Hub71 and Unicorn Factory Lisboa Forge New Pathways for Mediterranean Startups

Editorial Team

Last updated 16-11-2025

3 min

Hub71 and Unicorn Factory Lisboa will collaborate to ease startups' market entry across continents.

The agreement during Web Summit 2025 fosters shared resources and joint programming.

Lisbon's startup scene, active since 2022, has supported over 820 startups.

The partnership aims to provide easier market access to Europe, UAE, and MENA regions.

This collaboration is part of Abu Dhabi's growth as a global innovation hub.

Hub71 has teamed up with Unicorn Factory Lisboa in a move that could give startups on both sides of the Mediterranean a much smoother path into new markets. The agreement was signed during Web Summit 2025 in Lisbon, with senior UAE and Portuguese officials looking on. And honestly, seeing Lisbon’s startup scene buzzing again reminded me a bit of the early days in Abu Dhabi when Arageek used to cheer on every small win in the ecosystem… different continents, same energy.

Unicorn Factory Lisboa, which the city launched back in 2022, has already supported more than 820 startups, collectively valued at over €1 billion. Not bad for an initiative that only kicked off a couple of years ago. The new partnership with Hub71 creates a more coordinated setup between the two ecosystems, with shared resources, joint programming and easier routes for founders aiming to break into Europe, the UAE or the wider MENA region. It’s the sort of cross‑border cooperation everyone talks about, but rarely pulls off properly.

Ahmad Ali Alwan, Hub71’s CEO, described Lisbon as a rising force in global innovation and said the tie‑up makes sense for both sides, as it opens doors to capital, talent and new markets. On the flip side, Gil Azevedo from Unicorn Factory Lisboa called Abu Dhabi one of the top destinations for ambitious tech firms and said he was thrilled to plug Lisbon’s founders into Hub71’s network. I reckon he’s spot on—having two well‑organised ecosystems linked together could save a lot of startups from the usual faff of expanding abroad.

During Web Summit, Hub71 brought more than 20 partners and eight startups—including droplinked, Esports XO, Grubtech and others—to meet investors and global tech leaders. And believe it or not, there was even a joint side event to highlight expansion opportunities across both regions. These things can sometimes feel a bit corporate, but this one seemed genuinely focused on helping startups get real traction rather than just collecting business cards.

The wider picture here is Abu Dhabi’s steady climb as a global innovation hub. Aligning with international partners like Lisbon’s team strengthens that position and gives founders more confidence that scaling across continents isn’t just a dream on a pitch deck. For entrepreneurs across MENA who I’ve met over the years—some chuffed to bits after their first round, others still figuring things out—having clearer pathways like this can make all the diference.

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