Future enhancements

Showcase roadmap prioritizes the founder-driven submission flow, Sponsored Showcase deeper profiles, and traction signal integration. The strategic question: each enhancement must strengthen the verified-directory moat, not dilute it.

Near-term (Phase 2)

• Founder-driven submission flow (`/submit/startup`) with intake queue + 4-gate verification UI for editors.
• Sector / Stage / Country archive pages.
• Sponsored Showcase deeper-profile placement (named paid editorial spotlight).
• Founder Account integration: founders can request edits to their own startup entry; edits route to editorial review.

Mid-term (Phase 3)

• Traction signals (round size, employee count, market presence) verified via editorial reporting.
• Saved startups for authenticated users (investor/partner watchlists).
• Sponsored partner-discovery: paid placements visible to investors searching by sector pipeline.

Long-term (Phase 4+)

• Syndication API — export verified startup directory to partner platforms (accelerators, investor associations).
• Cohort-tracking: when an accelerator runs a cohort, the startups join a cohort entity in the graph for traceable outcomes.
• M&A signal feed — platform-curated weekly digest of MENA startup acquisitions / shutdowns.