Welcome to Wamda's weekly startup news ticker, which will offer quick announcements and stories relevant to the region. If you have a quick news release to share about your startup, let us know at editor@wamda.com

Wednesday, August 28th

Jamalon Founder Ala’ AlSallal named as 16th Endeavor Entrepreneur from Jordan [Tweet]

Endeavor, a global catalyst for high-impact entrepreneurship, welcomed Jordan’s Ala’ AlSallal, Founder and CEO of Jamalon into its network, along with 16 other High-Impact Entrepreneurs representing 10 companies from Brazil, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey, at the 49th International Selection Panel which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, between 13th and 15th August, 2013.

Launched in 2010, Jamalon’s English and Arabia e-commerce platform provides access to over nine million titles, and has developed metadata for 150,000 Arabic books. Based in Jordan, the startup has now expanded regionally to reach customers in eight Arab countries.

AlSallal is one of 16 Jordanian Endeavor Entrepreneurs from different industries to be selected since Endeavor Jordan began operations in 2009. Endeavor Global currently support 818 entrepreneurs from 510 companies in 15 emerging and growth market countries, offering them customized services, including introductions to local and international business mentors and volunteers.

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A new professional social network for the Arab world: AZprofile.com [Tweet]

Another social network has launched in the Arab world: AZprofile.com. This Jordan-based professional social network is designed to allow senior business people and experts to collaborate, socialize, exchange information, and apply for jobs. 

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Seed accelerator TURN8 launches its first round [Tweet]

DP World's TURN8 seed accelerator is launching its first round this September. More than 185 ideas were submitted to the Dubai-based, logistics-focused via international pitch events and online submissions. The 10 startups selected for the first round were chosen based on their ideas’ feasibility, scalability, addressable market and team dynamics. Can it produce results?

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Monday, August 26th

Romman Apps releases an app for Muslims around the globe [Tweet]

Romman Apps, a smartphone app development company based in Amman, Jordan, has recently launched AlSalam App, a free Islamic mobile application that offers 130 Duaa’ selections, access to over 65 Islamic online stations, an electronic masbaha, a Zakat calculator, a compass showing the direction of the Qibla, a Holy Qur'an reader, the Meanings of the Holy Quran in 37 languages, and the al-Jalalayn Tafseer (interpretation) of the Holy Qur'an. It’s now available for free on iOS and Android.

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Sims Recycling Dubai Nominated for Best in Waste Management [Tweet]

Sims Recycling Solutions, a Dubai-based company that provides recycling services for e-waste and IT equipment, were recently nominated for Best in Waste Management in the  2013 Global Cleantech Cluster Association (GCCA) 2013 Later Stage Award. This annual award recognizes innovation among mid to late-stage cleantech companies around the world that show growth potential. Winning companies will be announced at the Corporate Cleantech Venture Day on November 20th, 2013 in Lahti, Finland.

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Mercy Corps announces opening for ICT Entrepreneurship Development Advisor in Libya [Tweet]

Mercy Corps, an international development organization, has announced the opening of a position for an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Entrepreneurship Development Advisor based in Tripoli, Libya. This Advisor would oversee INVEST, a UKAID-funded jobs skills and entrepreneurship development initiative that supports job creation and private sector development in Libya, with the goal of training 1,000 Libyan youth and supporting 100 local aspiring entrepreneurs. For more information, see the job posting on Relief Web.