Kristine Erika Agustin

At the Tech Innovation Forum 2026, media personality and entrepreneur Joelle Mardinian reflected on nearly two decades of building Joelle Group and the costly lessons that changed how she thinks about growth.

Scent is becoming smarter and more personalized as AI finds its way into homes, hotels, and wellness spaces.

After his own health struggles exposed the fragmentation of healthcare, the serial entrepreneur set out to build an AI-powered platform that brings health guidance, monitoring, and professional support into one ecosystem.

Three startups. Three industries. One ecosystem. The journeys of Archireef, Vivan Therapeutics, and Inovat reveal how Abu Dhabi is attracting companies that require more than funding to move from ambition to execution.

Ahmed Al-Enazi, Operations Director at QSTP and Director of the Tech Venture Fund, shares how Qatar is creating a launchpad for deep-tech innovation by connecting startups with capital, research capabilities, and global networks.

The UAE has become WHOOP’s fastest-growing market.

Olsson also highlighted the UAE’s growing importance as a launch pad for startups seeking regional and international expansion.

Al Hassan said Abu Dhabi's ambition is to become the world's first AI-native government.

Alwan also noted that resilience is not simply the ability to withstand challenges, but ability to continue creating value.

Dr. Al Katheeri explained that Hub71 is a prime example of the broader development strategy being used in Abu Dhabi’s technology sector.

The funding will support Aumet’s expansion across global healthcare systems, with a focus on scaling enterprise deployments in the GCC, particularly Saudi Arabia.

“In the UAE, we truly believe that nothing beats doing business."

The new funding will also be used to expand its product catalog, localization efforts, technology upgrades, and AI-powered personalization.

As loneliness emerges as a growing yet often overlooked challenge of aging in an increasingly modern life, UAE-based startup Rafeeq Connect is rethinking elderly care by offering in-person and virtual companionship services designed to complement family support.

The funding will support its next growth phase as it expands beyond e-signatures into AI-powered contract lifecycle management, including tools for drafting, negotiation, tracking, and compliance

The startup is planning to expand its charging station network to 2,000 locations across high-traffic venues in the UAE by the end of 2026.

Voice AI is rapidly reshaping contact centers, but building systems that work across Arabic dialects remains a challenge. Tunisian-born and UAE-headquartered startup Clusterlab, through its product Callab.ai, is tackling that gap, and its entry to Y Combinator, a seed-stage startup accelerator, marks a key milestone in scaling its vision.

In a digital-first world, visibility is influence, not just presence. In response to this demand, Dubai-based personal branding platform PRsonaME offers AI-powered tools to help leaders turn expertise into credibility and build lasting impact across global markets.

A10’s strategy is rooted in staying ahead of the curve, says its Group CEO Amiral Elmehdawi.