Program Manager

Flow Accelerator, Flat6Labs and Switzerland launch PIEC Scaleup. Publishing Date 29-09-2026 Ramallah-(BNEWS_ Flow Accelerator and Flat6Labs, in partnership with the Representative Office of Switzerland in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and with funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), launched PIEC Scaleup, the second phase of the Palestinian Innovation and Entrepreneurship Catalyst, at an event in Ramallah that brought together government, donors, investors, the private sector, universities, startup enablers and founders. PIEC Scaleup builds on the first phase of PIEC, a two-year pipeline-development program that brought 37 new tech-enabled startups to market, many of which went on to raise investment and expand into regional markets. The first phase showed that Palestinian founders reach investment when support is continuous from idea to first deal, when regional markets are part of the journey from the start, and when investment readiness is built into every stage. The second phase was designed on those lessons and scaled, together with Switzerland, into a full venture-development program running through December 2029. The program takes founders through a connected, eight-stage pathway: Ideation, Pre-Incubation, Incubation, Pre-Acceleration, Acceleration, Investment Readiness, Deal Support and Regional Expansion. Each stage has clear entry and exit criteria, all eight run in parallel from the first year, and each transition is linked to the partner best placed to support founders through it. Flow Accelerator brings its venture-building experience in the Palestinian market, its portfolio of more than 300 startups, and its investment platform through Flow Ventures and Flow Angels. Flat6Labs, scaling up startups in MENA since 2011, leads the stages closest to capital and expansion through F6 Ventures and its regional investor network... Seedstars continues from the first phase, integrating its early-stage venture systems into the program. PIEC Scaleup works towards four results: a strong early-stage pipeline that turns ideas into market-ready products; a focused growth phase that strengthens execution discipline and prepares startups for capital and regional markets; direct support to investment readiness, deal closure and expansion into Gulf and MENA markets; and the institutionalisation of Flow Ventures, Flow's investment arm, to strengthen Palestine's domestic investment layer. The program's overall goal is to increase the contribution of Palestinian startups to economic growth. It has a target of mobilising $8-12 million in capital for supported startups, creating 150-200 jobs, growing the number of startups with sustained revenues in local and regional markets, and improving the investment readiness and credibility of Palestinian startups among local and regional investors. The launch brought together more than 100 guests from government, development agencies and donors, investors, the private sector, universities, startup enablers and the founder community. PIEC's message to the ecosystem centred on three priorities: complementarity, so that each institution contributes what it does best at the stage where founders need it; growing and connecting the network of enablers and investors, because each successful venture and each closed deal opens the door for the next; and systemic change, through a shared pathway, shared data on ventures, common standards for investment readiness and a stable route to regional markets. Each institution was invited to identify where its role sits along the pathway. In the opening keynote, Ms. Majd Khalifeh, Managing Director at Flow Accelerator and Managing Partner at Flow Ventures, presented the results of the first phase, the design of PIEC Scaleup and its theory of change, and the results against which the program will measure its progress. H.E. Mr. Jean-Pierre Reymond, Representative of Switzerland ad interim, delivered the funding-partner keynote, addressing Switzerland's long-term support for the Palestinian entrepreneurship ecosystem and how PIEC fits within it. Ms. Rasha Manna, Partner at F6 Ventures, the investment arm of F6 Group, delivered the implementing-partner keynote, highlighting Flat6Labs' regional experience in supporting startups through growth and expansion and how its investment perspective connects Palestinian ventures to capital and regional markets. H.E. Dr. Enas Attari, Minister of Labor, presented the government perspective on enabling entrepreneurship, the role of startups in job creation, and the policies and public institutions needed to support founders. A short launch video introduced the eight-stage journey, followed by "The PIEC Journey: From Ideation to Regional Expansion," a role-play walkthrough in which the moderator took the part of a founder building a tech-enabled solution and moved through the pathway stage by stage with Ms. Majd Khalifeh; Ms. Leena Khattab, Programs Manager at Flow Accelerator; and Mr. Khaled Abu Al Kheir, Program Director at Flat6Labs. At each stage, the speakers explained who the stage is designed for, what founders gain, and what is required to progress. The panel "The Complementary Roles of Ecosystem Enablers and Investors," moderated by Mr. Imam Hithnawi, Organizational Growth Director at Flow Accelerator and Partner at Flow Ventures, brought together Mr. Said Abu Hijleh, IPSD II Project Director; Ms. Reem Qawasmi, Venture Partner at Ibtikar Fund; and Ms. Rasha Manna, Partner at F6 Ventures. The panel discussed how development programs and investors can work to shared standards and a common language, with clear handovers between stages, so that early support leads to investable, scalable businesses. The formal program closed with a call to partners to act on PIEC's priorities at specific stages of the pathway, and an invitation to founders to identify their entry point. Networking followed, where investors, partners, enablers and founders explored collaboration on mentorship, referrals, co-investment and access to markets. PIEC Scaleup is implemented by Flow Accelerator and Flat6Labs, in partnership with the Representative Office of Switzerland in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with funding from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Algeria has launched the Startup Algeria Fund in partnership with Flat6Labs and the International Finance Corporation to strengthen its venture capital ecosystem. The initiative will provide early-stage technology startups with capital, mentorship and business development resources. Flat6Labs, one of the Middle East and North Africa's leading startup accelerators, brings structured acceleration programmes and regional investor networks. The IFC contributes international development experience and investor credibility. The fund aligns with Algeria's digital economy strategy aimed at diversifying away from hydrocarbons through innovation and entrepreneurship. It complements existing investments in digital infrastructure and skills development. The initiative represents an important step in building Algeria's startup ecosystem through collaboration between government institutions, international development organisations and experienced accelerators.