WELCOME TO THE
OXAGON × McLAREN ACCELERATOR PROGRAM
Highlight your innovation with sustainable solutions that will be tested and scaled in the Port of NEOM
MENTORSHIPS THAT MATTER
Empowering smart port disruptors
Operated by global venture accelerator Brinc, our program provides networking resources to transform your business into an investor-ready powerhouse.
Who can apply
Candidates will be required to travel to Oxagon for portions of the program to work with our experts in order to develop, refine and pilot-test pioneering solutions.
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Scale-up companies at pre-Series A or Series A
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Innovative and sustainable businesses working in the Port sector
Pick the theme
Is your company addressing one or more of these themes?
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Cargo Release Optimization
Technologies that streamline cargo inspection, clearance, and release.
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Port Digital Twins
Highly detailed and dynamic digital replica of a physical port, incorporating systems, equipment, and real-time data, including emulation and business intelligence.
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Predictive Maintenance & Automated Inspections
Advanced analytics, drones, AI-powered image analysis, vibration analysis, sensor technologies, and other methods to inspect and predict equipment health and performance.
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Autonomous Container Handling
Autonomous systems, automated solutions and robotics for efficient container handling and logistic operations within the port.
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Employee Engagement & Satisfaction
Innovative solutions and technologies that enhance the well-being, job satisfaction, and engagement levels of the port workforce contributing to port operations.
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Port Safety & Occupational Health Solutions
Technologies to monitor and enhance worker safety, assess occupational risks, and ensure compliance with safety protocols.
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Water Pollution Detection & Management
Sensors, drones, and monitoring systems to swiftly and accurately identify and manage potential contamination or pollution incidents.
BENEFITS OF THE ACCELERATOR
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GAIN THE SKILLS YOU NEEDGAIN THE SKILLS YOU NEED
Help shape the global port industry through our Research and Innovation ecosystem. A panel of experts from NEOM and beyond will guide, inspire, and support you as you refine and test your solution in a nurturing and empowering environment.
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LEVEL UP YOUR SCALE-UPLEVEL UP YOUR SCALE-UP
The Oxagon Accelerator Program offers a unique opportunity to join forward-thinkers in building the future of global maritime industries, helping your innovation impact industries and economies across new markets in the region and beyond.
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TEST AND REFINETEST AND REFINE
We are creating a fully automated and integrated Port of NEOM, redefining port operations and tackling unique innovation challenges. Suitable companies will have the chance to join the Port of NEOM team to refine and test their technologies.
VISIT McLAREN
The aim of our program is to allow you to level up your innovation and scale your business. Learn from experts, such as our partners at McLaren Accelerator, through tailored technical and process workshops: a two-day technology masterclass at the McLaren Technology Centre (in close proximity to London), and one-on-one mentorship sessions with your team.
Success Story:
Cohort One
The first edition of our Oxagon x McLaren Accelerator saw seven selected scale-ups specializing in supply chain and logistics embark on an incredible journey of discovery and innovation.
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Exploring NEOM and immersing with our experts
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Pitching to investors, VCs and Corporates in Riyadh
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Telling the story in their own words
TIMELINE
MEET THE MENTORS
Meet some of the experts from NEOM, McLaren, and around the world that you'll be working with as part of the Accelerator Program.
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Howard Wu
Executive Director - International Investments & Manufacturing, Oxagon
Howard has significant experience in start-ups, corporate turnarounds, finance and risk management across multiple sectors including semiconductors, cloud, telecommunications, property, finance and hospitality.
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Melissa Blake
Port Director, Port of NEOM
Melissa Blake has more than 20 years of experience in port development and start-ups across the US, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. She previously worked for A.P. Moller-Maersk. At Oxagon, Melissa will help deliver the world’s most advanced and sustainable port.
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Gert Sollie
Director of Automation - Port, Port of NEOM
With 30 years of broad automation experience, Gert is leading the Port Automation Team. Gert has a PhD in Medical Electronics and has worked on ports automation for APMT and Eurogate, including Maasvlakte 2, the first fully automated container terminal in the world.
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Daniel Jensen
Head of Strategy and Business Development, Port of NEOM
Daniel has two decades' experience in strategy and globalization, including at Maersk and APMT, where he led projects such as M&A, partner negotiations and commercial evaluation of new projects, living in six different countries. Daniel now heads strategy for Port of NEOM.
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Iurii Nazarkin
Head of Innovation Operations, Oxagon
Now developing Oxagon's Research and Innovation Campus services, technologies and start-ups accelerators, Iurii Nazarkin previously worked as Operational Vice President for E.ON and major consulting firms in Europe, across the energy, manufactoring, construction, and mining sectors.
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Dr. Ahmed Basingab
Innovation Programs Delivery Manager, Oxagon
With a solid educational background and more than 12 years of experience in entrepreneurial ecosystems and corporate entrepreneurship, Dr. Ahmed has developed a deep knowledge of growing and operating projects and businesses related to the entrepreneurs' journeys.
