What LebNet does

LebNet is a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1999, headquartered in San Mateo, California. It operates as a professional network connecting Lebanese tech professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and early-career individuals across the U.S. and Canada, with additional programming extending into Lebanon through institutional partnerships. The organization serves approximately 2,500+ members (per its website) or 4,000+ (per its financial transparency report) through 15+ regional communities across North America, supported by a small core staff of 1-10 employees and a volunteer board of senior tech executives.

The organization's core offerings include a Job Board with 1,000+ postings, professional and regional community chapters, a mentorship program, the Tech Fellows student program, a Soft Landing fellowship for postgraduates, the LebNet Ignite startup accelerator, the Bireme Awards (annual recognition of Lebanese tech leaders), a Women in Tech program, the Brothers Talking Tech podcast, and a Biotech Community vertical. Its technology backbone is the Wild Apricot membership management platform, which handles member registration, event management, and the job board; the organization does not develop proprietary technology products. It has distributed over $9M in crisis relief funding for Lebanon, particularly following the 2020 Beirut Port explosion.

LebNet is funded through individual donations, annual membership dues, and limited corporate sponsorships (including Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, Joun Technologies, and Razor Capital). It maintains formal partnerships with Lebanese American University (LAU), American University of Beirut (AUB), Endeavor Lebanon, Beirut Digital District (BDD), LIFE (Lebanese International Finance Executives), SEAL, and Outerpond to deliver mentorship, internship, education, and cross-border business programs. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by President George Akiki (co-founder) and includes senior tech leaders from Open Geospatial Consortium, Google, Wells Fargo, and Sway Ventures.

Name

LebNet

Legal name

LebNet

Website

https://lebnet.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LebNet is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1999 connecting 2,500+ Lebanese tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and students across the U.S. and Canada through regional communities, mentorship, a job board, startup accelerator, and university partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Network Services

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional & Business Services Marketplaces (Freelancers, SMB Services) (BPAMAHAG)

Keywords

• Professional networking community
• Tech mentorship programs
• Career development services
• Startup accelerator programs
• Nonprofit tech association

Headquarters

HQ city

San Mateo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals supporting the Lebanese tech community and crisis relief efforts
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership dues from tech professionals and entrepreneurs joining the LebNet network
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Limited corporate sponsorships from companies supporting specific programs like Women in Tech

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LebNet is a non-profit professional network organization that connects Lebanese tech professionals and entrepreneurs across the U.S. and Canada through membership-based community programs. It delivers career development services including a job board, mentorship matching, regional and professional community chapters, events and webinars, student programs (Tech Fellows, Soft Landing), and the LebNet Ignite accelerator for startup founders. Revenue is generated through annual membership dues, individual donations, and limited corporate sponsorships supporting programs like Women in Tech.

Product overview

LebNet is a non-profit organization operating as a professional network platform rather than a commercial technology product company. The organization offers a suite of community-focused programs and services including a Job Board, Professional and Regional Communities, Events programming (panels, webinars, workshops), Mentorship, Tech Fellows student program, Soft Landing support, LebNet Ignite accelerator, Bireme Awards recognition, Women in Tech program, Partnership for Lebanon initiative, Brothers Talking Tech podcast, and Biotech Community. These programs collectively serve 2,500+ members, 1,000+ jobs, 500+ events, 75+ startups, and 15+ communities across the U.S. and Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brothers Talking Tech: LebNet's podcast series hosted by Greg Akiki, Geoff Akiki, and Fram Akiki discussing technology topics including semiconductors, AI, and digital transformation.

Products and services

• Job Board A digital job board providing access to tech jobs and internships for Lebanese professionals across the U.S. and Canada, supporting career development and job placement.
• Professional and Regional Communities Networking communities connecting Lebanese tech professionals across 15+ North American hubs, including professional focus groups and regional chapters.
• Events Program Exclusive panels, webinars, and hands-on workshops facilitating networking and professional development for members, with over 500+ events hosted.
• Mentorship Program Guidance and mentorship program connecting members with top tech talent for career development and professional growth.
• Tech Fellows Program empowering Lebanese students for career success in tech, providing resources and support for early-career professionals.
• Soft Landing Program enabling postgraduate students with mentors and stipends to transition into professional tech careers.
• LebNet Ignite Accelerator Two-week accelerator bootcamp connecting Lebanese startup founders to Silicon Valley experts, providing mentorship, funding opportunities, and access to the expertise needed to scale businesses globally.
• Bireme Awards Annual awards program recognizing Technology Leaders of Lebanese descent across 5 different categories, celebrating excellence in the tech industry.
• Women in Tech Program Program supporting women in high-tech through mentorship, networking, and the Tech Fellows fellowship program for first-generation, low-income students from Lebanese universities.
• Brothers Talking Tech Podcast Podcast series hosted by tech industry veterans Greg Akiki (GlobalFoundries), Geoff Akiki (Hoya), and Fram Akiki (Joun Technologies), covering topics on semiconductors, AI, digital transformation, and technology trends.

