Raising up Startups

Rising Startups

By Zahraa Abdulkareem

The Station’s co-working space has witnessed a year full of challenges, hardships, and hope. 2020 The Station’s had started with an annual plan to support the startups that was designed before the pandemic. Later on, at the end of the 1st quarter, The Station responded to the government instructions to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, we closed the co-working space for 4 months from March until July. During this time, all of the startups were thinking of how to survive the crisis and keep their business alive! During that time, the entrepreneurs were put a list of key solutions: changing the business model canvas, marking strategy, financial plan as well as taking a number of courses relating to soft skills. Those emergency plans have affected the startups positively, and improved their business in a way that suits the new circumstances. All of the indicators showed how the startups have grown in a short period of time after the quarantine. The statistics have shown a number of positive enhancements: the number of startups was 22 with 48 employees prior to the lockdown, yet that has now reached 36 startups with 93 employees. Below are startups who have acceded the expectations with achievements that we would love to share with you:

Teami

Teami is a reporting system that manages daily work activities between medical delegates and their managers in order to have accurate follow-up and reduce the use of papers, the application launched in 2019. Also, Teami has the feature of working without using internet which helps in increasing the speed, productivity, and reduces costs. The first months of this year were very positive for Teami, where Mustafa Saeed, Teami’s founder, invested the partial curfew to increase the administrative and financial expertise through participating in entrepreneurship developing programs. In addition to that, he has done some field visits to scientific offices in Baghdad to promote the application’s services. Nowadays, Teami’s application database has 16K clinics and health institutions in Iraq and 600 users operating - all coordinated by just 5 members of staff! Due to that promising progress, Teami has received a loan from Ashur international bank, a 5-digit investment from Angel Investors Network, and a grant from the ICT-GIZ project.

Proper planning and being patience are the main keys to success

Mustafa Al Jaff Teami’s Founder

LEAUSION

Leausion is a marketing services provider; their services range from marketing plans to detailed Leausion is a marketing services provider; their services range from marketing plans to detailed implementation, in addition to professional training services related to marketing. Leausion was implementation, in addition to professional training services related to marketing. Leausion was founded in 2017 but they were officially launched in February 2020 with two employees only! As founded in 2017 but they were officially launched in February 2020 with two employees only! As all the startups in the Station co-working space, Leausion has actively responded to the pandemic all the startups in the Station co-working space, Leausion has actively responded to the pandemic and modified their business model by adding new services like market research and social media and modified their business model by adding new services like market research and social media management. The new services were attracting new clients from different sectors; Leusion’s management. The new services were attracting new clients from different sectors; Leusion’s portfolio of clients reached 49 startups and companies by the third quarter of 2020. Moreover, portfolio of clients reached 49 startups and companies by the third quarter of 2020. Moreover, Leausion offers free-of-charge services to all startups who are allocated at the Station’s co-working Leausion offers free-of-charge services to all startups who are allocated at the Station’s co-working space in Baghdad and Mosul in order to support their business growth. This expansion has required space in Baghdad and Mosul in order to support their business growth. This expansion has required an increase in staff, therefore, Leausion's team now has 18 members which provide opportunities an increase in staff, therefore, Leausion's team now has 18 members which provide opportunities for youth to take part in the Iraqi private sector. for youth to take part in the Iraqi private sector.

Our credibility with the customers was the main reason for our success as it has helped us to gain customers and gain their trust. This led to an increase in the revenues which has helped us increase the workforce and provide more consulting and training services for our customers

Mohsin Oriby Leausion’s Founder

Ballerina

Ballerina is a media production startup that aims to present a new image for projects by using a creative imagination to create new concepts and new and innovative images within a high-spec artistic production. Their services include: production of artworks, post-production, advertising campaigns, road advertisements, television advertisements, production of cartoon works, brand design, web design, training courses in all technical fields. Ballerina had joined our co-working space in 2019. While most businesses had collapsed during the quarantine, Ballerina was focused on making products with good offers for health institutions in order to have new customers. The new offers helped Ballerina to sign great deals with big institutions in Baghdad and Basra. The successful experiments encouraged Ballerina to open doors and discover new sectors like the hospitality sector. These new deals had required more space for new staff and equipment, thus Ballerina has moved to a new office out of The Station. Adding to the office, Ballerina keeps on a desk at the co-working space in order to cooperate with the other startups.

Our goal is the success of our clients because at the end of the day their success is ours

Ali Naji Ballarena’s Founder

Wasil

Wasil is the first fully automated shipping and logistics startup in Iraq. Launched in early 2020, Wasil provides a variety of offers that suit each person/company, from multiple tier memberships to repackaging and purchasing. During the curfew, Wasil made changes to the business model and relied more on e-commerce by adding new options to purchase from such as Turkey, UAE, and USA. Wasil’s expansion has had a positive impact where the business has scaled up. Nowadays, Wasil has a new office with storage space in Baghdad. The Station is proud of all startups who have had success stories and we promise to give all the necessary technical and logistic support to our alumni.