Origins in Tehran, Iran

Tehran Province is the political, economic, and cultural heart of Iran — the seat of the national government, the headquarters of most major companies, and the home of the capital city of the same name, with a metro population of more than seven million. The province stretches from the foothills of the Alborz mountains in the north — where Tochal, Darband, and Darakeh draw hikers and climbers every week — across the dense urban center to the southern plains, and it concentrates the institutions that shape Iranian community life: the University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, and Amirkabir University feed a vast pool of students and engineers; the coffeehouse culture of central Tehran anchors social life; and the domestic startup ecosystem, home to companies like Digikala and Snapp, is one of the most active in the Middle East. Because the province is dense and its districts distinct — the greener north, the commercial center along Valiasr Street, the bazaar-rooted south — communities tend to form around districts and universities. The weekend runs Thursday–Friday. For anyone looking to find or start an Origin, the province rewards building trust through repeated gatherings and choosing a circle where people already know each other.