I am beyond thrilled to share the news that Step Conference will be back IN PERSON on February 23 and 24 in Dubai Internet City. This particular event will be special for two reasons.
The first reason is the obvious one. After COVID started, 2021 was the first time we didn’t host our annual conference. Like many others in COVID-affected industries, our team at Step worked tirelessly to survive during COVID and emerge stronger. We hosted more than ten virtual events and conferences during the last two years, launched our daily newsletter Step Feed, and interviewed eleven outstanding founders over my podcast. We are seeing so much enthusiasm from everyone in the ecosystem to return to Step this February.
The second reason this conference is unique is that we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary. When I launched Step back in 2012, the ecosystem was nascent, and we struggled to find eight startups to showcase. Today, Step engages with hundreds of startups annually. We had 1225 showcasing startups, 1100+ speakers, and 252 investors in the last ten years. As a startup founder, the proudest part for me is Step's impact on the ecosystem. In February, we will not only celebrate Step's 10th anniversary but also celebrate you, our community of startups, investors, accelerators, corporates, and government.
I am very excited about MENA's new generation of founders and what the next ten years will hold. As we enter a new decade and cycle in the ecosystem, we will see more exits, better startups and talent, and most importantly - more founders.
I can't wait to see you on February 23 and 24 in Dubai at Step. Sign up for a 2-for-1 promo here to get the cheapest ticket available. If you are a startup founder, apply to showcase here.
Ray Dargham
