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AMMAN — Flat6Labs, the Middle East and Africa’s leading entrepreneurial ecosystem builder, has celebrated the conclusion of its StartMashreq Programme at the “StartMashreq Forum” in Amman.
The event, held on December 11, marked the culmination of a three-year initiative supporting innovation and startup growth in Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, according to a statement.
Launched in partnership with the Netherlands and supported by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), StartMashreq aimed to create economic opportunities and drive growth across the Levant, with a particular focus on women and forcibly displaced persons (FDP).
The programme strengthened the region’s entrepreneurial landscape, demonstrating that founders in frontier markets and fragile communities can attract funding and scale when provided with proper support, the statement read.
The forum brought together entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, policymakers, and regional partners to highlight the program’s achievements.
Attendees included Dutch Ambassador to Jordan Stella Kloth and Executive Director of Strategies at the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Abdel Kader Batayneh.
Over three years, StartMashreq supported more than 4,500 entrepreneurs, including over 3,000 women and FDP entrepreneurs, the statement said.
The programme generated 350 direct jobs, helped startups secure over $28 million in funding, and facilitated $51 million in revenues, underscoring the initiative’s measurable impact on economic growth, job creation, gender inclusion, and startup scalability in emerging markets.
Commenting on the programme, Chairman and Co-Founder of Flat6Labs Hany El Sonbaty, 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."
IFC Regional Director for the Middle East, Pakistan, and Afghanistan Khawaja Aftab Ahmed highlighted the programme’s broader potential, noting, "Entrepreneurship is 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 tackle some of the region’s most pressing challenges."
"StartMashreq has created hundreds of jobs, expanded opportunities for vulnerable communities, and supported startups in mobilising capital to scale regionally," he added.
Dutch ambassador reiterated the Netherlands’ support for regional innovation, saying, "We are proud to have supported StartMashreq—a programme that unlocked 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," she said.
With the programme now complete, Flat6Labs plans to expand the StartMashreq model into additional regions, positioning it as a replicable approach to entrepreneurship in challenging environments.
The initiative demonstrates that targeted ecosystem interventions can overcome early-stage barriers, scale across borders, access global markets, and unlock new capital pathways, the statement read.
