Yalla Startups debuts as Qatar’s first radio show for startups and innovation

Yalla Startups has debuted on Doha radio. The weekly program is Qatar’s first radio show dedicated to startups and innovation, and it arrives through a strategic partnership between Startup Grind Doha and Olive Suno Radio Network.

Yalla Startups airs weekly on Radio Olive 106.3 FM. OSRN will also distribute it through its mainstream and digital platforms, including VoiceCast, the network’s flagship OTT podcast distribution platform. Each episode features a different startup, which means the show can build a list of local founders episode by episode.

The program is aimed first at consumer-facing businesses. Yalla Startups will primarily feature B2C startups, and it will also feature startups developing solutions for SMEs. That gives the show two distinct audiences: people listening at home or in the car who might become customers, and business owners who might adopt the tools those startups build.

Startup Grind Doha brings a large local network to the project. It is Qatar’s largest startup community, and it belongs to Startup Grind, the world’s largest startup community, which connects entrepreneurs across more than 125 countries. Olive Suno Radio Network, meanwhile, is Qatar’s largest Asian radio network, with coverage of more than 90 percent of Doha’s multilingual community.

The partnership connects a global entrepreneurship brand with a local media platform. Startup Grind Doha has direct links to founders; OSRN has broadcast distribution. The show sits between those two assets, using a weekly radio format to turn individual startup stories into regular local programming.

Indica Amarasinghe, Chapter Director of Startup Grind Doha, said the show addresses a gap that money alone does not close. “Startups need more than funding—they need visibility, customers, and opportunities to tell their story,” she said.

Startups need more than funding—they need visibility, customers, and opportunities to tell their story,

Ameer Ali, Founder and Managing Director of Olive Suno Radio Network, described the weekly slot as a lasting commitment rather than a press event. “This is not a one-time feature; it is an ongoing commitment to amplifying the voices of the people building Qatar’s future,” he said.

The FM and OTT distribution path matters for a startup scene that is still becoming known to a wider public. Radio reaches listeners who are not searching for entrepreneurship content; VoiceCast gives episodes a permanent on-demand home. A weekly format also turns a media appearance into a pattern. One feature can be missed, but a recurring show gives founders a reliable stage and gives the audience a reason to tune back in.