(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

The 1 Billion Followers Summit has announced the judging panel for the Creators Ventures Accelerator. It also announced a shortlist of 21 content creators and startup founders, collectively boasting over 20 million followers and users.

The programme is part of Creators Ventures' 2nd edition, organised by Creators HQ; the first content creator hub in the UAE and the Middle East and part of Visioneers, in collaboration with 500 Global.

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The 1 Billion Followers Summit also announced the programme's team of mentors, who will help participants acquire the essential skills, tools, and support to scale their ventures sustainably, empowering them to build the next generation of industry-leading companies.

Ventures will be showcased during the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, which will take place from January 9 to 1, 2026, across the Emirates Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and the Museum of the Future, under the theme“Content for Good”.

Content creators and creative start-ups whose pitches are selected by the judging panel will receive an investment opportunity and funding of up to Dh50 million from investors in the content creation industry to grow their ventures.

Judges

The judging panel for the Creators Ventures Accelerator programme includes distinguished experts and investors tasked with assessing applications.

The panel includes Jonathan Labin, a renowned investor and former Managing Director at Meta with over 20 years of experience; Megan Lightcap, a Partner at Slow Ventures Fund and a finance expert formerly with J.P. Morgan; and Scott Van Den Berg, Founder of Hotstart VC, who co-founded successful brands with creators like MrBeast and Jessica Alba.

Mentors

The Creators Ventures Accelerator program resident mentors include:

Sora Lee - Founder and marketing expert with 15 years of experience leading teams at Netflix, Meta, and TikTok, specializing in growth, partnerships, and monetisation.

Giacomo Poggiali - Fractional Head of Product, Venture Builder, and mentor with 7+ years of experience leading product development. Product Coach to 200+ startups, and mentor in 20 acceleration programs helping founders test ideas and achieve product-market fit.

Jonathan Tanemori - Venture capitalist and mentor with 20+ years of experience across fintech, blockchain, Web3, and advising founders on investor engagement, fundraising, and growth strategies.

Brian Lee - Founder & CEO of Knocksteady (acquired by Disney's Maker Studios), and expert in incubating, investing and scaling creator-led businesses from zero.

Global status

Alia AlHammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit said,“The enthusiastic response to the Creators Ventures Accelerator programme underscores the 1 Billion Followers Summit's success and status as a premier global hub for creativity and entrepreneurship in this promising sector. This achievement also solidifies the UAE's status as a world capital for the creative and digital economies."

AlHammadi added,“Through the 'Creators Ventures Accelerator program, our strategic partnership with 500 Global empowers the next generation of content creators and promising start-ups. We provide them with the essential tools, funding, and a nurturing environment to scale their projects, enabling them to transform creative ideas into sustainable business models. Ultimately, this contributes to an ecosystem of meaningful content that drives a positive impact within communities.”

Shortlisted applicants

The shortlist included 21 content creators and startup founders including the following.

• Angel Santana is the founder of dromOS, a platform turning creators' challenges into engaging, monetisable game experiences.

• Esraa Saleh is the founder of Super Abla, a platform for Arabic content production that links kids' language to culture, geography and history.

• Omar Farooq is a content creator developing Noqta, a platform that helps aspiring Arab creators become professional storytellers through practical, high-impact courses taught by real influencers.

• SHAIKE is a global hub where cinema meets artificial intelligence, allowing content creators around the world to produce quality AI-generated films. This platform was created by renowned content creator and show presenter Jeremy Angelier.

• MyRefera, created by Abdullah Alowais, helps brands launch creator campaigns by tailoring viral trends and scripts to their products with AI and connecting them directly to creators, who get to grow their audience and revenue.

Incubating ventures

The Creators Ventures Accelerator received significant response from content creators and promising start-ups.

Out of 1,131 applications for the program, 609 have met all participation criteria and conditions. These included 347 content creators and 262 start-ups and platforms, representing over 70 countries.

Eligible submissions were closely evaluated by a panel of venture capitalists and digital media experts based on several criteria. These include innovation and creativity, economic and social impact, execution quality and marketing potential, business planning and profitability, as well as scalability and investment attractiveness.

The Creators Ventures Accelerator is designed to equip participants with the skills, tools, and support needed to scale their businesses' sustainably. It also provides them with valuable knowledge, mentorship, and networking opportunities to help build the next generation of industry-leading businesses.

The participants will take part in an intensive 10-week training programme that combines 500 Global's company-building expertise with its ecosystem network dedicated to supporting the creator economy.

The Creators Ventures Accelerator underscores 500 Global's commitment to leveraging its venture capital expertise and global platform to enable talented creators and entrepreneurs to transform ideas into high-impact businesses and advance creativity and innovation worldwide.

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