SEVIA formed by group of experts to offer comprehensive services and close guidance to the business sector in lead up to EXPO 2020
On the back of the government of Dubai announcing a new fund worth Dh2 billion to finance innovation across various sectors within the UAE, a new innovation advisory firm – SEVIA – has launched in the emirate to assist new companies hit the ground running, and offer existing ones ways of working more creatively.
Founded by a group of international experts from nearly every sector – including legal, IT, finance, operations, manufacturing, and design – it aims to fill the need for high level support and guidance amongst the country’s aspiring ‘next big things’.
“We realised quickly that while there were no shortage of incubators and venture capital firms, there was no firm actually helping these entrepreneurs do the things they needed in order to get their business running and profitable,” said Zabeen Ahmed, Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder, SEVIA. “Often, things like creating a business plan, implementing a marketing strategy, or creating a brand are huge struggles. We were hearing constantly that business owners simply did not have the access to resources, tools, or expert advisors that would help them grow and sustain their business. The majority of businesses fail within their first year of operation—and it’s primarily due to a lack of support in key strategic areas. We’re here to provide that support and help businesses in the UAE thrive. We don’t want to be a part of that statistic here in the UAE.”
SEVIA has three core activities: firstly, helping any entrepreneur who has an idea get it off the ground, especially if they don’t know where to begin – the firm can do all their business planning, strategy, marketing, PR, licensing, and even raising money. Secondly, helping off shore investors interested in starting a company in the UAE not only set up their entire operation (including staffing and licensing) but also has specialised teams that can run the business for them locally. And thirdly, innovation management consulting for SMEs and corporations that want to introduce innovation or improve processes in their workplace – including increasing productivity, employee motivation, and research and development of new products.