Where innovation knows no boundaries

Hello 24six9 fam!

June was proof that communities don't grow because people show up. They grow because people contribute.

Across Dubai, Riyadh, Istanbul, Berlin, and beyond, founders challenged each other's ideas, investors joined conversations without the usual barriers, young entrepreneurs stepped onto stages for the first time, and global ecosystems opened new doors for collaboration.

Some rooms were packed. Some were intimate. All of them were built around one thing: building what's next.

Let's dive in.

TEDx Jumeirah Beach Park - June 6th

The biggest ideas often start with looking inward.

As the exclusive ecosystem community partner for TEDxJumeirahBeachPark, 24six9 joined a room filled with founders, scientists, health innovators, and changemakers exploring one simple theme: Look Within.

From Shark Tank winner Hadil AlKhatib sharing lessons from building in the wellness space, to brain science, functional medicine, personal growth, and entrepreneurship, every talk explored the journey behind achievement rather than the achievement itself.

And that resonated deeply with us. As are very own Mishaal Pervaiz said -

“With what Tedx creates, the quality of conversation, the caliber, of people in the room, the ideas that come out of it. That's very much aligned with what we care about here at 24six9.”

Because 24six9 has never been about the pitch deck alone. It's about the person behind the pitch. The founder behind the company. The story behind the success.

Some partnerships simply feel aligned. This was one of them.

Riyadh Founders Challenge Circle - June 9th

No pitching. No slides. No pretending everything is fine. Just founders bringing real challenges into the room.

At NeoNexus by LaMarka, every participant arrived with one problem they were actively facing in their business. Hiring. Sales. Growth. Product. Funding. Whatever was keeping them awake at night.

What happened next was exactly what community should look like.

The room became the advisory board. Founders shared experiences, challenged assumptions, offered introductions, and helped each other navigate obstacles they had already faced themselves.

No titles mattered. No credentials were required. Only contribution. And that's exactly why the format worked.

WORLDEF Istanbul - June 11th – June 13th

WORLDEF Istanbul brought together more than 30,000 attendees, 500+ brands, and leaders from over 80 countries to explore the future of e-commerce, retail technology, logistics, payments, AI, and digital commerce.

As community partners, 24six9 secured exclusive access for our members, helping founders and operators connect with one of the world's fastest-growing commerce ecosystems.

Because sometimes the most valuable thing you bring back from an event isn't a business card.

It's a new perspective.

24six9 Dubai Chapter x ChallengeChain Demo Day - June 20th

Hosted by ChallengeChain and co-hosted by 24six9, this Demo Day showcased something we don't see often enough.

Young builders taking action. Founders between the ages of 7 and 24 stepped onto the stage to pitch ideas that had no business being this polished, this researched, and this real.

Some of the pitches we heard? WPSFlow tackling AI payroll compliance for SMEs, Kanban Studios going after the trust and admin chaos that's quietly killing small businesses, and a healthcare handoff platform eliminating dropped information between medical scribes that costs lives when it goes wrong. If we told you about these pitches, would you believe they came from people who should be worrying about their homework right about now?

But that's not all, what made the evening even more special, it was led by Mustafa Mevlan, the youngest member of the 24six9 community.

Proof that entrepreneurship doesn't wait for permission.

Riyadh Pitch Roast - June 23rd

The Riyadh chapter turned up the heat with another edition of Pitch Roast.

Multiple startups took the stage and presented live in front of builders, experts, operators, and a few secret investors sitting quietly in the crowd.

The feedback was direct. The questions were tougher. And every founder left stronger than they arrived.

From Q4 to Takleem Services and several emerging ventures, the evening delivered exactly what great startup communities should provide: clarity.

The night wrapped up in true Riyadh style, with founders gathering around the World Cup trophy activation and watching the match together after the final pitches.

Business first. Community always.

Dubai Founders Workshop - June 26th

What if your next product didn't need a development team to get started?

That was the question Hitesh Uchil brought into the room. A Founder. Builder. Vibe coder. Product shipper.

In front of a live audience at in5 Dubai, Hitesh selected an idea directly from the room and built it in real time using Lovable.

No coding background required. No complicated setup. No theoretical slides.

Just an idea becoming a working product in front of everyone's eyes. The session challenged a belief many founders still hold: that building is expensive, slow, and dependent on large teams.

The future may look very different. And many founders in the room left ready to experiment.

Gitex x 24six9 x Gingo Foundation x AHOY – June 30th

Closed-Door Dinner, Berlin. Some of the most important conversations never happen on stage. As the first day of GITEX AI EUROPE wrapped and while the Berlin skyline did its thing at golden hour, 24six9, Gingo Foundation, and AHOY Tech took the deep tech to even deeper conversations as part of GITEX's official side events.

No panels. No presentations.

Just meaningful conversations around AI sovereignty, intelligent digital systems, enterprise infrastructure, and the future of deep-tech collaboration.

Join the 24six9 Community

Before you go - if you're not already an official member, this is your sign.

Head to member.24six9.com and tell us all about yourself and what you're looking for. The more we know about who's in our community, the better we can connect you to the right people, the right rooms, and the right opportunities. Because the kindred in this community don't just show up to meet-ups - they show up for EACH OTHER.

In the meantime, find us on Instagram and LinkedIn - where the conversations, recaps, and the occasional roast never stop 😏

We're building something worth building. Come do it with us.

All our love,

Team 24six9