Discovering initiatives and projects from Lebanon’s digital ecosystem

IT, coding, design and business and education programs:

Lebanon’s scriptr, based in Beirut and New York, enables enterprises to create and deliver IoT (Internet of Things) applications with reduced time-to-market and increased cost efficiency. Scriptr.io solves issues between enterprise applications and IoT-based service providers.
Website: https://www.scriptr.io/

NAR, based in Beirut, is a real-time software platform specifically designed for drones to allow image recognition for the inspection of structures. Website: http://www.nar.ai/

Beirut's Vbout is a marketing automation platform for any business. The platform includes powerful e-Mail and social media tools, lead intelligence and comprehensive analytics.
Website:https://www.vbout.com/

Startups Funds, based in Byblos, builds on initiative on the growing hardware ecosystem.
Website: http://www.startupsfund.org/

Innovation Factory – Technology Transfer Acceleration Program At the Innovation Factory you can accelerate the process, create your startup, get international exposure, and access markets, business opportunities and funding networks, all in six months.
Website: https://programs.berytech.org/innovation-factory/

League for Women in Business – LLWB – based in Beirut is a socio-economic, apolitical, non-religious association bringing together professional women and providing them with a platform for sharing experiences, developing competencies and skills, establishing networks and exchanging expertise, accessing funds and mentorship. 
Website: https://llwb.org/#

KamKalima in Beirut allows you to improve your school's Arabic learning experience with an engaging platform, brought to you by teachers for teachers. 
Website: https://kamkalima.com/en/features

TUMO is a new kind of after-school program at the intersection of technology and design. Teens are given the tools and knowhow they need to reach their maximum potential, and they chart their own learning path through hands-on activities, workshops, and projects.
Website: https://tumobeirut.com/en/

Digital media projects and initiatives from Lebanon:

Daraj is a journalistic website, mainly focusing on in depth stories, videos and graphics. Itwas founded in 2018 in Beirut. According to Diana Moukalled, co-founder, Daraj is an independent, not-for-profit organization for the Arab region. There are writers from Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Yemen and Arabs residing in Europe.
Website: https://daraj.com/

Megaphone: The platform consists of around 30 activists who are all volunteers. The main idea of this platform was to treat the news and articles in narrative form and to turn them into graphs and videos that target young people and to creatively bring them closer to the Lebanese political reality.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/megaphone.news/

Labneh&Facts platform was launched in 2016. It highlights Lebanese stories about Lebanons social and economic development to bring about change and build bridges between communities to promote peaceful dialogue. Labneh&Facts is active on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Website: http://labnehandfacts.com/

Arabnet, based in Beirut, specializes in the development of the digital community. It was established in 2009. Its activities aim to enhance digital communication in the Middle East, stimulate the growth of the digital knowledge economy, and support the creation of new companies.
Website: https://www.arabnet.me/

Raseef22  describes itself as an independent media platform, presenting news and views relevant to the Arab world. Inspired by the "Arab Spring,” Raseef22 fills a cultural gap in the Arabic-language media landscape, acknowledging both local values and global perspectives. Raseef22 has built a community of readers seeking home-grown Arabic content from around the 22 Arab countries, bringing personal perspectives to politics, lifestyle and culture. Headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, our staff is based in 10 countries.
Website: https://raseef22.com/

Maharat-news is a multimedia platform launched by Maharat Foundation, publishing in-depth reports to monitor public policies and to promote accountability. Maharat-news factchecks statements of politicians and highlights stories related to human rights and freedom of expression violations.
Website: http://maharat-news.com/

SMEX - Social Media Exchange is a media advocacy and development organization which addresses urgent needs in the Arab information society through, online and offline courses in digital and social media, through peer-to-peer learning events, advocacy campaigns, Internet policy and digital rights research.
Website: https://smex.org/

MAD – Music.Arts.Design  is a fun and innovative marketplace to discover, launch and meet your favorite musicians artists and designers. MAD reveals your talent to your target audience, finances your projects and builds collaborations.  
Website: https://howmadareyou.com/

Anghami, based in Jal el Dib in Lebanon, is the first legal music streaming platform and digital distribution company in the Arab World. It launched in November 2012 providing unlimited Arabic and international music to stream and download for offline mode. It is designed for the Middle East and North Africa.
Website / App: https://www.anghami.com/landing

Nastopia is a Facebook page run by Palestinian refugees from all around Lebanon. Often Palestinian refugees are portrayed negatively in traditional media – the Nastopia reporters want to tell positive stories.
Website https://www.facebook.com/Naastopia/

Ana-Hon is a website that focuses on human stories that are of importance for Lebanese society.
Website:http://ana-hon.com/

MUASSERUN art gallery is a curated online art platform displaying the works of contemporary Arab artists from across the world. MUASSERUN offers young collectors and art enthusiasts a digital experience to discover and have the opportunity to purchase affordable art by well-known and emerging Arab artists. 
Website:http://www.muasserunartgallery.com/

Ounousa is an online magazine and compelling media platform in Arabic targeting women in search of informative and entertaining content on beauty, fashion, food and lifestyle covering a variety of topics of interest to women. Website: https://www.ounousa.com/

Blogs:

https://blogbaladi.com/

https://ginosblog.com/

List of tech hubs, incubators and co-working spaces in Lebanon: 

In Lebanon:

http://berytech.org/

http://www.kafalatisme.com.lb/

http://phoenicianfunds.com/

http://www.im-capital.com/

https://byvp.com/

http://www.smart-esa.com/

https://www.flat6labs.com/

http://www.altcity.me/
 

For Lebanon in UK:

https://www.uklebhub.com/
 

Co-Working Spaces:

https://www.antwork.com/

https://www.thesubmarine.me/

http://beirutdigitaldistrict.com/

The #speakup barometer is a DW Akademie project that examines the connection between digital participation, freedom of expression and access to information. Learn more at www.dw.com/barometer