# Supernova 0X at Expand North Star 2026

- **Type:** challenge
- **Status:** open
- **Cycle:** Expand North Star 2026
- **City:** Dubai
- **Equity:** No equity (cash prizes)
- **Cost:** No fee published
- **Duration:** Competition through GITEX week
- **Closes:** 2026-11-02
- **Apply:** https://www.expandnorthstar.com/supernova-0X
- **Page:** https://www.dxbstart.com/programs/supernova

Supernova 0X is the startup competition at Expand North Star 2026 (GITEX week, 12 October). Published prize pool is USD 200,000 equity-free across pre-seed, seed, and Series A, plus pods and buyer intros. Apply on the Expand North Star page. Closes 2 November 2026. This is a stage, not an operating system. You still need a company. Good if you will be in Dubai that week and can stand on a floor. Bad if you wanted a six-month programme.

## Desk take

The one dated GITEX-week object on this board. Apply if you can show up. Do not treat a pitch-off as a fundraise.

## Eligibility

Stage-based pitch competition at Expand North Star 2026 (8–10 Dec, Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City) — the startup arm of GITEX Global.
- Pre-Seed: MVP or prototype, under $250K raised
- Seed: product in market, $250K–$3M raised
- Series A: $3M–$15M raised with proven traction
- You must provide verifiable proof of funding stage (announcement, database listing, or investor confirmation)
- Entry is tied to exhibiting: startups that book a pod at Expand North Star are automatically eligible to enter; application via the ENS e-zone
- Requires a pitch deck plus a 60-second English pitch video (YouTube/Vimeo URL; over 60s = disqualified)

## Questions

### Is this GITEX itself?

It sits on Expand North Star, the startup end of the GITEX week complex.

### Do winners give equity?

The published prize is cash, equity-free. Read the current T&Cs before you plan around it.


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Source: DXBStart — the working index of the UAE startup ecosystem. Canonical page: https://www.dxbstart.com/programs/supernova
More machine-readable resources: https://www.dxbstart.com/llms.txt
Startups can request a listing at https://www.dxbstart.com/submit — free, editorially reviewed.