Preparations Underway for Countrywide Web, Mobile Festival

EghtesadOnline: Isfahan Chamber of Commerce hosted a tech and startup event over the Iranian weekend, as part of a push by organizers of Iran Web and Mobile Festival to expand its reach to provinces.

News ID: ۷۴۸۲۲۲

19 August 2019

During the event, managers of leading startups like Snapp and CEOs of provincial tech firms delivered speeches.

In a hall filled with tech aficionados, the festival’s cofounder, Shayan Shalileh, spoke about challenges and hurdles facing Iranian startups, investors and venture capital funds.

Milad Ehrampoush, co-founder of the festival, also said that in addition to Tehran, IWMF will be hosted in seven other cities to give a boost to startups operating in different provinces, according to Financial Tribune.

IWMF will also be held in Shiraz, Isfahan, Zanjan, Yazd, Tabriz, Rasht and Gorgan.

A common theme of such events has always been government intervention, which is often considered disruptive by business owners. The same issue was also discussed at the Isfahan gathering.

E-Commerce Union Spokesman Reza Olfatnasab told Isfahan-based startups, “Never count on state support and pray for the demise of government interventionism.”

According to Olfatnasab, state support and government-sponsored loans disrupt markets and harm competition. He believes that startups would be better off, if they were to operate without state intervention.

CEO of ride-hailing company Snapp was also among the speakers. Jhubin Alaghband discussed his experience as an Iranian business manager, outlining different stages of starting a business and weathering difficulties.

An authority with Isfahan Chamber of Commerce outlined a plan for setting up an innovation center in Isfahan to support local startups.

Numerous tech and startups centers have been set up throughout the country, which extend consultancy and facilities to tech firms.

Preparations and registration have started for the 12th round of IWMF. App developers and website owners can register through the festival’s website IWMF.ir.

The closing ceremony of the event will be held in February 2020, which will award outstanding Iranian startups.