By John Lee. The Falling Walls Lab competition is to be held in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in July, giving students and early-career researchers the opportunity to pitch innovative ideas in a three-minute presentation format. The event is organised by Open Space Academy and will take place at Zakho Castle in Zakho, Duhok Governorate, […]
From Kapita Research. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Turning Influence into Industry: Iraqi Creators and the Business of Self-Branding In Iraq, influencers are not just advertisers -- they are brand founders. A collapse of institutional trust, a fragmented retail landscape, […]
By John Lee. The Council of Ministers has approved the holding of the Arab Entrepreneurship Summit 2026 in Baghdad in November 2026. The cabinet also agreed to form a preparatory committee, chaired by the Minister of Planning and comprising relevant entities, to oversee arrangements for the summit. (Source: PMO)
By John Lee. Baims, a MENA-based education technology group, has acquired MedMasters, an Iraq-based online medical education platform, marking its second strategic acquisition and its entry into the Iraqi market. The transaction expands Baims' regional footprint and strengthens its position in digital higher education across the Middle East. Founded by Dr. Abdulazeez Salam and Dr. […]
From Wired. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's Startups Aren't Disrupting. They're Rebuilding From Mosul's agritech experiments to Baghdad's digital health records, founders are stitching together the basic systems Iraq's economy has long been missing -- one clinic and farm at […]
By John Lee. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has launched its SME finance and development programmes in Iraq, including the rollout of its flagship Star Venture initiative for high-potential startups. An official event in Baghdad marked the launch, outlining the Bank's strategic priorities and planned projects to strengthen the country's small and medium-sized […]
By John Lee. State-owned Rafidain Bank has announced the launch of the 50th tranche of its Riyada wa Tamayuz (Entrepreneurship and Excellence) initiative to support small and medium-sized enterprises. The tranche totals IQD 1 billion (approximately USD 0.77 million) and will benefit 82 recipients. According to a statement from the bank's media office, the funding is […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced on Wednesday the launch of the Basmat (Fingerprint) Initiative, which provides soft loans for women to establish small and medium-sized projects, in cooperation with several national banks. Al-Sudani praised the efforts of all those who contributed to this national initiative, which aims to enhance women's participation […]
By John Lee. Kevir Entertainment, the first Kurdish-led video game studio, has presented its debut title at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany - the world's largest gaming convention. The Duhok-based studio, founded in 2023, developed its flagship game Operation Stutter after joining the inaugural Orange Corners KRI Accelerator in Erbil, where it refined its business model […]
From the International Labour Organization (ILO): Iraq launches business registration guide to promote formalization and decent work The guide is a practical resource for entrepreneurs and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), offering a clear, step-by-step process to register their businesses. Iraq's Ministry of Trade, in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and with […]
By John Lee. Zain Group has announced the regional expansion of its flagship startup accelerator, Zain Great Idea (ZGI 2025), now open to innovators in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. The program is powered by Zain Ventures, the Group's venture capital arm, and ZainTECH, its digital solutions enterprise. For the first time […]
By John Lee. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) has supported the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) and the Iraqi Private Banks League (IPBL) in launching the Access to Finance Guide, co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the Federal Republic of Germany. The initiative forms part of the Team Europe Initiative TAEUFIQ. The […]
