Where Innovation Knows No Boundaries

Hello 24six9 fam!

Happy New Year!

Can you believe we’re already a week into 2026? We hope by this week, everyone's shaken off their holiday blues and the sluggishness that comes with it, because the rest of the year is promising to be an ACTIVE one. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We wanna take you through some of our fav December highlights first, the last of 2025! Check it out:

Pitch Roast – 24six9 Riyadh

Our December kicked off with a bang at NeoNexus in Riyadh on December 2nd. The first 24six9 meet-up of the month was a fantastic opportunity to connect with aspiring and established founders. It was a lively evening filled with constructive feedback, networking, and a fresh serving of roasts, where founders showcased their pitches in a fun and supportive environment. As always, this new edition of Pitch Roast was hosted by the beloved Adel Mazi, who dished out some biting roasts but offered some stunning startup advice in equal measure. Because, once again, the point of Pitch Roasts is to make sure we prepare you for when the going gets tough out there, and it’s all love.

Idea Lab – 24six9 Dubai

On December 5th, we threw it back to 24six9 Dubai for a new Idea Lab session, where our regulars and new members came through with startup queries and asks. This version of Idea Lab saw ideas people have been cooking for a while, but we also had some last minute stragglers come up on stage with some terrific ideas and got instant and very valuable feedback. We love this idea of thinking on your feet and not letting good ideas go to waste, so we’re gonna do more of these in 2026. Let’s see more innovative minds come together to brainstorm and refine their ideas.

Founders Workshop – 24six9 Dubai

December 12th marked an important date for our founders as we hosted a comprehensive workshop on Startup Governance & Investor Readiness in collaboration with the Pearl Initiative. Hosted by Ishanya N., 24six9 members enjoyed learning some critical frameworks and tools necessary for strong governance practices that can influence their startups' growth trajectories. The Pearl Initiative, known for their expertise in governance, provided invaluable insights on becoming fundable and scalable. If you think governance is “later,” that’s exactly why you should have been there! We loved hosting Ishanya, thank you for coming!

End of Year Celebration – 24six9

We wrapped up December with our End of Year Celebration on December 16th in Riyadh. It was such a blast, and we took it as an opportunity to reflect on the year gone by. It also became a moment to celebrate the achievements of our community. With great food, music, and the company of fellow founders and mentors, we set the tone for what we hope will be an incredible 2026.

24six9 Dubai had a similar party planned, but we got some surprise rains this December that put a halt to our plans. But don’t worry, we’ll celebrate the new year in style with upcoming meetups, it’s gonna be an exciting year!

Keep an eye out for upcoming events, workshops, and opportunities to connect and learn.

Cheers to an ACTIVE 2026!

Our Community in Action

As always, our journey is fueled by the incredible energy, creativity, and courage of OUR community. Every meetup, workshop, event collaboration and partnership; demonstrates what we can accomplish when passionate entrepreneurs come together. Keep an eye on our Luma, Instagram, and LinkedIn for upcoming events, dates, and locations - we look forward to seeing you soon!