KPMG Launches 2025 Global Tech Innovator Hunt Focusing on UAE Startups

KPMG has just announced the launch of its annual Global Tech Innovator Competition for 2025, putting the spotlight firmly back on the brightest and best of the UAE's tech startups. This year, they're hunting down the country's most exciting emerging businesses—tech entrepreneurs brimming with ideas capable of shaking up markets and revolutionising just how customers are served.

The competition provides an exceptional opportunity for startups operating within the UAE to pitch their technology-led solutions to a panel made up of industry heavyweights. By stepping onto this international stage, Dubai or Abu Dhabi-based entrepreneurs (or wherever in the Emirates they might hail from) have an exclusive chance to showcase their vision, reaching big-hitter investors from around the globe.

It's not a secret that the UAE really has become a hotbed for ambitious startups over recent years. According to the latest figures, at the end of 2024, more than 5,600 startups already called the UAE their home—underscoring how robust and dynamic the ecosystem has become. Since its start in 2021, the Global Tech Innovator Competition has certainly thrown its own weight into the ring, boosting the Emirates' enviable reputation as an innovation powerhouse.

Remarking on the initiative, Anurag Bajpai, Partner at KPMG Lower Gulf, commented: "We are committed to supporting emerging trendsetters in the tech sector and are excited to champion UAE tech innovators through our annual global competition, a platform that highlights local talent. As the UAE solidifies its position as a leading technology hub, we are proud to be part of shaping the future of the digital economy."

In terms of eligibility, startups must be officially registered in the UAE, less than seven years old and pulling in revenues somewhere between $1 million and $15 million—or else having managed to raise at least $500k through equity investments. Importantly, they're looking for authentically tech-focused ventures, so businesses mostly owned by big corporations need not apply—this competition is strictly for the ambitious little guys.

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Of course, it's no wonder businesses flock to this corner of the Gulf—the UAE has created the ideal breeding ground for exciting young companies, with its favourable investment environment, low taxes, friendly regulatory policies and forward-thinking legislation proving irresistable to entrepreneurs from all corners of the globe.

Winners at the UAE national competition don't just take home bragging rights—they also get to represent the Emirates at the global finals, rubbing shoulders with other regional winners from over 20 different countries. This global stage offers unprecedented exposure and can mean transformative opportunities for aspirational young entrepreneurs hoping to take their business idea worldwide.

It's worth mentioning too, that KPMG Private Enterprise continues its strong role supporting startups with a range of global resources aimed at helping new players grow and scale their ventures quickly.

Personally, seeing competitions like this pick up pace always brings a smile to my face—it's genuinely inspiring to watch creators with big ideas bring innovations off the drawing board and into reality. Honestly, Arageek readers can likely attest to this as well—who doesn't love seeing a scrappy, creative underdog making waves and threatening to rewrite the tech industry's playbook?

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