Where innovation knows no boundaries

Hello 24six9 fam!

If May had a personality, it would be the person who shows up first to everything, stays the latest, and somehow still has energy on the way out. Five events. Four cities. Two continents. One community that simply does not slow down! Founders got roasted in Dubai, big questions got answered in Riyadh, Vienna opened its doors to the ecosystem, Limassol proved the Mediterranean means business, and Almaty? Almaty changed the conversation entirely. It was that kind of month.

Buckle up. May had range!

GITEX AI KAZAKHSTAN - 4th May - 5th May

The Region Just Changed the Game. They said Central Asia wasn't ready. Almaty proved them wrong.

Over two landmark days at Atakent IEC, ministers signed mandates, global enterprises announced infrastructure investments, and startups closed deals with investors who flew in from across the world. The energy never dropped for a single hour.

The Supernova Pitch Competition crowned its winners from a fierce field of founders across the region. With $30,000 in prizes going to the boldest ideas on the stage:

• 🥇 1st Place - IDOCS, Kazakhstan
• 🥈 2nd Place - GetMobi, Uzbekistan
• 🥉 3rd Place - AISAAT, Kazakhstan
• 🏆 Expand North Star Dubai Award given to Lumi by Aspex, Kazakhstan
• ☁️ Yandex Kazakhstan Cloud Credits awarded to AISAAT, Kazakhstan

GITEX brought the stage. Almaty brought everything else. And this was only one chapter, imagine what’s about to go down in GITEX AI EUROPE, June 30th – July 1st. Definitely an event you don’t want to mis.

Dubai Chapter Pitch Roast - 8th May

What happens when 6 founders walk into a room?

They pitch, they get roasted, and they love every second of it!

While the founders walked in nervous with decks in hand and nerves visible for all to see, they walked out with heads held high - sharper, stronger, and roasted to perfection! From AI-powered conversational commerce built for how Asia actually shops, to architectural consultancy, group procurement and beyond. Every pitch brought something real to the table.

The ideas were bold and the feedback, sharp. The energy was exactly what Pitch Roast was built for.

Easy AI stopped everyone in their tracks that evening. A conversational commerce platform for mid-market Asia-Pacific retailers, backed by NVIDIA Inception, AWS Startups, and Google for Startups, currently raising their pre-seed, the kind of platform that makes every head do a double take.

To every founder who stepped up - that took courage! Well done! The community saw it and so did we.

The next round is coming. Are you ready for it? You know where to find us!

24six9 Riyadh Chapter x NeoNexus x Gingo Foundation Founders Talk. May 12th

The startup world has normalized acceleration. We’re all used to seeing short programs with fixed timelines and Demo Days. But is that really how innovation grows?

The 24six9 Riyadh Chapter brought Nikita Perevezentsev from Gingo Foundation and Salman Sheikh from NeoNexus into the room for a conversation that pulled no punches. Two frameworks with five rounds of debate covering Vision 2030, equity-free cultivation, and what founder success looks like in the long run.

With the audience joining in the conversation, Nikita and Salman cleared misconceptions and guided the audience about how to find the path that suits them best. By the end of the night, there was a sense of more clarity and better direction for the audience.

ViennaUp By ViennaBusiness 18th May – 22nd May

Turns out startup culture hits different when it's set against a backdrop of Viennese architecture and schnitzel!

In May, the 24six9 community joined the UAE delegation at ViennaUP 2026. One of Europe's most anticipated startup and innovation festivals. For five days, an entire city was transformed into a meeting point for the world's most curious founders, sharpest investors, and boldest builders.

14,000+ participants joined from 90+ countries and 28+ international delegations. The event was fully booked before doors opened, boasting 65+ events across 43 locations. Safe to say, Vienna was ready.

From 1,000+ one-on-one investor matchmaking sessions at Connect Day to an exclusive UAE-Austrian Networking Dinner and startup pitches across the city, ViennaUP proved that the best ideas don't care about geography, they just need the right room.

Doers Summit Limassol - 21st May - 22nd May.

If you've ever wanted proof that the startup world knows how to have a good time while getting serious work done - Doers Summit Cyprus 2026 was it.

This May, the 24six9 community made its way to Limassol for one of the Mediterranean's most unique gatherings. Built for the love of the game, and doers, doing it.

150+ speakers. 20+ side events. Deals closing in corridors. And a standout STEM for All session on the Pentagon Stage, brought by TechIsland and Women in Tech Cyprus, putting inclusion and access right at the heart of the innovation conversation.

The game is infinite. And we love playing it.

Don’t miss out this June:

WorldEF Istanbul 2026 - 11th June - 13th June The world's premier e-commerce and retail tech summit. From June 11–13 at the Yenikapı Event Area, Istanbul. 30,000+ attendees and 200+ speakers will converge for three days of cross-border commerce, AI in retail, and digital transformation.

GITEX AI Europe 2026, Berlin - 30th June - 1st July The tech universe converges for 48 hours of AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, and deep tech. As official ecosystem partners, 24six9 has unlocked exclusive access for our community across the North Star Europe, Supernova Challenge, and Investor Program. Berlin is calling!

Join the 24SIX9 Dubai Community

Connect with fellow 24six9 community members on our social media. Engage in tech-infused discussions, share your ideas and insights, find the best resources and mentors to collaborate with, and stay updated on the latest industry news.

Follow us on Instagram and Linkedin to stay updated on all things 24six9.

We look forward to bringing you the most exciting and meaningful events, opportunities, and connections, designed to help you thrive.

Have an excellent rest of the month!

Team 24six9