Empretec global network

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Empretec global network

For the promotion of entrepreneurship and micro, small and medium-sized entreprises (MSMEs) to facilitate sustainable development and inclusive growth

29/04/2026

The Empretec LogiHub pre-accelerator in Riyadh is officially underway.

Ambitious early-stage founders, top mentors and ecosystem leaders have come together to build, test and scale the next generation of smart logistics solutions.

At the opening, UN Trade and Development encouraged founders to think big, move fast, network intentionally and make the most of every conversation in the room.

Over the next few days, participants will sharpen their ideas, validate business models, and pitch solutions that can drive innovation in logistics and contribute to Saudi Vision 2030.

20/04/2026

Join us tomorrow for a lively discussion on how to turn Financing for Development commitments into real results for firms.

At the Dialogue in New York, UN Trade and Development and the International Organisation of Employers bring together public and private sector leaders to focus on ex*****on.

The discussion will look at how to strengthen policy coherence, close trade finance gaps, support SMEs to scale into global markets, and move public–private collaboration toward co-design.

▶️ Join the conversation:
📲 https://bit.ly/41Gkvam

Meeting ID: 385 994 383 752 13
Passcode: vD3yR274

17/04/2026

🗓 Tuesday, 21 April 2026
⏰ 10:00 – 11:15 EDT

Trade, investment, and entrepreneurship only work when they connect at the firm level.

At the Financing for Development Follow-up in New York, UN Trade and Development and International Organisation of Employers bring together public and private sector leaders to focus on one question: how do we move from commitments to ex*****on?

Too often, strong policy frameworks exist, but firms still struggle to access finance, enter value chains, and scale. The gap is not ambition. It is delivery.

This roundtable will focus on:
▶️ what makes policy coherence work in practice
▶️ how to support SMEs to scale into global markets
▶️ how to shift public–private collaboration from consultation to co-design

Secure your spot and join the conversation:
📲https://lnkd.in/dj2m4YsK

More about the event▶️https://bit.ly/3OsIUgo

31/03/2026

At the Next Generations Supply Chains event, organized by UN Trade and Development and LEARN Logistics by Kühne Foundation, one of the topics focused on how entrepreneurship is shaping more resilient and sustainable supply chains.

Arlette Verploegh, Head of Enterprise Development at UNCTAD, and Nielsimms Sangho, Empretec Mentor, highlighted that entrepreneurs are often the first to spot gaps in supply chains, such as weak coordination or inefficient processes, and build solutions to address them. Closer collaboration with policymakers helps create the right conditions for these solutions to be designed, tested, and scaled.

Programs like Empretec LogiHub support this by giving early-stage logistics entrepreneurs the structure, network, and support needed to grow.

Join us this tomorrow at 14:00 CEST – UTC+2 to hear from Chraish Miiro, a LogiHub graduate, who will share how the programme supported his business journey, and Shikama Dioscore, UNCTAD eFounder, on how his startup is improving food supply chains.

Register here📲 http://bit.ly/4lY0l4S

02/03/2026

is quickly becoming a founder skill in Saudi Arabia.

The practical question many founders are raising today, is how to integrate AI into their businesses in ways that drive real value.

In Riyadh, UN Trade and Development’s Empretec addressed this demand through hands on AI crash courses delivered with the Social Development Bank (SDB) and Empretec Saudi Arabia.

The sessions were led by Empretec AI expert Felipe Matos, who worked directly with entrepreneurs on their own startup challenges;

▶️Where can AI plug into daily operations
▶️How can it support customer acquisition, marketing and sales
▶️What kind of data do you actually need
▶️What should you think about when it comes to privacy and risk

By the end, founders were better able to identify concrete business pain points and assess how AI could be applied to address it.

Read more▶️http://bit.ly/40HIFk0

24/01/2026

is becoming a core tool for startup growth.

At the Empretec AI Crash Course: Using AI to Grow Your Startup, founders will learn how to use AI to grow their businesses - and how to start thinking like AI-native startups from day one.

Delivered by UN Trade and Development’s Empretec team, with the Social Development Bank (SDB), as part of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) 1KMile Bootcamp at Al Yamamah University.

Led by AI expert Felipe Matos 🌈, the session will focus on:

▶️Understanding where AI creates real business value and where to apply it
▶️Identifying operational pain points AI can solve
▶️Building practical skills to use AI in daily operations
▶️Integrating AI into longer-term business planning

22/01/2026

At , the session on “Scaling AI: Now Comes the Hard Part” summed up where many entrepreneurs really are with right now: pilots are easy, scale is hard.

Many have a proof of concept; very few have AI running across the business. To get there, the conversation focused on a few fundamentals:
✅solid data foundations
✅operational readiness
✅and leadership buy-in

If AI goals aren’t owned at the top, they may stay stuck in silos. And when the data isn’t right, scale - and investment -doesn’t follow.

These insights align with UN Trade and Development’s report Artificial Intelligence Unleashed: Transforming the entrepreneurial scene in developing countries. One of the key identified constraints is not access to AI tools, but AI literacy and skills.

Entrepreneurs cannot scale technologies they do not fully understand, and investors cannot confidently support ventures whose risks and value propositions are unclear.

Scaling AI ultimately starts with people: leaders who can identify strategic use cases, teams capable of applying AI to real business challenges, and ecosystems that support continuous learning, experimentation, and adaptation.

See report 🔎//bit.ly/4qDHSMG

29/12/2025

At , Riyadh became a meeting point for entrepreneurs from around the world.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan delivered a keynote address at DeveGo Entrepreneurship & Modern Business Practices Forum, marking a moment in Saudi Arabia’s fast-evolving startup journey.

Entrepreneurs from UNCTAD’s global Empretec network and eFounders from Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia Togo and Uganda shared their business experiences, and worked side by side with Saudi entrepreneurs, strengthening ties between local and global ecosystems.

Empretec also invited Jonathan Greechan, Co-founder and CEO of Founder Institute, who highlighted Saudi Arabia’s unique moment-where entrepreneurship, AI, and global tech investment are coming together, creating new space for ambitious founders to build and scale.

As Saudi Arabia continues to emerge as one of the world’s fastest-growing startup ecosystems, UNCTAD continues to actively support this momentum through the Empretec global network, connecting entrepreneurs across regions and helping build innovation-driven, inclusive growth.

26/12/2025

📘New UN Trade and Development report⚡

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept for entrepreneurs in developing countries. Many are already experimenting with AI tools to improve marketing, customer service, logistics, finance, and product design - but progress remains uneven.

UNCTAD’s new report: Artificial Intelligence Unleashed:
Transforming the entrepreneurial scene in developing countries brings together insights from entrepreneurs on the ground, policymakers, and leading global AI experts to examine how the tech is being adopted in real businesses, what is working, and where gaps remain between experimentation and scale.

➡️The report highlights recurring challenges raised by entrepreneurs themselves: gaps in skills, limited access to finance, uncertainty around rules, and a lack of clarity on where AI adds real business value.

➡️It also explores how supportive ecosystems, practical skills development, and clear, innovation-friendly governance can help turn AI into a practical tool for start-ups and MSMEs.

➡️Informed by these insights, the report offers recommendations for AI adoption to help countries ensure AI drives inclusive and sustainable growth.

🔗 Read the report ➡️ https://bit.ly/4pKRogk

23/12/2025

At , the partnership between UN Trade and Development and the Social Development Bank underscores a shared commitment to innovation, skills building, investment, and the strengthening of entrepreneurship ecosystems-reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s role as a growing innovation hub.

UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan's meeting with Empretec trainers highlighted where it all starts: people building the next generation of entrepreneurs.

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Webseite

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