COVID-19 has created challenges for startups and corporates around the world. Most industries have been affected by the pandemic and the measures introduced to stop the virus from spreading. Amid the global corona crisis, WAYA discusses the impact of the pandemic on Jordanian startups with CEOs and leaders of the Jordanian startup ecosystem. Jordan has been containing the virus nationally. The first reported case was on March 1st and there are now 246 people infected. This MENA country imposed one of the strictest lockdowns in the world.
Opensooq
Opensooq is an e-commerce platform that operates in 19 countries and is headquartered in Jordan. Users can buy and sell a range of items through the platform from gadgets to clothes.
Mohammad Misto, Product Manager at OpenSooq speaks to WAYA about the situation: “I see Coronavirus as the beginning of a huge filtration for the startup all around the world … The startup in this situation will either unite to continue with what they started with or they will have a lot of obstacles to overcome to continue. It’s not about the virus itself, it’s about what will be happening after the coronavirus.”
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization
The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG-Global) is the largest global group of professional service firms. It operates more than 100 offices worldwide. “This is a very unique situation and challenging circumstances for all businesses,” says Fadi Daoad, the Executive Director of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization. “In Jordan, there is a curfew for 14 days, therefore we hope that SMEs can overcome their losses by jumping into business immediately when an opportunity surfaces,” he adds.
Aumet
Yehya Aqel co-founded Aumet in 2016. The company sells medical products from manufacturers to healthcare providers by automating finding distributors and product registration. The co-founder and CEO tells WAYA being in the health industry has meant that they are doing better than ever now. “We work in the medical field, so the demand for our products has quadrupled with total purchases increasing from $8 million to $50 million,” he says.
ChickMania
ChickMania is a multimedia services company based in Amman. WAYA spoke with Ali Hilli, COO at ChickMania, who said that their retainer and social media services didn’t get affected. However, the company’s video production took a hit since they can not go on shoots. “I would like to highlight that not only in Jordan but in all the region, it will be different after the pandemic compared to the time before it. People now understand the need for a digital economy full of simple and complex digital services,” he says.
Endeavor Jordan
Endeavor Jordan supports sustainable economic development through High-Impact Entrepreneurship. “These are unprecedented times. Many companies are struggling, while others are thriving. The common denominator, however, is that no business will emerge the same post this crisis. We will have new realities on the ground once the dust settles, and the sooner companies adapt to those realities, the likelier they will weather this storm” says Reem Goussous, Managing Director at Endeavor Jordan.
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