11-02-2025
Abu Dhabi's Hub71 welcomes 27 global tech startups with $145m funding in latest cohort expansion
Hub71, Abu Dhabi's global tech ecosystem, named 27 startups as part of Cohort 16 across Hub71's three programmes – Access, Hub71+, ClimateTech and Hub71+ Digital Assets.
This new addition increases the total number of ventures supported by Hub71 to 357.
The latest cohort includes startups across key priority sectors.
Cohort 16 was selected from over 1,300 applications, with 63 per cent of chosen startups headquartered in leading technology markets such as the USA, UK and Germany.
Collectively, Cohort 16 startups have raised over $145 million (AED 532 million) in funding, averaging $4.9 million (AED 18 million) per startup.
By joining Hub71, these startups are establishing their operations in Abu Dhabi, gaining access to a robust network of capital, mentorship, and resources to scale their businesses and drive impactful growth, the accelerator said.
Among the notable additions to Hub71's Access programme is Vivan Therapeutics, a UK-based precision medicine company pioneering cancer research, using AI and fruit fly models to identify personalized treatments, Theion, a German startup developing sustainable sulfur-based batteries that store up to three times more energy than traditional batteries, and South Korean startup Redbrick, a cloud-based 3D creation engine that uses AI and blockchain.
One in three startups in the cohort is based in the UAE, showcasing the nation's growing status as a global entrepreneurship hub.
Notable homegrown startups include Qashio, an award-winning spend management platform that has raised $10 million (AED 36 million), and Switch Foods, a foodtech company offering locally produced, affordable plant-based meats.
Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, said Cohort 16 reinforces the global confidence in Hub71 as a launchpad for transformative ideas from Abu Dhabi.
'These companies are advancing innovation across key tech sectors while strengthening Abu Dhabi's position as a global tech hub,' he said.