s leading entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, celebrated the conclusion of its StartMashreq Program at the “StartMashreq Forum.” The event, held in Amman on 11 December, marked the culmination of the program supporting innovation and startup growth in Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq.
StartMashreq—led by Flat6Labs in partnership with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC)—launched as a platform for creating economic opportunities and driving growth across the Levant, with particular focus on women and forcibly displaced persons (FDP). It played a pivotal role in strengthening the entrepreneurial landscape across the Levant, proving that even in frontier markets and fragile communities, founders can attract funding and scale when given the right support.
The event brought together entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, policymakers, and regional partners to highlight the program’s achievements. Distinguished guests included H.E. Stella Kloth, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Jordan, and AbdelKader Al Batayneh, Executive Director Strategies, Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship of Jordan, whose attendance reflected the depth of collaboration behind this success.
Over its three-year duration, the program supported over 4,500 entrepreneurs, reached more than 3,000 women and FDP entrepreneurs, created 350 direct jobs, and supported startups in securing over USD 28 million in funding with USD 51 million in revenues generated. These outcomes demonstrate measurable impact on economic growth, job creation, gender inclusion, and startup scalability, highlighting its positive impact on emerging innovation markets.
Commenting on the program’s impact, Hany El-Sonbaty, Chairman and Co-Founder of Flat6Labs, said, “StartMashreq marks a meaningful shift in how entrepreneurship is supported across the region. The past three years prove that when founders gain knowledge, access, and exposure, they build companies that create jobs, attract capital, and accelerate economic growth. We are incredibly proud of these achievements and determined to scale this impact beyond the region.”
On the enormous potential in the region, IFC Regional Director for the Middle East, Pakistan, and Afghanistan Khawaja Aftab Ahmed noted: “Entrepreneurship once again
proves to be a powerful pathway to resilience and inclusive growth. By empowering startups, we aimed to unlock the potential of a young, educated population and help them address some of the region’s most pressing challenges. StartMashreq has enabled the creation of hundreds of jobs, expanded opportunities for vulnerable communities, and supported graduating startups in mobilizing their own capital to scale across the region, fully in line with IFC’s priority to promote private-sector–led growth.”
H
E. Ambassador Stella Kloth affirmed the Netherlands’ commitment to supporting regional innovation, stating, “We are proud to have supported StartMashreq – a program that helped unlock the potential of thousands of young entrepreneurs, including women and refugees, whose ideas will shape the region’s future. The progress celebrated today is only the beginning, and the Netherlands remains committed to supporting entrepreneurial growth and innovation in Jordan and the MENA region.”
With the program now complete, Flat6Labs is preparing to enter a new phase of expansion, extending the StartMashreq model into additional regions where entrepreneurial potential continues to rise. The program’s success across the region positions it as a strong and replicable model for entrepreneurship in challenging environments, demonstrating that targeted ecosystem interventions can overcome early-stage barriers, scale across borders, access global markets, and unlock new capital pathways.