TECH
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that empowers and educates young entrepreneurs, and Flat6Labs is a self-defined “startup accelerator program” in the region. “Every time I visit Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon or Saudi Arabia, and you meet young entrepreneurs, it’s amazing [to see] the type of ambition they have,” says Soudodi, enumerating the benefits as a more seasoned entrepreneur in keeping up-to-date with the startup scene. One really good reason? The potential business relationships that can exist between young ‘treps (and their businesses) with Soudodi or with PayFort. Which GCC country affords the best opportunities for up-and-coming ‘treps in his opinion? “Saudi Arabia, mark my words, they have a generation of entrepreneurs that is definitely going to sweep this region,” citing KSA’s access to capital, high GDP growth, relatively large population, and issues that potential ‘treps can tackle by innovation in products and services. His advice to those wanting to venture into entrepreneurship? “There are a lot of problems in the Arab world,
but it’s the best time to be an entrepreneur. All these issues, you can really address them with technology,” mentioning successful startups that provide products or services targeting various issues that a particular country might face. That said, he in-
sists on staying levelheaded“Don’t fall in love with the idea because you have an idea, fall in love with the idea when other people fall in love with it.” What are PayFort’s future plans? For the rest of the year, “the goal is to go live in new markets in the region,
and eliminate some of the barriers for startups.” MENA’s e-commerce sphere just keeps getting more interesting, perhaps it’s all the paying-it-forward that the tech community has done. It looks like things are finally paying off.
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“Look ma, no hands!” Canon LEGRIA mini X
By Tamara Clarke
Canon Middle East’s LEGRIA mini X is looking to change the way people will capture video. You’re no longer restricted to being behind the camera or in front of it, and it eliminates the need for a tripod which can be bulky and restrictive. The LEGRIA mini X is compact and light enough to take anywhere for spontaneous shooting, and has features that make it easy to capture footage from a range of angles. Specs? An f/2.8 170° ultra-wide angle lens, built-in stand and vari-angle 6.8cm (2.7”) LCD touchscreen. Thanks to its Linear PCM recording functionality, the LEGRIA mini X also delivers uncompressed, high-density audio and ensures sound sources are captured clearly. What’s missing? There’s no built-in storage so you’ll need a mini SD card to store your work, but the flexibility to record completely hands-free allowing you to participate in your own work makes up for it. Freedom! 68
Entrepreneur
june 2014