New radio, multi-platform programme spotlights Qatar’s startup founders

A new radio and multi-platform programme, Yalla Startups, has launched in Qatar to spotlight the country’s startup founders, their products and services, and the realities of building businesses locally. The initiative is a partnership between Startup Grind Doha and Olive Suno Radio Network (OSRN) and will air weekly on Radio Olive 106.3 FM and OSRN’s integrated distribution platforms, including the VoiceCast OTT podcast service.

“Qatar’s startup community deserves more than a moment in the spotlight — it deserves visibility and engagement across every platform where its audience is active by creating awareness and educating audiences in their own languages,” said Ameer Ali, founder and managing director of OSRN. “Through Yalla Startups, our partnership with Startup Grind Doha brings founders’ stories to life in the formats that matter today: on-air, on-demand through our VoiceCast OTT platform, and across integrated digital channels, which aims to contribute to Qatar’s growing startup ecosystem.”

The programme is billed as “Qatar’s first radio and multi-platform programme” dedicated exclusively to startups, entrepreneurship and innovation. Each episode will feature a different startup and is intended to reach one of the country’s largest consumer audiences while connecting thousands of professionals and small business owners nationwide. Organisers said Yalla Startups will primarily feature business-to-consumer (B2C) companies offering products and services for everyday consumers, alongside ventures developing tools to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) improve efficiency and competitiveness.

Programme format and objectives

• Weekly broadcast on Radio Olive 106.3 FM.
• On-demand distribution via OSRN’s VoiceCast OTT platform and integrated digital channels.
• Focus on B2C startups and solutions for SMEs.
• Features: founder interviews, product showcases, and practical lessons from the entrepreneurial journey.

“Startups need more than funding — they need visibility, customers, and opportunities to tell their story,” said Indica Amarasinghe, chapter director of Startup Grind Doha. “Yalla Startups creates a unique platform for founders to reach consumers and business owners across Qatar while showcasing the incredible innovation being built locally. Together with Olive Suno Radio Network, we hope to inspire more entrepreneurs and help startups connect with the audiences that matter most.”

Beyond storytelling, organisers emphasise practical outcomes: increasing brand awareness for early-stage companies, connecting founders with potential customers, and accelerating adoption of locally developed innovation. The programme is positioned to educate and inspire by sharing candid accounts of challenges and successes, practical business lessons and the people driving Qatar’s startup ecosystem.

Outlook

Launch partners describe Yalla Startups as an ongoing commitment to amplify the voices of entrepreneurs in Qatar rather than a one-off feature. Ameer Ali said the initiative “is not a one-time feature; it is an ongoing commitment to amplifying the voices of the people building Qatar’s future. We believe that when entrepreneurs are heard, ecosystems grow and communities thrive.”

The rollout represents a strategic addition to Startup Grind Doha’s activities in community building, education, partnerships and founder support, and reinforces OSRN’s stated aim to deliver programming that informs and creates value for listeners. Organisers expect the series to broaden public awareness of local startups and foster stronger connections between founders, consumers and SMEs across the country.