Collectively, these enterprises have secured over USD 223 million (AED 818 million), marking the highest funding aggregate of any Hub71 cohort thus far. This achievement highlights the exceptional quality of startups emerging from Abu Dhabi and the burgeoning investor confidence in the emirate’s role as a global hub for cutting-edge technologies.
Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s premier global technology ecosystem, has welcomed its most AI-centric cohort yet, incorporating 26 rapidly scaling startups into its 17th group. These companies have collectively amassed over USD 223 million (AED 818 million), the most substantial funding amount for any Hub71 cohort to date, signifying the exceptional caliber of startups originating from Abu Dhabi and the increasing investor assurance in the emirate’s standing as a leading center for advanced technologies.
More than eighty percent of the selected startups are actively developing AI-centric solutions aimed at tackling pressing challenges across vital sectors, including HealthTech, FinTech, and ClimateTech, thereby enriching Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification.
Their arrival in the emirate illustrates its escalating strategic significance in the global AI arena, further amplified by the establishment of Hub71+ AI, a specialized ecosystem supported by partners like AI71, Core42, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google for Startups, strategically designed to foster breakthroughs across various sectors.
The selection of Cohort 17 was drawn from an impressive pool of over 2,000 global applications, featuring startups hailing from 12 different nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, France, Canada, Egypt, and India.
Notably, 74% of these emerging companies are headquartered outside the UAE, underscoring Abu Dhabi’s rise as a preferred destination for globally ambitious founders seeking capital, clientele, and avenues for growth.
The cohort predominantly comprises seed-stage startups, harmonizing with Hub71’s commitment to empowering nascent enterprises to evolve into enduring international entities.
“The startups joining Cohort 17 epitomize the ambition and caliber of founders we are integrating into our community. Fuelled by robust funding and the development of technologies with extensive market applicability, they are poised for global growth. Their choice to establish operations in Abu Dhabi underscores the strength of our ecosystem as a worldwide launchpad for innovation.”
– Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO, Hub71
Prominent among the newly admitted startups is Harmonic Discovery, a US biotech firm utilizing AI to create precision therapies aimed at challenging illnesses like sickle cell disease, having secured USD 8.5 million (AED 31.2 million) in funding.
Another notable addition is Planys Technologies from India, specializing in autonomous underwater robots and smart sensors for diver-free inspections, supported by USD 7.2 million (AED 26.4 million) in funding.
Six startups within Cohort 17 are developing solutions focused on mitigating environmental challenges, leveraging the Hub71+ ClimateTech ecosystem to enhance their growth trajectory and impact.
Among these is SunGreenH2, a Singaporean firm dedicated to manufacturing high-efficiency electrolysers for producing green hydrogen in industrial, energy, and mobility sectors, backed by USD 6.6 million (AED 24.2 million) in funding.
Furthermore, eight startups are innovating in blockchain and Web3 technologies and will benefit from the Hub71+ Digital Assets ecosystem, including Resolv Labs, a UAE-based cryptocurrency investment platform that has garnered USD 12.5 million (AED 46 million).
Startups from Cohort 17 will participate in Hub71’s Access programme, which provides an extensive support package that includes up to AED 500,000 in both cash and in-kind incentives. Additionally, outstanding startups may receive as much as AED 1 million in follow-up support after their first year at Hub71.
Beyond financial assistance, startups will gain access to the Hub71 network, the Abu Dhabi market, talent resources, and investor connections, thereby positioning themselves to leverage commercial opportunities and expand rapidly from the UAE capital.
This latest cohort reaffirms Hub71’s escalating global allure and Abu Dhabi’s growing influence in molding the future of AI-powered industries.
The 26 startups selected to join Hub71’s Cohort 17 include:
Access Programme
- Banxx is an app that manages your entire financial life—linking banking and AI to streamline financial planning and management with unparalleled ease.
eVoost AI serves as the intelligence layer for contemporary real estate, a comprehensive go-to-market engine that guides all off-plan development decisions, from planning to pricing. - Harmonic Discovery employs AI to create precision therapies for elusive ailments, with a primary focus on targeting Sickle Cell Disease.
- HealthStay.io is an advanced AI software assisting medical providers in qualifying, converting, and managing international patients through automation and streamlined operations.
- Monit delivers AI-driven IoT solutions for industrial asset surveillance, enhancing worker safety and operational efficacy.
- Orbii acts as a credit intelligence platform enabling lenders to initiate and evolve SME lending products utilizing AI-based underwriting to facilitate instantaneous disbursements and collections.
- PayTic automates compliance and back-office payment operations, including reconciliation, dispute management, and regulatory reporting, thereby allowing banks and FinTech firms to amplify efficiency and scale confidently.
- Planys is transforming critical infrastructure inspection through marine robotics, advanced underwater NDT, and AI-driven analytics, allowing online inspections that enhance safety while improving efficiency for asset managers.
Professional.me is a talent intelligence system powered by micro-LLMs tailored to each employer, facilitating smarter decisions regarding hiring, upskilling, and workforce management. - Reno simplifies renovation processes by integrating contractor selection, project management, and financing into one intuitive platform.
- Ukama empowers enterprises and communities to construct their own cellular networks, extending internet access to remote locales.
- Wrtn Technologies is a distinguished consumer AI provider, offering AI companions and character chat applications while assisting businesses in boosting productivity through AI agents across its B2B solutions.
- ZenAdmin.ai is a comprehensive IT platform supporting teams globally, managing the entire lifecycle of IT hardware, security, and support—ensuring uninterrupted access to tools necessary for optimal performance.
Lypid has developed a patented plant-based fat that mimics the taste and texture of animal fat, suitable for dairy and baked goods without cholesterol and with reduced saturated fat. - Mitico provides an accessible, straightforward, and effective carbon capture technology, assisting industrial emitters in reducing carbon emissions by over 95%.
- P1 Energy’s modular synthetic fuel platform—described as a “refinery-in-a-box”—converts renewable methanol into drop-in fuels compliant with contemporary engines without modification.
- Sager operates an AI-powered digital twin platform employing drone and geospatial data to monitor assets and optimize operations in real time.
- SNAPP offers compact aquatic drones tailored for ocean habitats, scalable as a swarm, enhanced by AI monitoring capabilities.
- SolarisKit designs and manufactures flat-packed solar thermal collectors in the UAE, providing an easy-to-ship, quick-install, low-maintenance solution for affordable, clean heat in hot climates.
- Hearst serves as a cryptocurrency mining service focused on sustainability and institutional-grade reliability.
- HIFI stands as a U.S. financial technology company specializing in programmable money infrastructure, allowing businesses and institutions to integrate stablecoins into their operations seamlessly.
- MANSA functions as much-needed stablecoin-powered infrastructure, enabling payment providers to achieve instantaneous global settlements.
- Merkle Science, a leader in AI-powered blockchain analytics, assists governments, financial institutions, and crypto firms in identifying illicit activities. Supported by $27 million from esteemed investors, it provides compliance, investigative resources, and real-time risk intelligence.
- Plume is the foremost RWAfi chain designed to facilitate access to real-world applications. With over $400 million in RWA TVL and 200+ projects being developed on Plume, it stands as the premier environment for RWAs to build, launch, and expand, having raised over $30 million from notable investors, including Haun Ventures and Galaxy Digital.
- Predicate facilitates regulated pathways for on-chain financial products by abstracting policy logic and enforcement from smart contracts, simplifying compliance for enterprises.
- Resolve is an investment infrastructure that provides access to a broad spectrum of crypto-derived yields in a stablecoin format.
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