App transforming sports access in Lebanon
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locationLebanon
- Services
- SME Coaching
Hasan Al-Ahmad impressed judges at Startup Roadshow 4 with his vision for Liber, a sports platform addressing booking challenges in Lebanon. With planning and support from STEP programme, Hasan and Mohammad Bakour turned their idea into a reality, revolutionising sports access and management. Liber's growth continues with strategic partnerships and job creation.
While pitching his startup idea during the Startup Roadshow 4, a startup competition run by SPARK and Jusoor, Hasan Al-Ahmad captivated the audience with his clear plans and deep understanding of his idea. Judge, Asmahan Zein, commented on his pitch, “Your feet are on the ground, you know what you want, you want to start slowly, and this is ideal.”
Hasan, a young entrepreneur from Tripoli in Northern Lebanon, was struck by his idea for a digital business when facing challenges to engage in sports activities. Booking a football pitch or securing a coach for gym sessions proves challenging for him. Despite the presence of over 230 football fields and gyms in the northern region of Lebanon, 63% remain unavailable for booking online. Moreover, more than 70% rely on manual logbooks and can be mismanaged.
To address these challenges, Hasan, along with his friend Mohammad Bakour, conducted market analysis. They decided to turn their idea into reality by building a sports platform that enables users to discover stadiums and gyms, book facilities, and share their reviews. They joined Startup Roadshow 4, which is part of the Skills, Training and Education Programme financed by the Islamic Development Bank and Abdul Aziz al Ghurair Refugee Education Fund. “When we entered the competition, it was an attempt that provided us with a sense of purpose,” Hasan explained.
After a series of boot camps, hackathons and 670 hours of comprehensive training sessions, Hasan was finally ready to launch Liber; an app transforming athletes’ access to sports facilities, stadiums and gyms in Lebanon. With dedicated technical support and having won $5,000 in seed funding as the second-place winner of the competition’s Beirut Demo Day, Liber has achieved significant milestones.
Hasan has so far signed agreements with 50 sport facilities, partnered with 500 business owners to join their app and platform, built their marketing strategy and created more than five job opportunities, all while experiencing a 25% annual growth rate.