20 Mar Human or Technology – Arab Therapy
On Tuesday March 28, 2023 our healthtech startups take to the stage and present their solutions. Entitled ‘Health. Human. Tech’ this Demo Day for 2023 is centred around the role the teams play at the intersection of humans and technology. In a short mini-series, we have asked the startups to share their inspiration for their early-stage companies and what humans or technology has inspired them. We spoke to Arab Therapy Founder Tareq Dalbah about what this means to them and about the certain individual who originally inspired the idea behind their startup.
“For me, it’s about technology and platforms that can support people.” Tareq begins when asked about his inspiration. He continues, “I’m an expat and a minority and in truth this means my problems are also a minority for society too. Technology however doesn’t consider what’s a small or a large problem, it is used as a solution. These problems range in size, it might not just be healthcare related, but culturally. For example when I came to Germany it was not easy for me to find high-quality arabic cuisine. Underlying this was likely a feeling of being homesick. This is where technology can make a difference.”
Tareq has experience in this area because he and his team are building Arab Therapy’s technology as a one-stop-shop for the mental health of minorities in the EU. He shares, “The number of expats is only going to increase, solving workforce problems all over the EU and the USA. It’s therefore very important that we all take their problems seriously. There is great potential for technological companies to create solutions, just like what we are doing. By understanding the problem, believing in it and then trying to solve it. There is also great financial potential.”
Tareq is equally inspired by one particular individual who may not even know they stimulated his idea for Arab Therapy. He shares an experience that took place during his time working as a Psychiatrist and Medical Doctor. “Whilst I was working as a Psychiatrist in Berlin, a woman from Syria approached me and asked if I spoke Arabic. I could see her sheer relief at being able to have a conversation in a language she was a hundred percent comfortable with. I saw a face that I will never forget for the rest of my life. We had a short conversation and she shared that she had lived in Germany for five years but had struggled in that time to find someone who could understand cultural differences. She spoke German but it was easier for her to speak in her mother tongue and importantly, needed to speak to someone who understood her childhood, stereotypes and religion. I went home that day and told my wife about the experience. It literally changed my world overnight.” This was the very beginning of the idea behind Arab Therapy, to connect people with doctors who understand them.
Watch Arab Therapy present at the upcoming virtual Demo Day 2023! Join us:
🗓️ Tuesday, March 28, 2023
⏰16:00 CET
💻Virtual