Investors & Ecosystem

Who funds and builds the UAE startup ecosystem — venture capital firms, accelerators, incubators, sovereign investors, and government funds active across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. Each profile tracks the funding rounds they back and the news they appear in. Looking for the companies themselves? Browse the startup directory.

AstroLabs

Dubai-based accelerator and coworking platform helping tech startups expand across MENA.

AcceleratorDubai

AcceleratorDubai

D

DIFC FinTech Hive

DIFC's fintech accelerator connecting startups with banks, regulators, and regional capital markets.

AcceleratorDubai

AcceleratorDubai

Flat6Labs

MENA seed accelerator and early-stage VC with programmes across the region, including the UAE.

AcceleratorDubai

AcceleratorDubai

P

Plug and Play

Silicon Valley innovation platform and accelerator founded in 2006 by Saeed Amidi, running corporate innovation programmes in 35+ cities and making hundreds of early-stage investments a year. Its GCC hub launched at ADGM in 2018; UAE deals include Cobi's 2026 pre-seed.

AcceleratorSunnyvale, USA

AcceleratorSunnyvale, USA

Sheraa

Sharjah's entrepreneurship center backing founders through programmes, capital, and community across the UAE.

AcceleratorSharjah

AcceleratorSharjah

Y

Y Combinator

Silicon Valley startup accelerator founded in 2005 by Paul Graham, Jessica Livingston, Robert Morris and Trevor Blackwell. It has funded thousands of companies; UAE alumni include Ziina (W21), Nomod (S21), Camelan (W21) and Kaso (W22).

AcceleratorSan Francisco, USA

AcceleratorSan Francisco, USA