1B Followers Summit names jury of Pitches competition

The 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s first and largest event dedicated to shaping the content creator economy, announced its jury for the 1 Billion Pitches competition.

Leading the jury is Tarek Fouad, Chief Marketing Officer - Shorooq. In addition to spearheading marketing and communications, Tarek leads the acclaimed Gametech Fund, investing in global gaming ventures. Previously, he directed operations during Ghadan21, Abu Dhabi’s digital transformation initiative. He also contributed to attracting over 100 deep-tech startups to Abu Dhabi.

Another permanent seat is taken up by Issa Aghabi, the Founder and Managing Director of Access Bridge Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on the Middle East and North Africa, managing over 21 investments.

Aghabi’s career has centred on finance and venture capital since 2004, holding roles such as M&A consultant at Accelerator Technologies and Yahoo!, Head of Investment at N2V, and Head of Investment and Venture Capital at twofour54.

Sara Enan, Principal at both VentureSouq and Salica Investments, also joins the lineup of judges for the 1B Pitches. Anan leads VSQ’s investments in Egypt and North Africa. With a background in economics and experience at Global Ventures, Flat6Labs, and Jumia.com, she brings a diverse skill set to her investment role. Last year, Enan sat on the selection committee on El Forsa, the largest TV competition for startups.

The fourth permanent member of the jury is Andy Gaies, Chief Operating Officer at LIT Videobooks. Gaies has extensive experience in consulting (Boston Consulting Group) and content, where he previously served as Chief Content Officer of (Audible), focusing on legal advisory, business growth, and content development.

Two guests of honour will join the permanent members of the jury in the second and final selection rounds.

One is Faisal Belhoul, Vice President of the Dubai Chambers.

The second guest of honour is Mahmoud Adi, Founding Partner at Shorooq. Adi is an experienced investor and entrepreneur. He led investments in successful regional startups like Pure Harvest, TruKKer, and Tamara. His background includes leading Hub71’s establishment, which quickly attracted hundreds of startups, VCs, and corporations.

He also spent 10 years at Mubadala, working on major tech and industrial projects.

On 26th November, the 1 Billion Followers Summit announced its partnership with Shoroo, a leading alternative investment firm based in Abu Dhabi, to support the 1 Billion Pitches competition with a Dhs50 million fund.

WAM