www.altcity.me@altcityme

Welcome to STREAMLINE Lebanon: Startup & SME Support Program

A Project by AltCity with the support of the Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship

Typical Frustrations

• Do you want to start an online consulting, software solution, mobile app, gaming, e-commerce, social impact venture, or any other digital or low-capital business?

• Do your customers/suppliers require official invoices and a legal entity to do business?

• Would you like to spend your resources building your business instead of spending it on red tape, bureaucracy and admin work?

Are you looking for a one-stop shop solution for digital businesses that streamlines the launch phase?

WELCOME to STREAMLINE

A new AltCity product designed to help light startups launch as quickly, cheaply, and easily as possible.

Special supports will be provided to top startups that have a core social impact mission or are creating jobs for a critical group or area.

Lebanon’s Barriers to Innovation…

• Basic registration and required 1st year professional fees (legal, accounting, auditing) are around USD $10,000

• 50x more than registration in the UK or the US

• Lebanon is ranked 115 out of 185 in the 2013 “Doing Business Report”

This prevents young, aspiring entrepreneurs from launching new digital businesses

Aspiring Digital Entrepreneurs

• Often requires low or no initial investment

• Founders are usually young with little savings and low disposable income

Digital Startups Only Need • A laptop• An internet

connection• The will

• Inventory, infrastructure, equipment, staff, etc

Traditional BusinessesNeed

Requires minimal startup capital

Requires significant startup capital

We were inspired by the Lean Methodology for digital businesses to design a solution that will make online business a real possibility for many young people, quickly and easily

This is going to propel the Lebanese entrepreneurial spirit into the digital age.

The STREAMLINE Solution

Solution1. Provide useful information

about the process of legal company registration

2. Reduce the financial burdens of company registration, including company registration and professional fees

3. Provide business and mentoring supports to streamline the first phase

Examples1. Visual + Decision Matrix

2. Small loan facility

3. Startup support packages

This approach will be piloted in Beirut with key partners, with the intention to scale nationwide through various partners and innovative approaches

1-Guidance & Useful Information

• Decision matrix that highlights all choices and possibilities based on practical business decision factors such as financing requirements, target markets, etc.

• Other supports include online/offline advising, contact list for relevant agencies and service providers, detailed procedural task-lists, online moderated forum + Q&A tool

2- Small loan facility

• Assist with critical registration and required 1st-year services costs. – A low interest loan from regular banks for

startups in the digital space to register their companies

– Interest subsidized by BDL (TBC)– Principal guaranteed by AltCity– Initiated with participating banks through

the support of AltCity and the Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship

3- Startup support packages

• Various packages to address the needs of different social impact and standard startups

• Simplifies key required services/activities, allowing startups to focus on their work, rather than on busy-work and bureaucratic processes

Why use STREAMLINE

• No employment history or cashflow history required, no letter from employer

• Get a personal loan, that you wouldn’t otherwise be entitled to

• Lower than market rate (or zero interest) personal loan

• Get a 6-month grace period before you start making monthly payments

The Process

Entrepreneur uses decision making

chart to select best legal structure

Online and Offline tool (under

development)

Entrepreneur submits application

forms to AltCity

KYC (Know Your Client)

Business Assessment

Social Impact Assessment Legal Entity Choice

Entrepreneur submits application

to Participating Insitutions

Institutions perform

streamlined due diligence process

Company incorporation and

Professional Services Loan “”STREAMLINE

LOAN”

Capital funds get transferred to New Co. bank account

for 2 weeks

Direct payments are made to professional

services suppliers

Ongoing business supports by AltCity

Domiciliation: Use AltCity as your legal address

Rent a desk at AltCity

Access a network of investors and

mentors

Anticipated Impact

• The number of organizations we expect to register– 3 within the first 3 months– 15 within the first year– Will explore options for scaling beyond that

• The information and decision making tool– Will document use of the tool

• Building awareness around issues related to the ecosystem with key potential stakeholders

The Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship is aimed at creating and supporting a robust social entrepreneurship movement in select countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, starting with Egypt and Lebanon. The Alliance seeks to play a critical role in raising awareness about social entrepreneurship and promoting an environment that encourages the growth of social enterprises and helps them to have a greater impact. To this end, the Alliance will focus on creating an environment that helps socially oriented enterprises thrive, promoting the value and increasing the visibility of social entrepreneurship and incorporating this critical element into U.S. government programming.

About the Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship

Steering CommitteeLead Local Partner

Local Legal Partner