NYU Abu Dhabi hosts MENA edition of the world's largest student-driven startup conference
Abu Dhabi, UAE: Violet Ventures, the UAE's largest student startup community based at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), hosted the third edition of NYUAD Slush'D. The event serves as the MENA spin-off of Slush, the world's largest founder-focused gathering. Held in collaboration with Nokia, the NYUAD Career Development Center, Business Finland, the Jackie Jacob Award, and startAD – the startup accelerator powered by Tamkeen – the conference's theme focused on 'The Future of AI in MENA'.
Distinguished guests included H.E. Alia Bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship; H.E. Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Cultural Affairs; Tuula Yrjölä, Finnish Ambassador to the UAE; and Fabio Piano, Vice Chancellor of NYUAD, and more than 500 attendees, including startup founders, professors, and students from 20 universities across the UAE, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Japan.
In her speech during the event, H.E. Alia Bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei outlined the UAE's efforts to support SMEs and the UAE's plans for the next generation of startups. This commitment is reflected through the development of innovative policies and the launch of impactful initiatives that empower young entrepreneurs to achieve their ambitions and transform their ideas into successful projects with tangible economic impact.
She highlighted the launch of the 'RIYADA' ecosystem, a collaborative initiative with 16 government entities aimed at supporting and advancing entrepreneurship in the UAE. The initiative seeks to increase the success rate of young entrepreneurs from 30% to 50% by 2031, reinforcing the UAE's position as a global hub for startups and entrepreneurs from around the world, in line with the nation's vision to build a competitive, sustainable, and innovation-driven economy.
H.E. said: 'The NYUAD Slush'D event represents an exceptional model of effective partnerships between the academic and private sectors in supporting entrepreneurship, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, which is one of the key drivers of future growth.'
She further highlighted the diversity of participants—including entrepreneurs, researchers, and students—as a testament to the UAE's position as a global hub for talent and innovation in the startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The event featured 18 sessions with 33 speakers across two stages, covering AI's impact on healthcare, fintech, and aerospace. Experts from Amazon Web Services, Nokia, Careem, e& Capital, BECO Capital, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), and Technology Innovation Institute (TII) shared insights on AI startup funding and applications.
A key highlight was the AI for Good Hackathon, powered by Nokia. From 344 initial participants, 12 finalist teams pitched live at the NYUAD Slush'D stage. The first prize went to ContosoAE (Khalifa University and UAE University) for 'Socia', an AI-powered social and professional training app. Team Unbreakable 3310 (NYUAD) placed second with 'How To', a digital assistant for seniors, while OptiMinds (NYUAD) secured third place with 'TrueSight', an AI tool combating deepfakes and misinformation.
The Student Startup Exhibition showcased 10 promising student-led ventures, while the Career Expo, in partnership with NYUAD's Career Development Center, facilitated over 270 student interviews with 18 employers, including Careem, DarDoc, and Al Maryah Community Bank.
Reflecting on the event, the Head of Government and Policy Affairs for Africa and the Middle East at Nokia, said: 'Slush'D, organized by NYUAD and Violet Ventures, brought together top talent to tackle real-world challenges, fostering collaboration between academia and industry. The creativity and problem-solving skills displayed in the AI for Good Hackathon were truly inspiring.'
Ashwin Joshi, Director at startAD, added: 'With nearly 40% of global employment exposed to AI, the potential – and risks – are immense. Our goal at startAD is to nurture groundbreaking ideas and create lasting impact. NYUAD Slush'D empowers young entrepreneurs to harness AI for positive change.'
Slush is the world's largest founder-focused startup conference, attracting over 13,000 attendees annually. As the sole Slush'D organizer in MENA, Violet Ventures continues to drive networking, knowledge-sharing, and impactful collaborations between students, startups, and investors, reinforcing the UAE's role in the global startup ecosystem.
About startAD
startAD is an Abu Dhabi-based accelerator, steering local and global startups to scale in the UAE and beyond. Powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi, startAD is a new model for innovation that creates customized and impact-driven programs in partnership with stakeholders including governments, corporations, investors, and innovation entities, furthering UAE's transition into a knowledge-based economy. startAD's unique sprint accelerator model enables corporations to further innovation by partnering with startups disrupting their core businesses, while equipping startups with the training and opportunity to pilot their solutions with industry leaders.
startAD offers unparalleled business advancement opportunities to local and global tech startups, SMEs, researchers, investors, and youth through an extensive range of programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and a strong global network. Driving innovation in construction, retail, finance, and other priority industries in the UAE, startAD alumni startups have raised USD 270 million in investment, generated USD 220 million in revenue, secured over 80 global pilot projects with corporations, and created over 2500 jobs worldwide.
About Tamkeen
Tamkeen LLC is a company that partners with leading local and international institutions to deliver projects that enrich the social, cultural and educational landscape of the UAE.
About NYU Abu Dhabi
www.nyuad.nyu.edu
NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 30 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest-ranked university in the UAE and MENA region. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity's shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi's high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.
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