Ai Everything AbuDhabi Coverage: Investors test what it takes to build AI companies that can scale globally

The AI Vest conversations moved from founder readiness to acquisitions and venture backing.

ABU DHABI, 6 October 2026 — The investment conversations at Ai Everything Abu Dhabi centered on a familiar but demanding question: what makes an AI company worth backing beyond its first demonstration? The AI Vest block at AI Labs brought founders and investors together around commercial traction, regional advantages, international expansion and the choices behind acquisitions.

Nuwa Capital founder and managing partner Khaled Talhouni, Bundle co-founder and CEO Bader Al Kalooti and 21 Ventures partner Sam Marchant examined how a company built in the UAE or wider Middle East can persuade investors it is capable of venture-scale growth. Their session focused on early conviction, customers ready to buy, exceptional talent and the path from a regional start to global reach.

G42 group investments director Camillo Schobesberger joined Marchant for “Buy, Build, or Back,” a conversation about how a large AI group defines its investment and acquisition mandate, chooses targets and works with foreign funds and strategic partners. Harmonic Discovery CEO Rayees Rahman and Plug and Play Abu Dhabi ventures lead Armando Cetrangolo then took up early backing and the conditions for scaling.

The surrounding AI Labs talks placed investment in a wider ecosystem. Phaza founder Amer Tarawneh examined the move from consuming imported AI to owning regional intelligence. Unframe global field CTO Chris Slovak asked what happens when an organization relies on outside tools for its competitive advantage. An IEEE Entrepreneurship discussion with Dr. Mohamad El Dallal and Numocity Technologies CEO Ravikiran Annaswamy addressed learning, unlearning and rebuilding the skills needed to succeed. A youth debate rounded out the open-stage sequence.