After welcoming eight Jordanian fellows into its network in 2015, Enpact has returned to provide assistance to 10 others this April.

A non profit organization, Enpact was founded in 2013 to serve the MENA and European ecosystem by offering research and mentoring programmes, plus physical spaces such as Startup Haus in Tunis.

Out of the 140 applicants, 20 were chosen of which 10 reached the final stage.

After the fellows are selected, they enroll in an eight month fellowship that includes monthly roundtables, and three boot camps in three different cities. They also get matched with European mentors from their sector, and with other competitor startups in the region.

The focus on European mentors is not meant to diss locals points out Josiane Smith, Enpact’s coordinator in Jordan. “However, some startups are at a position where they need a foot in the door into the international market,” she said. “The same goes for Europe, sometimes you need a mentor from Jordan, if you are looking for a position in the Jordanian market, for instance”.

Within the same lines, cofounder Matthias Treutwein explains the inclusion of three European countries among the total of seven which the program serves. “We included German startups because we strongly believe in the horizontal component. Germans could also learn a lot from Middle Eastern startups,” he told Wamda.

Will entrepreneurship save the Arab world?

When asked if entrepreneurship can change the status quo of the Arab world, Treutwein said it definitely wasn’t a magic wand that could solve all problems. “This is very illusionary. I see that a lot of politicians and a lot of governments are saying promote entrepreneurship and this will solve all our problems."

Speaking at Enpact’s pitching event at Oasis 500 in April, he said that there shouldn’t be any expectations for entrepreneurs to “heal” the world. However, “it can be something that might drive certain desperately needed changes for the whole planet in the future.”

Who are the 10 selected fellows?

1. Trevx: an audio search engine.

2. Abjjad: an online platform for readers.

3. I3zif: an online educational music platform.

4. Eureka: a tech academy for kids.

5. Gweet: an online platform for the region’s alternative accommodation.

6. Friendture: a one-stop location for group activity creation, invitation and management.

7. N Products: a furniture retailer.

8. SanadyMe: an interactive platform that provides a secure environment for patients and their families.

9. Launder: an application that provides laundry service.

10. SitatByoot: a community driven ecommerce website that hosts women’s handmade products.

Previous fellows include Masmoo3,  Sukarh, and Sunnyland Solar.