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Supporting Newcomer Entrepreneurs - Forward·Inc’s Challengers Pitch Competition
July 13, 2025
Alnylam’s Challengers is our social impact initiative that aims to improve health and well-being by rallying behind fearless Challengers – bold leaders, navigators, and guides – increasing access to personalized care and support for underserved communities.
As part of our ongoing commitment to support refugees and displaced individuals in rebuilding their futures, we were recently privileged to sponsor our Challengers partner Forward·Inc's inaugural Challengers Pitch Competition.
Based in the Netherlands, Forward·Inc helps newcomers establish themselves in employment and become economically self-sufficient, with a particular focus on individuals who have been forcibly displaced and cannot return to their home countries.
The Challengers Pitch Competition was a dynamic ‘Dragon’s Den / Shark Tank’ type process, designed to support more established newcomer entrepreneurs’ start-up ambitions. With bespoke resources, expertise and counsel, the candidates were helped in refining their business plans and investor pitches, with a view to securing onward funding and expansion.
The candidates’ business plans spanned a rich variety of sectors and topics, including an AI property rental platform, SME optimisation tool, multi-dweller property subscription service, digital business cards for physicians, digital platform connecting chefs, culturally-driven condiment brand, multi-cultural food ‘shopateria’, and botanical water-flavouring sachets.
Many of the business plans were grounded in the need for simpler solutions to practical problems experienced by newcomers and the commonly-shared quest to source the nostalgic tastes of home. You can see each of their topline profiles here.
Each of the candidates was matched with a mentor from across the Alnylam network to help them practice and refine their plans and pitches. Eight took part in the semi-final, held at Alnylam Netherlands on 22nd May with our Netherlands Finance Director, Kevin Springer, as one of the judges. Six candidates then progressed to the final, held on 19th June at the Forward·Inc Festival in Amsterdam, with Christian Downton, Country Manager of Alnylam Netherlands, as a judge.
The Forward·Inc Festival was a vibrant celebration of multiculturalism and entrepreneurship and an inspiring display of the incredible achievements of newcomers from around the world who have made their mark on the Netherlands and beyond. It also provided the ideal networking forum for the candidates to build their connections with investors and other business owners.
After a series of very strong final pitches, and much discussion by the judges, Layth Massoud of Fil Foods was announced as the winner, for his modern take on elevating Palestinian chilli shatta into a versatile portfolio of hot sauce products with a socially conscious approach.
Layth, of Fil Foods, receiving his €10,000 prize from Christian Downton and the other Competition judgesSupporting organisations like Forward·Inc is central to our Alnylam values and our commitment to corporate responsibility. We look forward to seeing each one of these businesses flourish.
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