Tech Startup Receives $500,000 Investment After Winning Draper-Aladdin Startup Competition

GITEX 2021 Partners With AladdinB2B as Technology Becomes an Integral Part of Trade Show Success

The Draper-Aladdin Startup Competition (DASC) is a new and extraordinary pitch competition created by renowned Venture Capitalist, Tim Draper, and the Founder of AladdinB2B technology, Alaa Ismail. 

Giving tech-enabled startups an opportunity of a lifetime DASC aims to find the next big idea by giving startups a platform to share their ideas in front of investors and industry experts.

The launch of DASC took place in May of 2021 at the AIBC Summit in Dubai; an event focused on the converging sectors of AI, blockchain, IoT, and Quantum Tech.

Following ten inspiring pitches, tough deliberation among the judges, and high anticipation from both the contestants and the audience, two startups were ultimately selected as winners. 

Among the winners was Solidblock, a digital platform that multiplies wealth through investing in carefully chosen, fully vetted property funds.

After the due diligence process with Draper Associates, SolidBlock has gone on to receive $500,000 in investment to put towards the company’s future. 

We spoke with Solidblock’s CEO, Yael Tamar, to learn more about their winning experience. 

Interview with Solidblock

  1. In May of 2021, you participated in one of the Draper-Aladdin startup competitions, and today you have received your funds from Draper Associates. Congratulations! How do you feel about that? 

We’re absolutely thrilled by Tim and his team’s interest in SolidBlock. I’ve always admired his ability to ”see” the next best idea and support it fully. This seed money will assist SolidBlock in scaling our business, advancing our tech stack, and solidifying our position as the leader in the real estate tokenization space. And we have tremendous respect for and gratitude to Aladdin, one of the most innovative companies in the event industry, for bringing this opportunity to SolidBlock through the Draper-Aladdin partnership. 

Yael Tamar on stage at DASC: AIBC Summit
  1. Going in, were you expecting to win half a million dollars investment out of this pitch competition?

We’ve been in this industry from the beginning, and it’s humbling and gratifying to see that leaders such as Tim and his VC appreciate the significance of tokenization and what it can do for the real estate space, as well as SolidBlock’s role in the industry’s development and its future. 

The competition that was held in Dubai put us on a main stage in front of Tim and his team where we could articulate SolidBlock’s vision. Tim is a visionary who has the ability to identify trends and is always ahead of the curve with notable investments including SpaceX, Docusign, Tesla, Ring, AngelList, Coinbase, Robinhood, Twitter, and more. Our vision is to democratize the real estate industry and use it as a bridge to a decentralized financial system, and the Draper Associates ecosystem has many companies that share this vision of bringing users the opportunities the DeFi world has to offer.   

  1. How was your experience from the day you won the pitch competition until the day you received the fund (in regards to the process and due diligence with Draper Associates)?

Draper Associates has assembled a fantastic team that is most responsive and professional and it’s been a pleasure working with them. 

  1. As you know, we are running 12 DASC per year across industry events. Would you advise other startups to apply? 

Absolutely! Being able to precisely pitch your startup is a powerful tool in honing your message and refining the goals of your business. Even if you don’t win a pitch event, you don’t lose. You gain exposure, you network, and you assess the competition. Plus, Draper-Aladdin creates an awesome space to do this in.

  1. Are you excited about the fact that you could possibly participate in the Meet the Draper TV show to showcase your product and receive additional crowdfunding support from the 12 million viewers of the show? 

Blockchain is changing the world in terms of social, corporate and individual governance. When SolidBlock tokenizes real estate using blockchain technology, our goals to democratize and empower individuals’ financial wellbeing are placed front and center. To be a guest on “Meet the Drapers,” would allow us to tell even more people about what we’re trying to accomplish and why they should be part of it.

Investors and Judges

If you are an investor or a judge looking to network with other investors and get involved in leading startup events, we’d love to invite you!

Investors and Judges

If you are an investor or a judge looking to network with other investors and get involved in leading startup events, we’d love to invite you!

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