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James Passemard
Associate Director, McLaren
A manufacturing engineer by profession, James has more than 20 years of experience with automotive OEMs and as MD of a management consultancy. He is passionate about McLaren Racing and wants to inspire our partners' employees to deliver transformational change in their organizations.
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Mark Ireland
Manufacturing Technology Director, McLaren
Mark joined McLaren as Manufacturing Technology Director having built a career in Research and Development. Mark is passionate about technology transfer to reduce time, cost, and risk. Mark’s role is to help McLaren and our partners push the boundaries of Manufacturing Technology.
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Nawaz Sumar
Chief Engineer – Data, Simulation & Modelling, McLaren
Naz has been at McLaren for 21 years. He was race strategist for Lewis Hamilton (including McLaren’s last championship win) before moving to Aerodynamics applications. Subsequently as Head of Application Engineering, Naz had the mission of pushing software and data science innovation.
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Dr. Sophie Darragh
Senior Manager, McLaren Accelerator, McLaren
Sophie brings extensive healthcare industry expertise, working across product lifecycle management, manufacturing, supply chain and R&D, focusing on lean, continuous improvement, process development and product launches. She most recently consulted on M&A for Health & Pharma clients at PwC.
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Nelio Leone
Growth Marketing Expert, Brinc
Nelio is a Growth Marketing Expert. In 2014 he left a corporate marketing career to join Careem as one of their first hires. That startup has scaled from 15 people to 3500 and became the first Tech Unicorn in the MENA region, recently acquired by Uber for $3.1bn. He then scaled a Dubai based service app from 5 to 8 figures. Actively involved in the tech scene, he has advised 120+ founders on their GTM and scaling.
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Yasin Aboudaoud
Brinc MENA Managing Director, Brinc
Yasin, a serial entrepreneur, launched his career in China, specializing in market development and distribution for major corporations. As a founding member of Brinc and the current Managing Partner of Brinc MENA, he spearheads the development of a platform offering resources, networking, and learning opportunities to the startup ecosystem.
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Levi Lewandowski
Brinc Accelerator Senior Program Manager, Brinc
Levi started in sales & marketing for Boeing before becoming an entrepreneur and selling both of his brands two years ago. He specializes in international business, operations, marketing, and has consulted hundreds of entrepreneurs since 2019.
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Pioneering new technologies
WHY IS THE ACCELERATOR IMPORTANT TO THE PORT OF NEOM
The Port of NEOM will be the world's first fully integrated port and supply chain ecosystem. The Accelerator Program hosted here will find and implement best-in-class innovations and automation.
Our Partners
OPERATED BY
FAQ
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This is a 12-week program that equips participants with the knowledge, resources, network, and business resilience to deploy, scale, and showcase their solutions to the Port of NEOM and across the global port management industry. NEOM’s expert partners will offer personalized advice and technical knowledge in order to help companies integrate their solutions across the development while leveraging relationships to regional investors. Over the course of an extended period, these integrated solutions and technologies will also have wider market entries and commercialization opportunities across new markets; in the Kingdom, the region, and beyond, reshaping the future of the international maritime industries.
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Applications can only be made by following the link on this page as shown above. Once the application period ends, selected teams will be invited to meet our Program Managers and complete further due diligence questions. They will be asked to go through a panel interview with our Investments Committee. Then, we will shortlist our outstanding teams and may request additional supporting information to help us make our decision. The entire selection process will take around one month from the closing of the applications. If you are not ready or are not chosen for this selection, there will be further opportunities in the future.
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This is a virtual program, with the exception of three short in-person events. Physical attendance at these events will be mandatory.
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While all companies will be considered, we are seeking Series A (or similar) companies with a stellar track record and a deployable solution that appeals to the Port Team at NEOM.
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The accelerator program is a 12-week program that focuses on scaling your business and technology to the MENA region and beyond, while also formulating your POC opportunity in NEOM. That period will include a Demo Day in Riyadh to a large group of investors, potential partners, and corporates. Beyond the program, certain companies will be selected to run a technology POC in the live operations of the Port of NEOM.
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Participating companies will have access to proof of concept and post-program funding opportunities from the investment networks of both NEOM and its partners.
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No, there is no cost to your company to apply or participate in the Accelerator.
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All applicants will be contacted no later than March 15th, 2024, whether they have been accepted or rejected.
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The program kicks off with a virtual session on April 29th, 2024
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While the main language used will be English, not every member of your scale-up team is required to be fluent in it. It is advised that at least one team member or co-founder is able to converse in English to understand the content and disseminate it to the team.
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No, but we prefer team members within the specialized areas to attend the virtual sessions, and founder/co-founders to attend the in-person events.
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Yes. Based on the engagement with the Port team, we expect team members to be available to deploy their solutions in-person in NEOM at the closing of the program.
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Companies will be invited to apply for grant funding which will cover expenses for these events, including travel.
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Careful consideration will be given to evaluate the company's alignment with the Accelerator mission objectives: their technology readiness, growth potential, manufacturing expertise, capabilities of the management team, and the innovation's fit to be deployed into the Port of NEOM.