ABU DHABI, UAE: AIM Congress officially commenced on April 6th with a dynamic series of pre-event workshops, offering in-depth learning, practical tools, and strategic networking opportunities across a broad spectrum of economic and technological disciplines. The workshops, held under various dedicated portfolios, set the tone for the main congress by delivering tangible value to participants through real-world applications and expert-led sessions.
Foreign Direct Investment Portfolio: Strategic Municipal Planning
GDP Global and DAJANI Consulting hosted the workshop “How to Implement a Municipal Investment Promotion Plan”, guiding participants through the development of strategic frameworks to attract and retain investments. The session emphasized sustainable growth, public-private partnerships, and targeted sectoral development. Attendees gained the capability to structure investment strategies that enhance job creation, regulatory climates, infrastructure development, and municipal service delivery.
Entrepreneurs Portfolio: Advanced Sales and Market Expansion
Under this portfolio, SALES CUBICLE delivered the workshop “B2B Sales Mastery: Unlock growth and Maximize your business value,” which introduced participants to the Cold Cubicle Method™, an approach integrating AI-driven sales tools and automation strategies. The session provided an actionable structure for optimizing outreach and building consistent revenue pipelines, focusing on practical engagement techniques in today’s evolving sales environment.
The FOUNDERS INSTITUTE followed with “Market Access Strategies: Enhancing SMEs’ Export Competitiveness & Business-to-Business Growth.” This session equipped SME leaders with the tools to enter international markets, refine their export approaches, and cultivate B2B relationships through interactive case studies and strategic planning.
Startups and Unicorns Portfolio: Growth, Innovation, and Fundraising
The first workshop, “How Corporates And Startups Can Unlock Value Across The Middle East & Africa”, was led by Thaheer Mullins, CEO of DALA For Africa. It examined the transformative impact of affordable African innovations and their ability to address corporate challenges and drive competitive growth across regions.
DREAM VC conducted the workshop “Harnessing a Venture Mindset to Corporate Growth – Merging Old and New Worlds: External Innovation, Digital Transformation, CVC, and More,” highlighting the benefits of integrating external innovation and venture thinking into corporate structures to meet the demands of digital transformation and market disruption.
Industry experts from Exits MENA delivered “Pitching to Deal Closure – Unlocking the Secrets to Fundraising Success,” an intensive session designed to prepare startups and SMEs for the investment process, from pitch development to negotiation strategies. The session offered role-playing experiences and case study analysis to sharpen participant fundraising capabilities.
TICK & TALK concluded the portfolio with “The Power of Presence: Mastering Public Speaking & Pitching for Business Owners in Investment Landscapes,” focusing on enhancing communication, storytelling, and presentation techniques for business leaders looking to attract investment.
Future Cities Portfolio: AI-Powered Business Models
Led by Damien Bonnefoux, Grace Erdmann, and Vanessa Jencks of COGYA, the workshop “Building a Scalable Global SME Business Model: Mastering AI Powered Growth with MVB Framework & AI Business Canva” provided SME leaders with tools to refine their business models through the lens of the MVB Framework and AI-driven process optimization. Participants explored operational strategies and market validation techniques aimed at sustainable expansion.
Future Finance Portfolio: Sustainable Investment
The Institute for Sustainable Development – EPLO presented “Impact Investing and Analytics,” a workshop focused on sustainable investment approaches, ESG frameworks, and impact measurement. Attendees were awarded certification from EPLO, Verimpact, and AIM Congress, recognizing their commitment to fostering social and environmental value through finance.
Advanced Manufacturing: Robotics and Market Adaptation
The AI Powered Robotics Applications Workshop explored the deployment of robotics within the manufacturing sector. The session addressed key industry challenges and priorities for robotics integration, helping attendees identify strategic applications that could enhance operational efficiency and market alignment.
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To learn more and view the agenda, please visit: https://startup.aimcongress.com/agenda?portfolio=Startups-Unicorns