Quantifiable outcome

• $9M+ in crisis relief raised and distributed for Lebanon
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lebanese American University (LAU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLebNet and LAU signed a memorandum of understanding to launch the Industry-Focused Lebanese Education & Academia Partnership (iLEAP), enabling experienced LebNet members to contribute to LAU-accredited courses through industry-driven seminars and lectures.
• American University of Beirut (AUB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with AUB's Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture connects students in Lebanon with industry experts through mentorship, internships, seminars, and collaboration on research and projects, including the recurring Silicon Valley Channel tech talks series led by senior LebNet members.
• Endeavor LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Memorandum of Agreement between LebNet and Endeavor aims to leverage LebNet's professional network to mentor Lebanese scale-up founders, exchange best mentoring practices, and track impact. Both organizations share information about their events.
• SEAL & LIFEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing the Beirut Port explosion on August 4, 2020, U.S.-based non-profit SEAL, the Lebanese International Finance Executives (LIFE), LebNet, and other partners joined forces to launch the Beirut Emergency Fund relief initiative supporting NGOs and entities providing aid in Lebanon.
• LIFE (Lebanese International Finance Executives)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2024, LebNet and LIFE partnered on two major initiatives: the Engage and Act Series spotlighting NGOs addressing urgent community needs, and the Lebanon Education Emergency Fund supporting students whose education was disrupted by the country's crisis. They also collaborate on Pitch Night to give early-stage entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their startups.
• Razor CapitalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRazor Capital is a multi-asset venture capital firm focused on frontier markets. LebNet collaborates with Razor Capital on events that engage entrepreneurs and strengthen the startup ecosystem.
• Beirut Digital District (BDD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLebNet collaborates with BDD to create jobs in Lebanon, mentor and coach BDD's resident startups, and co-host ecosystem events. In turn, BDD offers visiting LebNet members access to its facilities.
• Joun TechnologiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoun Technologies, a management, technical, and academic consulting firm, proudly sponsors LebNet's Women in Tech program, featuring one-on-one short video interviews with early- to mid-career women in high-tech.
• OuterpondminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLebNet signed a memorandum of understanding with Outerpond, an online business opportunity ecosystem, to enable cross-border business opportunities between service providers in Lebanon and service seekers in North America.
• All Girls CodeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLebNet WiT members ran a workshop on landing tech internships for over 90 participants at All Girls Code's annual Techsplore summer program for young girls in Lebanon.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): EO is a global, membership-based community of founders offering peer learning, events, and accelerators. It competes with LebNet for senior entrepreneur mindshare and sponsorships but operates at much larger scale and is not diaspora-specific.
• MIT Enterprise Forum (MIT EF): MIT Enterprise Forum is a global nonprofit running events, mentorship, and pitch programs for technology entrepreneurs. It overlaps with LebNet Ignite and LebNet's pitch-style programming, but serves a much broader (non-ethnic) audience.

Direct peers

• Endeavor: Endeavor is a global nonprofit supporting high-impact entrepreneurs through mentorship, networking, and capital access. LebNet has an active MoU with Endeavor Lebanon, and the two share a mentoring-first model targeting scale-up founders.
• TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs): TiE is a global nonprofit fostering entrepreneurship through mentoring, networking, and education across a large diaspora professional base. Its chapter model, mentorship programs, and angel-investor networks are directly analogous to LebNet's structure.
• Startup Grind: Startup Grind operates a global chapter-based community for tech entrepreneurs built around events, mentorship, and content. Its community-led GTM, chapter model, and event-driven engagement closely parallel LebNet's 15+ regional communities and 500+ events.
• TechWadi: TechWadi is a nonprofit network connecting Arab-American technology professionals and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. It mirrors LebNet's community-led mentoring, events, and startup support model for an overlapping (broader Arab) diaspora audience.
• Lebanese International Finance Executives (LIFE): LIFE is a nonprofit network of senior Lebanese finance executives with whom LebNet co-runs the Engage and Act Series, Pitch Night, and the Lebanon Education Emergency Fund. It is a directly collaborative peer targeting an adjacent senior Lebanese diaspora vertical.

Regional players

• AUB Alumni Association: The American University of Beirut alumni network is a regional professional/community organization tied to one of LebNet's core university partners. It overlaps with LebNet's Lebanon-facing programming (mentorship, talks, career support) but is institutionally anchored rather than industry-anchored.
• Lebanese American University (LAU) Alumni Network: LAU's alumni network is one of LebNet's primary iLEAP partners. It serves a similar Lebanese professional community but with a university-centric mandate, complementing LebNet's industry/tech focus.

Emerging players

• Greek.tech: Greek.tech is a community platform supporting Greek-origin tech professionals and founders globally. It is structurally analogous to LebNet as a diaspora-focused tech network, but is younger and operates at smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lebnetorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/lebnetsiliconvalley
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lebnet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LebNet