Top Startups in UAE, (Abu Dhabi)

Abu Dhabi’s startup scene is on an absolute tear these days. The emirate is ticking all the boxes for founders: ready access to VC funding, a swathe of accelerators and incubators, fast-tracked business licensing, and a genuine push from both government and private sector to turn good ideas into global businesses. You’ll find early-stage startups rubbing shoulders with ambitious international players, all thanks to local initiatives like Hub71 and HELM, which make this a proper playground for entrepreneurs who aren’t afraid to think big.

Whether you’re into fintech, foodtech, medtech or climate solutions, there’s no shortage of venture capital and, more importantly, the sort of hands-on support you’d hope for in a serious startup ecosystem. Pitch decks fly thick and fast, term sheets get signed over flat whites, and the city’s founded plenty of companies determined to fix real problems in the region and beyond. If you fancy building the next unicorn—or simply want a co-working space where deals happen over lunch—Abu Dhabi's got you covered.

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Data science shouldn’t be just for the massive multinationals, and Cambio ML agrees—making AI-powered analytics a reality for any business. Their platform is all about automation, letting companies in finance, healthcare and government deploy models and gain insights quickly, without needing a PhD on the payroll. Thanks to a smart user interface and the support of early seed funding and startup accelerators, Cambio ML is turning Abu Dhabi into a genuine data-driven capital for the Middle East.

It’s another strong indicator that accelerators and VC funding are helping level the playing field for all sorts of founders in Abu Dhabi.

One of Abu Dhabi’s giants, G42 straddles AI and cloud computing, bringing tech innovation to sectors as diverse as healthcare, finance, and even oil and gas. With more than 25,000 people on board and partnerships stretching round the globe, G42 leads on everything from predictive analytics to smart city initiatives—proving there’s room for proper scale-up ambition in the local startup ecosystem. Investors don’t just back them for their growth, but for how G42’s expertise rubs off on the next wave of Abu Dhabi founders.

This underlines how Abu Dhabi accelerators, scale-ups and VCs are working together to prop up an entire innovation economy—one where both early-stage startups and established giants can thrive.

Iyris, formerly known as RedSea, is an Abu Dhabi-based AgTech company pioneering sustainable farming technologies for hot and arid climates. Headquartered in Al Ain, the company develops innovative solutions like SecondSky™ greenhouse covers and heat-resilient crops to boost agricultural yields. Founded by scientists from KAUST and King Abdullah University, Iyris bridges cutting-edge research with practical farming needs. In May 2024, it secured $16 million in Series A funding led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund. With operations across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and beyond, Iyris is driving the future of climate-smart agriculture from the heart of Abu Dhabi.

Privacy is gold, and Skipr’s making sure businesses and individuals don’t have to pick between safety and speed online. Their AI-guided VPN constantly optimises for both, reacting to security threats in real time. It’s especially helpful for journalists, corporates and anyone sick of patchy connections or backdoor vulnerabilities. Seed-backed and growing from their base in Abu Dhabi, Skipr shows why the city is attracting a new generation of cybersecurity talent.

Another feather in Abu Dhabi’s cap when it comes to supporting startups that actually solve global problems—rather than just talking about them.

For everyone fed up with mystery-meat imports, Switch Foods is rewriting the future of food in the UAE. Their foodtech team crafts plant-based meat alternatives that look and taste the part, but with a climate-friendly twist—sourced and produced right in Abu Dhabi. By putting sustainability and local flavour at the core, they offer a first-of-its-kind solution for eco-conscious consumers in the MENA region, from burgers to kebabs that wouldn’t be out of place at any family gathering. They recently opened the first local plant-based facility, so Middle Eastern food security and regional taste profiles finally get some love.

If you’re keeping an eye on the latest foodtech trends, Switch Foods makes it clear why localised production is a real asset for the Abu Dhabi startup ecosystem.

Forget everything you know about batteries—Theion is swapping out lithium for sulphur, which means cheaper, greener energy storage for everything from EVs to renewables. The German-founded company is venturing into Abu Dhabi via Hub71, keen to tackle both regional and global energy challenges. By engineering a battery with three times the density (and a fraction of the environmental impact), Theion’s cleantech vision fits right in with the emirate’s focus on decarbonisation and clean energy solutions.

With regional decarbonisation goals high on the agenda, Theion shows just how international startups can plug straight into Abu Dhabi's ambitious energy plans.

Cyprus-born but globally driven, THEON INTERNATIONAL is redefining tactical optics from its new base in Abu Dhabi. Best known for its cutting-edge night vision and thermal imaging systems, THEON has partnered with IGG to launch a local manufacturing hub—bringing its high-spec military tech straight to the heart of the Gulf. With rising demand across defense forces in MENA, the company’s Abu Dhabi expansion marks a bold step in localizing advanced electro-optics and exporting precision-built systems from the UAE to the world.

London roots, Abu Dhabi ambitions—Vivan Therapeutics is shaking up personalised cancer treatment with an AI-driven platform that uses fruit fly models for real-world results. They team up with oncology clinics and pharma giants to test out different treatment combinations virtually, helping find the best course of action for every single patient. Now expanded to the UAE via Hub71, they’re turning the city into a test bed for precision medicine, bringing together biotech, R&D partnerships, and a truly global vision for healthtech.

Bringing an international healthtech leader like this into Abu Dhabi's fold is a sign of the city’s pull for cutting-edge startups and world-class founders.

No longer just a Dubai success story, Watermelon Ecosystem is planting roots in Abu Dhabi as part of Hub71’s latest cohort—bringing its smart B2B food supply platform to the capital’s vibrant F&B scene. From streamlining procurement for hotels and restaurants to helping local suppliers digitize their inventory and payments, Watermelon is transforming how the region sources its food. Backed by Series A funding, the startup is now using Abu Dhabi as a launchpad to scale its mission of modernizing MENA’s food supply chain from farm to kitchen.

If you’re scouting B2B opportunities, Watermelon shows how startup accelerators and local insight are giving even overlooked sectors a digital edge.

Geospatial intelligence might sound niche, but xMap is making it essential for urban planners, logistics companies, and even government agencies. Their AI-powered platform crunches satellite images and spits out clear, actionable insights—it can spot a new road, changing city blocks, or subtle shifts in desert environments before you can say “infrastructure boom”. Thanks to a clever neural network trained for local terrain, and prime positioning in Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 scene, xMap is helping shape smarter, faster-growing cities.

Smarter mapping and decision-making like this is why Abu Dhabi’s tech incubators are fast filling up with researchers and ex-corporate types alike.

Abu Dhabi’s startup ecosystem is buzzing, and there’s plenty here to inspire savvy founders or anyone searching for the perfect co-working scene. If you want your startup to stand out, don’t just tick boxes—swap generic words like “innovative” for something punchier, try sliding an extra context sentence between product details and market focus, and check your pitch deck for the mischevious typo everyone eventually makes (trust us, Arageek will spot it). With so much capital and expertise flowing around—plus strong ties to global markets—the only real limit is your imagination.