Dubai Founders HQ Generates 15 Advanced Deals, 3 Signed Agreements in First Wave of Accelerator Program
Partnerships that typically take 12 months or more to develop were accelerated into a three-month timeline, with some moving from introductions to signed agreements within a single cycle.
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Dubai Founders HQ, an initiative supporting startups and SMEs, has completed its first wave of accelerator programs, generating 36 proof-of-concept opportunities in 100 days. Of these, 15 are in advanced due diligence or contracting stages, and three agreements have been signed.
The program, led by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy in partnership with Plug and Play, brought together 23 startups and five corporate partners, with the aim of helping fast-track their commercial partnerships.
“The accelerator track within Dubai Founders HQ is designed to increase the velocity between innovation and market adoption. By connecting startups directly with corporate decision-makers and regulators, we are enabling faster deployment of solutions and creating clear pathways for scale,” H.E. Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, the economic development arm of DET, said.
Organizers said partnerships that typically take 12 months or more to develop were accelerated into a three-month timeline, with some moving from introductions to signed agreements within a single cycle.
Corporate partners including DHL, du Business, Emirates Flight Catering, talabat and Visa worked directly with startups to pilot solutions aimed at addressing business challenges.
One collaboration involved Emirates Flight Catering, a Dubai-based in-flight catering service, and Metis ESG, a risk management platform, which deployed a document-driven ESG due diligence platform to provide procurement and sustainability teams with auditable visibility into supplier risk across a global supply base.
Meanwhile, food delivery app Talabat partnered with AI startup and SaaS platform Retailhub to scale a solution aimed at reducing stockouts through real-time inventory visibility.
The startups also received more than 80 hours of mentorship, investor introductions and learning modules on market entry, localization and growth strategy. Over 20 introductions were facilitated across regulators, investors and ecosystem partners.
According to Dubai Founders HQ, future programs are expected to expand into new sectors through additional strategic partnerships.
Dubai Founders HQ, an initiative supporting startups and SMEs, has completed its first wave of accelerator programs, generating 36 proof-of-concept opportunities in 100 days. Of these, 15 are in advanced due diligence or contracting stages, and three agreements have been signed.
The program, led by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy in partnership with Plug and Play, brought together 23 startups and five corporate partners, with the aim of helping fast-track their commercial partnerships.
“The accelerator track within Dubai Founders HQ is designed to increase the velocity between innovation and market adoption. By connecting startups directly with corporate decision-makers and regulators, we are enabling faster deployment of solutions and creating clear pathways for scale,” H.E. Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, the economic development arm of DET, said.
Entrepreneur Middle East Staff
Entrepreneur Staff
