The Waste Lab, and four other female-led startups have won the She's Next grant programme organised by Visa in Dubai, earlier this week.
Under the initiative, five UAE women-led businesses received a $10,000 grant and one year of business coaching from IFundWomen to help their businesses grow and expand, as well as media exposure and networking opportunities.
The 5 winners of the 2022 UAE Edition of the She's Next initiative:
Lara Hussein & Ceylan Uren, Waste Lab’s: An impact-driven, and data-led startup in the UAE that is working with households and businesses to reduce food waste through nature-based solutions and to build soil.
Hafsa Qadeer, ImInclusive: An end-to-end platform connecting People of Determination to inclusive jobs and empowering employers to embrace inclusion.
Mirna Hamad, Kashida Design: Acclaimed design studio, Kashida, creates luxurious home décor in beautiful Arabic calligraphy that adds a Middle Eastern touch to contemporary pieces.
Viktorija Aksionova, Mindtales: A start-up with the mission to transform the region's workplace wellness landscape by making digital wellness support accessible, convenient and inclusive.
Sukriti Verma & Namrata Budhraja, Shift Eco: A platform that helps you shift to an eco-friendly lifestyle by giving you access to vetted and curated organic products for your home and personal care routines.
The Waste Lab, co-founded by Lara Hussein and Ceylan Üren, focuses on rescuing food scraps and transforming the country’s desert sand into farmable soil.
She's Next programme, powered by Visa, in partenership with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), is a global advocacy programme that brings practical insights and tools to small and medium businesses (SMBs), including networking, mentoring and funding opportunities.
Speaking on the feat, Hussein said, "It was such an incredible validation and motivation for us to keep pushing harder and growing our impact." The following day, after winning the award, the female entrepreneur-duo were invited by Dubai Eye radio station to share their experience and work.
"Here’s to more growth, female superpowers, collaborations and programmes that support startups in the region," Hussein added.
ImInclusive and Waste Lab’s will also go on to participate in a virtual event, "She's next: Spotlighting Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East," organized by Forbes Middle East and Visa.
The event will feature female business leaders from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco, who will share their strategies for promoting gender equality and women empowerment.
The Waste Lab offers off-site and on-site composting, targeting both B2C and B2B clients, with the scope to customize subscriptions to suit individual needs and also provide consultancy services and contracts to restaurants, hotels, schools, and other establishments.
Read More: The Waste Lab Launches in the UAE to Reduce Food Waste