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Husni Abu Samra, the founder and CEO of MobiStine for Arabic medical and health applications, will conclude four months of acceleration in MassChallenge 2013 in Boston on October 30, 2013. MobiStine is the only Arab company that made it to the finals of the competition this year.

MassChallenge, established in 2009, is considered to be the “world's largest accelerator”. Thousands of startups, ranging from raw ideas to established companies, applied to the 2013 competition. However, only 128 startups were chosen to be incubated for four months in the accelerator’s 27,000 square-foot office that overlooks Boston Harbor, and guided by over 200 high profile mentors. The competition’s prizes are 1+ million dollars awarded to 26 winner companies.

Husni told ArabNet that MassChallenge acceleration nurtured his company’s vision and shape; enhanced the business plan based on the mentors’ feedback; improved the social media marketing approach of the apps; taught MobiStine how to secure effective partnership; and finally inspired them to raise the quality of their products and the credibility of the medical information provided by the apps.

Watch Husni’s pitch below:

Why and how was MobiStine founded?

Husni, 43-year-old, served several companies in the past at positions ranging from technical support to business development director, before taking “the hard decision of starting his own business, which is quite an adventurous one” as he describes it. Answering our question on why did he choose healthcare apps in specific, Husni recalled when he got married 17 years ago and his wife got a baby girl, as the couple suffered to find credible medical information.

MobiStine’s four full time employees produced 30 applications in healthcare and lifestyle categories for iOS, which got more than 1.5 million downloads in total, according to Husni. Apps like Baby Gender, Breast Cancer, and Eye Check proved to be the most popular.

MobiStine’s business model capitalizes on paid apps with premium content, but the company provides light free editions in order to “raise the awareness of those who can't afford the apps, or those who don't have access to a credit card”, according to Husni.

The two-year old MobiStine, based in Ramallah, will specialize on developing pregnancy and mother and child care apps in the near future, for three main reasons: One, the lack of Arabic apps that provide credible information on this matter; two, the high prevalence of mortality rates and pregnancy complications in our region, according to Husni; and three, the embarrassment of some Arab women to ask about pregnancy related matters in specific, or her sexual health in general. "Having a handy mobile app will make young couples' lives much easier".

Searching for funding

MobiStine plans to release a mobile healthcare app in Arabic “which will be customizable, interactive and intelligent”. The app will alert pregnant women if they sleep in a wrong position, among many other features.

The company has finalized the prototype during its acceleration time in Boston. However the launch date on the App Store is still quite unknown, as Husni is still searching for an Arabic investor and a strategic partner. The main challenge that faces MobiStine, like many other startups in the region, is the lack of funding. Husni didn't single out resorting to crowdfunding in order to launch his next app, which will cost approximately $3. “The difference between entrepreneurship in the US and the Arab region, from my point of view, is the availability of VCs who are willing to fund ideas in the former”, remarked Husni.

Future plans

Husni Abu Samrah wishes to expand to different markets around the world in the future, by launching English language apps. He wants to project MobiStine to be "the premier developer of pregnancy and mother and child care apps”.

Abu Samrah concluded his talk with ArabNet by giving 3 advices for young entrepreneurs who are looking forward to starting their own startups: One, search for a good partner or a group of partners; two, ask the trusted and experienced people; and three, study the market extremely well. And if you think that you studied it, you still need to study it more”.

* Husni Abu Samrah will be talking at ArabNet Riyadh from 3 – 4^th Dec. 2013. Register for the regular prices here.