Top Startups in UAE, (Sharjah)

Sharjah might not always get the limelight like Dubai, but spend a day wandering through its co-working spaces or chatting with local founders, and it’s clear the vibe is something special. This is a city where idea-driven startups aren’t just surviving—they’re thriving.

What sets Sharjah apart for founders is a tight-knit but rapidly maturing startup ecosystem, an abundance of affordable workspaces, forward-thinking accelerators like Sheraa, and a steady trickle of venture capital. It’s the kind of place where you can stumble from an all-hands at your seed-stage fintech to a pitch deck feedback session with angel investors, all before your lunchtime karak.

There’s scope for early-stage ventures at every scale here, whether you’re deep into a cap table negotiation or just peering into your first term sheet. If you’re eyeing the UAE as a base, the blend of market access, support, and genuine community puts Sharjah on the map. Here are some of the most intriguing startups shaping the landscape, in case you fancy joining the energy—or just want to know where your next coffee-fuelled brainstorm should happen.

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Solving the age-old hassle of empty buses bumbling through city streets, Arcab has become the go-to platform for fleet operators in the UAE hoping to squeeze every dirham from their vehicles. Rather than letting assets gather dust, Arcab’s tech-driven aggregator lets companies—from heavyweights like Europcar and Dubai Taxi Corporation to smaller outfits—boost their utilisation and cut out old-school manual faff. What started as a humble bus-pooling app has snowballed into a suite of tools to help sharpen margins and trim downtime. Praised in Forbes' 30 Under 30 and freshly topped up with seed funding led by We Founder Circle, Arcab shows how the region’s accelerators and honest-to-goodness hustle can break into even the most established sectors.

And this is exactly why Sharjah’s early-stage founders pay attention to accelerators and seed funding rounds as doors to regional opportunity.

Bookends is a UAE-based platform founded in 2019 by Somia Anwar and Grace Karim to buy and sell pre-loved books at affordable prices. It started as a digital initiative promoting sustainability and reading culture across the Emirates. The startup gained traction after winning third place at Startup Sharjah, organized by Sheraa. While its main store is located in Dubai Silicon Oasis, Bookends serves all emirates, including Sharjah. Customers can buy or sell books online via bookends.ae, with delivery and pickup options available.

Shows how even marketplace startups make their mark in Sharjah's evolving ecosystem—especially when co-working, cap table talks and creative hustle come together.

On the agri-tech frontier, Iyris is shaking up farming for some of the toughest climates anywhere. Its signature innovation, SecondSky, is a greenhouse cover that blocks heat without killing sunlight, cutting power bills for farmers and keeping things sustainable. Beyond greenhouse tech, Iyris uses wizardry like polyploid grafting to build tougher, more resilient plants, so farmers can keep crops alive despite heat, drought or pests. Backed by a hefty Series A round ($16 million)—with VC funding from the likes of Global Ventures and EIF—Iyris is proof that deeptech thrives here, not just flashy consumer apps.

If turning deserts green doesn’t demonstrate ecosystem growth, what does? Founders here know there’s a shot at genuine global impact.

For anyone who thinks social impact can’t go hand-in-hand with a solid business model, Lizzom proves the opposite. This woman-owned startup is on a mission to replace chemical-filled pads with organic, biodegradable alternatives—while also persuading workplaces to offer them for free in the loo. They’re tackling stigma and waste in one hit, which, as any early-stage founder knows, is the dream. Cultural change, cap tables, and pilot rollouts all wrapped up into a single package.

This kind of founder-led mission is precisely why support from local incubators and angel investors is so vital in Sharjah’s ecosystem.

Trying to write essays in a second language? My Essay Writer to the rescue. The team here uses AI to help students with planning, structuring, and polishing academic work, whether you’re bashing out an essay or prepping a presentation. The focus is on skill-building, not shortcuts, so users get meaningful feedback and those all-important nudges towards originality. It’s a one-stop shop for anyone bogged down by daunting assignments—no surprise that it draws plenty of interest whenever EdTech comes up at local pitch events.

It’s a nod to how startups here pick real-world problems and use the accelerator networks to launch bold ideas for education and skills.

If co-working spaces are full of dog parents worrying about their furry mates at home, Petto is for you. This platform connects pet owners with trusted local sitters so cats and dogs can get quality care, whether it’s for a lunchtime walk or an overnight stay. By building a genuine pet care community, Petto has tapped into both a genuine business gap and a bit of old-fashioned kindness. The result? Less anxiety for owners and a win for anyone yearning for animal company but not quite ready for the full commitment.

Another clear win for founders who can spot gaps in daily life—especially when the startup scene is hungry for practical, community-driven solutions.

She is Arab isn’t just another professional network—it’s a lightning rod for Arab women ready to challenge boardroom norms. By building a supportive space for mentorship and career-building, the platform steps up where the old boys' networks ever fell short. Via events, connections and corporate partnerships, She is Arab is putting real muscle behind diversity and changing what “leadership” looks like, from Sharjah outward.

Another solid reminder that the ecosystem’s backbone is its diversity and ability to knock down barriers for underrepresented founders.

Sharjah’s love of books runs deep, so it’s no shock to find a startup reimagining storytelling itself. Storically’s platform lets parents tailor children’s books—personalising characters and storylines for maximum engagement. Spun up from a Sheraa weekend pitch event, the venture nailed both seed support and validation in one swoop, proving that a good incubator can still ignite something magical. It’s the right mix of passion project, family values, and scalable tech that makes even seasoned founders a tad sentimental.

Proof that accelerator support and grant funding can transform side-hustles into startup proper—pitch decks at the ready, naturally.

For every founder plotting remote work or a weekend break, planning is usually a faff—unless you’re using Traveln.AI. This homegrown platform harnesses artificial intelligence to build you a dream itinerary and unearth those local gems quicker than you can hit 'search flights'. Community reviews and personalised recommendations seal the deal, making the route from idea to booking as smooth as your favourite espresso. No manual trawling, just smart, data-driven travel planning on autopilot.

If you want proof Sharjah’s accelerator scene isn’t all bricks and mortar—here’s AI innovation that delivers on practical travel needs too.

All up, Sharjah in 2025 is a collision of community, world-class accelerators, and founders who know how to spot overlooked needs—sometimes reinventing the essay, sometimes the bus route. Arageek readers will know the scene is maturing, with Sheraa’s Startup Dojo, regular funding rounds, and a lorry-load of support for women and diverse teams. If you’re starting out, consider weaving in a stronger opening sentence about the capitol city’s unique vibe, or swap out ‘ecosystem’ for something punchier like ‘startup scene’. Don’t forget a bridging sentence in your pitch deck—otherwise, your story might never acheive lift-off.