Hub71 and Khalifa Fund Ignite New Emirati Startup Cohort in Al Ain

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 21-05-2026

4 min

Khalifa Fund and Hub71 launched MZN Hub71, backing 17 early-stage Emirati founders in Al Ain.

Selected from 370 applicants, most are under 35 and first-time builders.

Startups span HealthTech, ClimateTech, FinTech, AgriTech, with AI woven throughout.

The three-month programme refines ideas, builds “minimum viable products”, and ends with Demo Day.

Founders gain long-term access to capital, networks and support beyond the initial sprint.

Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED) has teamed up with Abu Dhabi’s tech ecosystem Hub71 to unveil the first cohort of the MZN Hub71 Programme, welcoming 17 Emirati founders who are building early-stage startups across priority and emerging sectors. For Al Ain in particular, this feels like a moment that’s been a long time coming.

The cohort was selected from more than 370 applications, which says a lot about the appetite for structured support among aspiring founders in the UAE. The programme is spearheaded by Khalifa Fund and delivered through the MZN Hub in Al Ain, creating what is essentially a new entry gate into the country’s startup ecosystem. And believe it or not, for many young entrepreneurs outside the usual big-city circles, that entry point can make all the difference.

Nearly 90% of the founders are under 35, and over 75% are launching their very first ventures. That’s no small detail. Anyone who has tried to build something from scratch knows it can be a bit of a faff in the early days, from validating an idea to figuring out your first minimum viable product. Female founders account for 35% of the group, a figure that reflects the steady, if gradual, widening of participation across the UAE’s startup scene.

What also stands out is that 59% of the selected founders came through partner referrals. That underlines the importance of networks in this region. I’ve often seen promising ideas stall simply because the right introduction never happened. In this case, collaboration between Khalifa Fund, Hub71 and other ecosystem players appears to have been spot on.

The startups themselves cover sectors closely aligned with Abu Dhabi’s economic priorities: HealthTech, ClimateTech, FinTech and AgriTech, alongside a strong thread of AI applied across industries. It’s a mix that feels practical rather than flashy. I reckon that focus on real-world sectors, food, finance, health, gives these founders a clearer runway to market.

H.E. Khalifa Al Kuwaiti, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector at Khalifa Fund, described the launch of the first MZN Hub71 cohort as a reflection of the fund’s commitment to empowering Emirati entrepreneurs and building the next generation of national enterprises. He noted that the programme in Al Ain is designed as a structured pathway, helping founders turn ideas into viable businesses while contributing to the UAE’s economic diversification agenda. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to expand access to mentorship, networks and investment readiness support so founders can scale and compete globally.

Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, pointed to the growing momentum among Emirati founders building ventures from Abu Dhabi. He said the cohort brings together founding teams developing timely solutions with strong market potential, adding that Hub71 is proud to support entrepreneurs from the earliest stages, helping them validate ideas and build solid foundations for growth.

The three-month programme at MZN Hub in Al Ain guides founders through defined phases, from refining concepts to developing minimum viable products and testing them in the market. It concludes with a Demo Day, where participants present to investors, government stakeholders and ecosystem partners, a crucial opportunity to unlock funding, partnerships and commercial deals. On the flip side, Demo Days can sometimes be more show than substance, but when backed by serious ecosystem players, they can genuinely open doors.

Beyond the formal programme, founders will be plugged into Abu Dhabi’s wider innovation network, with continued access to capital, partnerships and strategic support as they scale. That long-term integration is, in my view, often the make-or-break element. A three-month sprint is helpful, yes, but sustained backing is what turns an idea into a real company.

For readers of Arageek who follow the region’s startup journey closely, this initiative signals something simple but important: innovation is not confined to one city or one background. By activating early-stage talent in Al Ain and connecting it to Hub71’s global network, MZN Hub71 aims to strengthen the UAE’s founder pipeline for years to come.

It might sound like just another programme announcement, but sometimes these first cohorts are where the real stories begin. And if even a handful of these 17 startups manage to scale, the ripple effect across the loal ecosystem could be definately worth watching.

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