Dubai Founders HQ and Plug and Play accelerate tangible commercial pathways between startups and corporates

• In just 100 days, 23 startups engaged across first wave of accelerator programmes, generating 15 advanced proof-of-concept opportunities and 3 signed agreements with 5 corporate partners
• Partnerships that typically take 12+ months progressed to pilot and contracting within a single programme cycle
• Partnership demonstrates Dubai’s model of turning innovation into commercial deployment under the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33
• Programme reinforces Dubai Founders HQ as a central platform driving innovation and entrepreneurship

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 29 April 2026: Dubai Founders HQ, an initiative by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, has successfully completed its first wave of accelerator programmes, delivering tangible execution, impactful corporate engagement, and credible venture scalability. Delivered in partnership with global innovation leader Plug and Play, the programmes have demonstrated a new model for rapidly translating innovation into commercial deployment.

Delivered over a 100-day period, the programme brought together 23 startups, featuring Emirati and resident founders, and 5 leading corporate partners; resulting in 36 proof-of-concept (PoC) opportunities, of which 15 are currently in advanced due diligence or contracting and 3 signed agreements during the program cycle. Unlike traditional accelerators, the programme was designed around direct customer demand, enabling startups to efficiently move from initial engagement to commercial discussions.

Partners including DHL, du Business, Emirates Flight Catering, talabat and Visa worked directly with startups to pilot solutions solving real business challenges. As a result, one collaboration between Emirates Flight Catering and Metis ESG deployed a document-driven ESG due diligence platform, giving procurement and sustainability teams auditable visibility into supplier risk across a global supply base. Another example is talabat’s collaboration with Retailhub, scaling a regional solution to reduce stockouts through real-time inventory visibility. These examples reflect a shift from experimentation to enterprise level deployment within accelerated timelines.

Partnerships that would typically take 12 months or more to curate were compressed into a 3-month timeline, in some cases with an initial introduction moving to signed agreement during the programme. This reinforces the strength of alignment between government entities, corporates, and startups in Dubai.

The completion of the accelerators was marked by an interactive demo day, convening founders, investors, corporate leaders and ecosystem stakeholders to showcase live collaborations across priority sectors including finance, logistics, telecommunications, retail, and food and beverage. The event underscored Dubai’s model of translating economic strategy into practical implementation through structured public-private partnership.

His Excellency Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), the economic development arm of DET, said: “The accelerator track within Dubai Founders HQ is designed to increase the velocity between innovation and market adoption. By connecting startups directly with corporate decision-makers and regulators, we are enabling faster deployment of solutions and creating clear pathways for scale. The outcomes we are seeing today demonstrate how Dubai is institutionalizing innovation, turning it into a structured, repeatable engine for economic growth under the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.”

Ahmad Al Room Almheiri, Acting CEO of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME), said: “A key outcome of this programme has been the progression of Emirati founders into real market deployment. Through structured access to mentorship, corporate partners, and commercial opportunities, we are seeing national entrepreneurs move beyond early-stage ideation into tangible business impact. This strengthens the pipeline of high-growth companies emerging from Dubai and supports our broader ambition to build globally competitive national champions.”

Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, commented: “These accelerator programmes reflect our ongoing commitment to creating practical paths to success for startups by connecting them with customers, partners, investors, and opportunities to scale. Through Dubai Founders HQ, we are helping founders turn bold ideas into commercially viable businesses and reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading destination for entrepreneurship, innovation, and high-growth digital ventures.”

Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play, shared: “We are proud to see the tangible outcomes delivered through this first wave of programmes in partnership with Dubai Founders HQ. The results place Dubai Founder HQ’s accelerator among the top-performing globally, very impressive for a new programme and reinforces the strength of alignment between government entities, corporates, and startups in Dubai.”

Beyond curated corporate pathways, participating startups also benefited from over 80 hours of structured mentorship, investor introductions, and tailored learning modules covering market entry, product localisation, and growth strategy. Furthermore, over twenty introductions were facilitated across regulators, investors, and ecosystem partners.

This structured approach reflects Dubai Founders HQ’s role as a central orchestration platform, connecting founders, corporates, investors, and government entities, ensuring that founders are not only supported, but actively integrated into the broader economy to accelerate business growth.

As a flagship initiative under the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, Dubai Founders HQ is designed to support key goals including the creation of high-growth startups, the scaling of new unicorns, and the strengthening of Dubai’s position as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Building on the success of its first wave accelerator programmes, Dubai Founders HQ will expand sector-focused programmes through further strategic partnerships, ensuring that innovation remains embedded at the heart of the city’s economic model.