After 11 years of being forcibly displaced, I’ve returned to Syria and found a country that has endured years of collapse yet feels ready to rebuild. Every entrepreneur I’ve met has expressed not only their willingness but also their determination to help their country rise from its devastation. What I heard wasn’t just enthusiasm—it was a wealth of genuine ideas with the potential to transform Syria’s future.

Those passionate entrepreneurs have demonstrated extraordinary resilience and emerged from a decade of devastating conflict with the potential to contribute to the Syrian entrepreneurial ecosystem. If nurtured, Syrian startups can help position entrepreneurship as a linchpin for economic and social recovery in Syria. They can help overcome years of division and destruction.

But how can you achieve that in a country where the economy is crippled, the currency has collapsed, and consumer purchasing power is at its lowest point? Where even setting up a meeting with a potential investor or venture capital comes with an array of basic logistical challenges. Not to mention the numerous anti-business regulatory bottlenecks bequeathed by decades of state neglect. 

Injecting life into the startup scene 

To answer this, we must first look at how entrepreneurship has acted in other conflict zones. From Rwanda to Kosovo, we must learn how nations have managed to leverage the ingenuity of the innovators to rebuild shattered economies. In Syria today, there are more than 200 startups that have operated amidst the ruins and sanctions. Businesses like Cashi, Quizat, and Tajir.Stores specialising in fintech, edtech, and e-commerce are tackling local problems, creating jobs, and generating income opportunities. These startups have proven that even in the most difficult conditions, innovation can thrive and drive economic resilience.

There are good signs that the industry will only continue to grow. In recent years, as I embarked on researching the Syrian ecosystem, I saw how perception of entrepreneurship within Syria began to shift quite dramatically. Comparing two studies I completed with Syrian startups, the percentage of Syrians who viewed entrepreneurship as “extremely important” surged from 26% in 2015 to 80.5% in 2024. This paradigm shift is underpinned by grassroots initiatives, such as startup bootcamps and hackathons, which have fostered a spirit of collaboration and innovation among Syrian youth.

Women, too, play a pivotal role. Female participation in startups has risen significantly, from just 4.4% in 2009 to nearly 35% today. This change, driven by necessity during the conflict years, has empowered women to become key contributors to Syria’s economic and social recovery. Female-led ventures, often focused on education, healthcare, and home-based businesses, are creating ripples of change across communities.

Startup support organisations must also continue to provide the springboard for brilliant ideas. Initiatives like Sanad ScaleUp, Takween and many others have been instrumental in fostering a spirit of resilience and collaboration. By organising boot camps, mentorship programs, and hackathons, entrepreneurs provided entrepreneurs with the resources they needed to navigate a fragile market.

Jumpstarting the future of small businesses

As Syrians look forward with hope, I believe that there are a few key gaps that, if plugged, can help unlock the Syrian startup ecosystem and attract much-needed investment. Perhaps at the top of all are the targeted interventions to build a supportive infrastructure—and here I mean both physical and digital—to give business founders the right foundation on which they can stand. 

Streamlining regulatory processes, which have consistently thwarted innovative ideas that could have otherwise contributed to the country's recovery, is another crucial factor. Investments in skills development, particularly in underserved regions, can also go a long way toward bridging talent gaps that society is diagnosed with and empower the next generation of founders. Furthermore, fostering connections with the Syrian diaspora, which has already demonstrated its commitment through mentorship and investment, can inject much-needed resources and global expertise.

The international community also has a crucial role to play. We want to see donors, NGOs, and policymakers pledge to shift the support they provide from short-term aid to long-term capacity building. This includes funding scalable programs, promoting cross-border trade, and creating platforms for Syrian startups to connect with global investors and markets. Importantly, lifting or easing sanctions that hinder access to technology and financial tools could unleash a wave of innovation and economic activity.

Syria’s startups are not just businesses; they are beacons of hope and resilience. They represent a collective determination to rebuild a nation from the ground up, driven by the dreams and ingenuity of its people. Entrepreneurship in Syria is not waiting for recovery; it is recovery.

To truly capitalise on this momentum, everyone with a stake in Syria’s prosperity must come together to nurture and scale this ecosystem. With the right support, Syria’s startups can transform challenges into opportunities, fostering a culture of innovation that will shape the country’s future. The world must take notice, for supporting Syrian entrepreneurs is not just an investment in a post-conflict economy—it is an investment in the human spirit’s capacity to rebuild, thrive, and inspire.

The Syrian startup story is one of courage and creativity. Let us amplify it, celebrate it, and most importantly, support it.