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Propeller Wraps First Kernel Camp, Graduating Five MENA AI Startups in Silicon Valley
On June 30 2026, Propeller, a venture‑capital firm that focuses on AI technology and infrastructure, announced the completion of its inaugural Kernel Camp residency program. The eight‑week cohort, held in the Bay Area, saw five startups from Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan and Egypt graduate after intensive training, mentorship and investor networking.
The cohort, chosen from the top 3 % of applicants, spanned a spectrum of deep‑tech disciplines: robotics observability, AI stack management, agent onboarding, social‑engineering cybersecurity and intelligent operations. The companies—OORB (Tunisia), Techbible (Morocco), FirstFlow (Jordan), Nexguards (Egypt) and Flowbrave (Morocco)—were guided by a mix of industry leaders and seasoned investors.
During the residency, founders met weekly with operators, executives and investors who shape the AI and software landscape. Mentorship dinners brought together leaders from Airbnb, Meta, OpenAI, JP Morgan, Cartesia, Rho, Lux Capital, Mozilla Ventures, Plug and Play and Mentors Fund. An angel‑investor happy hour at Silicon Valley Bank’s Sand Hill Road office connected the cohort with Bay Area angels, while site visits to leading Silicon Valley technology companies gave the startups firsthand exposure to the teams, cultures and operating environments of some of the world’s most influential AI and software businesses.
"We believe MENA produces founders capable of building globally significant companies, but talent alone isn’t enough. Kernel Camp is designed to immerse founders in the networks, operating culture, and technical communities that have historically accelerated the world’s most ambitious startups," said Zaid Farekh, founder and managing partner of Propeller.
Hani Azzam, partner at Propeller, added that the question was never whether MENA founders could compete globally; the program was meant to give them the environment to prove it.
The final showcase on May 30 featured live pitches from the five startups, followed by a panel that explored the growing impact of MENA talent within Silicon Valley. Panelists included Ahmed Rashad of Perle AI, Ahmad Saeddedin of Corgea (YC S23) and a fireside chat with Waseem Alshikh, CTO and co‑founder of Writer.
OORB, a robotics observability platform, captures every robot run, scores reliability and identifies changes that cause behavioral breaks. Techbible offers an AI stack manager that maps every SaaS tool and AI agent, tracks spend, usage and renewals, and shows which software is actually doing the work. FirstFlow provides an activation layer for AI agents, guiding users from the first message to full adoption through structured clarification widgets embedded directly in the chat interface. Nexguards delivers an AI‑powered social‑engineering platform that offers personalized cyber‑attack simulation and awareness training for enterprises. Flowbrave builds an intelligent operations platform that bridges the execution gap, turning static processes into dynamic, AI‑guided workflows for flawless performance.
Propeller said it is already preparing the next edition of Kernel Camp, with plans to continue bringing exceptional founders from the MENA region into the heart of Silicon Valley’s AI and technology ecosystem.
The program’s completion marks a milestone for MENA‑based AI companies seeking deeper integration into the global tech ecosystem. While the cohort’s progress is still early, the residency’s structure—combining mentorship, investor access and industry exposure—provides a model for scaling founders from emerging markets.
At present, the five startups are in various stages of product development and market entry. Propeller has not disclosed any new funding rounds or partnership agreements beyond the residency. The next Kernel Camp cohort is expected to launch in early 2027, with a similar eight‑week format and a focus on deep‑tech sectors that align with the firm’s investment thesis.
The program’s conclusion underscores the growing interest of Silicon Valley investors in MENA‑origin AI firms and highlights the importance of structured support programs for founders from regions that have historically been underrepresented in the U.S. tech ecosystem.
The cohort, chosen from the top 3 % of applicants, spanned a spectrum of deep‑tech disciplines: robotics observability, AI stack management, agent onboarding, social‑engineering cybersecurity and intelligent operations. The companies—OORB (Tunisia), Techbible (Morocco), FirstFlow (Jordan), Nexguards (Egypt) and Flowbrave (Morocco)—were guided by a mix of industry leaders and seasoned investors.
During the residency, founders met weekly with operators, executives and investors who shape the AI and software landscape. Mentorship dinners brought together leaders from Airbnb, Meta, OpenAI, JP Morgan, Cartesia, Rho, Lux Capital, Mozilla Ventures, Plug and Play and Mentors Fund. An angel‑investor happy hour at Silicon Valley Bank’s Sand Hill Road office connected the cohort with Bay Area angels, while site visits to leading Silicon Valley technology companies gave the startups firsthand exposure to the teams, cultures and operating environments of some of the world’s most influential AI and software businesses.
"We believe MENA produces founders capable of building globally significant companies, but talent alone isn’t enough. Kernel Camp is designed to immerse founders in the networks, operating culture, and technical communities that have historically accelerated the world’s most ambitious startups," said Zaid Farekh, founder and managing partner of Propeller.
Hani Azzam, partner at Propeller, added that the question was never whether MENA founders could compete globally; the program was meant to give them the environment to prove it.
The final showcase on May 30 featured live pitches from the five startups, followed by a panel that explored the growing impact of MENA talent within Silicon Valley. Panelists included Ahmed Rashad of Perle AI, Ahmad Saeddedin of Corgea (YC S23) and a fireside chat with Waseem Alshikh, CTO and co‑founder of Writer.
OORB, a robotics observability platform, captures every robot run, scores reliability and identifies changes that cause behavioral breaks. Techbible offers an AI stack manager that maps every SaaS tool and AI agent, tracks spend, usage and renewals, and shows which software is actually doing the work. FirstFlow provides an activation layer for AI agents, guiding users from the first message to full adoption through structured clarification widgets embedded directly in the chat interface. Nexguards delivers an AI‑powered social‑engineering platform that offers personalized cyber‑attack simulation and awareness training for enterprises. Flowbrave builds an intelligent operations platform that bridges the execution gap, turning static processes into dynamic, AI‑guided workflows for flawless performance.
Propeller said it is already preparing the next edition of Kernel Camp, with plans to continue bringing exceptional founders from the MENA region into the heart of Silicon Valley’s AI and technology ecosystem.
The program’s completion marks a milestone for MENA‑based AI companies seeking deeper integration into the global tech ecosystem. While the cohort’s progress is still early, the residency’s structure—combining mentorship, investor access and industry exposure—provides a model for scaling founders from emerging markets.
At present, the five startups are in various stages of product development and market entry. Propeller has not disclosed any new funding rounds or partnership agreements beyond the residency. The next Kernel Camp cohort is expected to launch in early 2027, with a similar eight‑week format and a focus on deep‑tech sectors that align with the firm’s investment thesis.
The program’s conclusion underscores the growing interest of Silicon Valley investors in MENA‑origin AI firms and highlights the importance of structured support programs for founders from regions that have historically been underrepresented in the U.S. tech ecosystem.
