ADGM Tech Startup Licence
The ADGM Tech Startup Licence is a discounted commercial licence in Abu Dhabi’s financial free zone for seed-stage tech companies. Public materials put the seed rate around USD 1,500 a year, with English common-law courts, visa quota tied to desks, and a door into the Hub71 campus story. It is evergreen. It is a place to incorporate, not a selection programme. If you need a sandbox letter to test a regulated product, that is RegLab. If you want Hub71’s cohort, apply to Access separately — the licence does not enrol you.
DESK TAKE
This is the Abu Dhabi twin of DIFC’s Innovation Licence: cheap common-law paper if you actually operate there. Do not take it as a tourism visa with a .com on top. ADGM will expect a real office story as you grow.
ELIGIBILITY
Abu Dhabi's international financial centre offers an incentivised commercial licence for tech startups that want English common-law jurisdiction and Hub71 access. - Sector-agnostic: open to local, regional and international tech startups with an innovative, scalable tech business model — but NOT available to technology service providers - You must first obtain a Hub71 eligibility letter; applications without it have not been accepted since July 2024 - Two stages: seed (USD 1,500/yr licence fee) and emergent (USD 4,000/yr); incentivised pricing for up to three years before transitioning to full fees - Requires an ADGM office address (each dedicated desk space carries 3 visas), a brief business plan, and a signatory who resides in the UAE - English common law jurisdiction; eligible startups can apply for dual-licence recognition with Abu Dhabi DED, and separately for Hub71's incentive programme
QUESTIONS
Does this get me into Hub71?
No. Hub71 Access is a separate application. The licence is incorporation.
Who is it for?
Early tech companies that want ADGM as the legal home, not trading companies shopping the cheapest zone in the UAE.