Skip to content
TrustList
Blog

Startup funding in the UAE: a founder's guide for 2026

Editorial

By TrustList Editorial

Hub71, MBRIF, in5, the Khalifa Fund, Dubai SME and private VCs: what each offers UAE founders in 2026, who can apply, and where the published terms are unclear.

About Startup funding in the UAE: a founder's guide for 2026

Startup funding in the UAE: a founder's guide for 2026

The UAE offers founders a wide choice of support, but it is spread across several layers. Some programmes are federal. Others belong to Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Some are run by free zones and financial centres, where the main benefit is a licence, a desk or a regulatory sandbox rather than cash. And some government funds are open only to Emirati founders.

This guide is for founders building a company in the UAE and for founders elsewhere who are thinking of moving there. It sorts the main programmes by who runs them, explains what each offers and who can apply, flags where the public information is incomplete or out of date, and describes how to approach private investors.

Every amount, date and count here comes from the organisation's own website or an official government page, listed under Sources. Terms change often. Treat every figure as correct at the time of writing (September 2026), and check the official page before you apply. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.

How UAE startup funding is organised

It helps to group the options before comparing them.

  • Federal schemes. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF) and Emirates Development Bank (EDB) serve companies across the country.
  • Abu Dhabi. Hub71, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, and the state investors ADQ and Mubadala.
  • Dubai. The Dubai Future Foundation and its fund of funds, in5, the DIFC Innovation Hub and Dubai SME.
  • Private venture capital firms, many of them based in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

Before you look at any amount, check three things. Is the programme open to your nationality? Does it provide money, or a licence, space and support? And which emirate does it expect you to operate from?

Federal schemes: MBRIF and Emirates Development Bank

Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund is a Ministry of Finance initiative operated by Emirates Development Bank. It has two parts.

  • The Guarantee Scheme, launched in 2016, helps innovative companies borrow. The government backs a guarantee to a bank listed with MBRIF, so the company can get affordable debt finance without giving up equity. It accepts applications from any nationality.
  • The MBRIF Accelerator is a six-month programme. Its FAQ says it takes no equity stake, membership fees or success fees.

The FAQ says companies should be UAE-based, or planning to set up in the UAE in the near future. It does not publish guarantee amounts or loan ceilings, so ask the listed banks what they will lend against the guarantee.

Emirates Development Bank

Emirates Development Bank is the federal development bank. At the time of writing (September 2026), its startup page says it provides financial support of up to AED 2 million to qualifying startups in its key strategic sectors, with flexible tenors of up to 72 months. It says it can offer up to AED 2 million even to businesses without assets, based on its own financial and qualitative evaluation.

EDB also runs a credit guarantee scheme, which gives lenders assurance so that a limited credit history or lack of collateral does not block a small business loan. For larger companies, its Emirates Growth Fund typically invests between AED 10 million and AED 50 million in primary capital, in UAE-based companies in priority sectors with annual revenues of AED 10 million or more.

A loan has to be repaid whatever happens to the business, even when a guarantee stands behind it. Ask for the full cost in writing before you compare it with equity.

Abu Dhabi: Hub71, ADGM and the state investors

Hub71

Hub71, in Abu Dhabi, says it is backed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and Mubadala Investment Company. Since its launch in 2019, it says it has grown to more than 300 startups across 24 sectors.

At the time of writing (September 2026), startups joining its Access programme, Hub71+ Digital Assets or Hub71+ ClimateTech receive:

  • AED 250,000 in cash in exchange for equity, through an uncapped, no-discount, most favoured nation (MFN) SAFE note
  • AED 250,000 worth of in-kind incentives in the form of support services
  • the chance of a top-up of up to AED 250,000 for high-performing startups, for additional equity, on completion of the programme or after one year

Access is a 12-month programme for pre-seed to Series A startups, including a three-month guided track. There are no application fees. Hub71 also runs specialist tracks for AI and life sciences, and an ideation-stage programme called Initiate, where Hub71 takes no equity and provides no direct funding.

Timing needs care. The Access page says Hub71 is accepting applications for Cohort 21, with a deadline of February 2027 and a start in September 2027. Applications made after a deadline are considered for the next cohort. The Access page and the FAQ give slightly different timings for reviewing Cohort 21 applications, so confirm the dates with Hub71.

ADGM Tech Startup Licence and RegLab

Abu Dhabi Global Market is the emirate's international financial centre. It is a licensing and regulatory route, not a funder.

Its Tech Startup Licence is a commercial licence with a discounted fee structure for up to five years of initial operations. ADGM's FAQ says that if an application is accepted, a USD 4,000 annual licence fee applies, with up to three years before the startup moves to the full fee. The conditions matter:

  • every application must include a Hub71 approval letter
  • the licence needs a signatory who lives in the UAE
  • the startup must have at least a dedicated desk or office, not a hot desk
  • the licence does not allow regulated financial services

Fintech companies that want to test a new product can apply to RegLab, ADGM's controlled testing environment, if the solution is ready for testing and does not already fall under regulated activities.

Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development

The Khalifa Fund is a fund of the Government of Abu Dhabi, established in 2007. It offers seven financing programmes, including financing for the capital and operating costs of launching a business, and financing for investments in artificial intelligence and robotics.

Eligibility is narrow. A business must be 100% owned by UAE nationals, legally established and operating in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and have an owner or partner aged 18 to 65 with no open court cases. The required business age varies by programme. Loan amounts and interest terms are not published on its funding page, so use its calculator or contact it directly. Hub71 runs the MZN x Hub71 Programme for Emirati founders in partnership with the Khalifa Fund.

ADQ and DisruptAD: status unconfirmed

ADQ, the Abu Dhabi state investor, announced DisruptAD as the platform for its venture capital work, covering investments in startups and venture capital funds and the creation of incubators and accelerators. We could not confirm that DisruptAD still operates in that form. The announcement has been removed from ADQ's website, ADQ's redesigned homepage no longer mentions venture capital, and the DisruptAD web address no longer appears to belong to it. Flat6Labs also lists its Abu Dhabi seed programme with ADQ, Flat6Labs Ignite, as not active. Contact ADQ before treating DisruptAD as an open route.

Mubadala Capital Ventures

Mubadala Capital Ventures, formerly Mubadala Ventures, is the venture platform of Mubadala Capital. Since launching in 2016, it says it has built a portfolio of more than 100 early and growth companies in technology and healthcare. Its ventures page does not state fund sizes, cheque sizes or how to apply, so there is no published application route.

Abu Dhabi's investment office also ran an Innovation Programme, launched in 2020, with incentives for technology companies moving to the emirate. Its current programmes page no longer lists that programme by name, and shows "Financial support & rebates" under investment promotion instead. Ask the office what is available now.

Dubai: Dubai Future Foundation, in5, DIFC and Dubai SME

Dubai Future Foundation

The Dubai Future Foundation runs Dubai Future Accelerators, a programme dating back to 2016 that brings startups together with government and private organisations to work on set challenges. It is a route to pilots with public bodies, not a funder. Its pages give no cash or equity terms. Its AI4Gov page offers fully sponsored accommodation and travel for eight weeks and says participants keep complete ownership of their innovation. We could not confirm which challenges are open now, so check the challenges page. AREA 2071, its co-creation space, no longer has a separate website.

The Foundation's funding vehicle is the Dubai Future District Fund. It was launched in January 2020, and the Foundation describes it as Dubai's evergreen venture capital fund of funds, anchored by the DIFC and the Foundation with an initial Dhs 1 billion in committed capital. It invests in venture capital funds with a local focus and directly in startups, and it is mandated to support companies operating out of the Dubai Future District.

in5

in5, launched in 2013 by TECOM Group, is an incubator with centres for tech, media, design and science in Dubai. It does not state that it invests in startups. Its main offer is subsidised business set-up. At the time of writing (September 2026), its pricing table shows:

  • a licence at AED 1,000 a year in each of years one to three
  • a co-working desk at AED 15,000, 18,000 and 21,000 in years one, two and three
  • a dedicated office at AED 40,000, 45,000 and 50,000 in years one, two and three
  • full licence pricing of DH15,000 a year after incubation, which lasts up to three years

Students from UAE universities get a special discount, and applications are accepted at any time. For funding, the Dubai Media Office reported in October 2025 that in5 Tech hosts the in5 Investor Hub, where investors can meet startups, and that startups in in5 had raised more than AED 9 billion since its start. That is money raised from investors, not money from in5.

DIFC Innovation Hub

The Dubai International Financial Centre's Innovation Hub is aimed at fintech and other technology companies. It offers accelerator programmes, Innovation and AI Licences, co-working and a regulatory framework, and it describes itself as home to the first and largest fintech accelerator in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The former DIFC FinTech Hive now appears only as part of the Innovation Hub's history.

We could not verify Innovation Licence fees on an official DIFC page. Figures appear in other sources, but ask DIFC for its current fees before you plan around them.

Dubai SME

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Fund for SMEs is part of Dubai SME and supports Emirati entrepreneurs. It is now presented through Dubai Founders HQ, the site the old Dubai SME address redirects to. Its page describes interest-free or low-interest loans, up to 80% financing on assets without interest, and credit guarantees for entrepreneurs using platforms such as Beehive. Loan ceilings are not published, so ask the fund directly.

Private venture capital firms

Most equity rounds are raised from private venture capital firms. The five below are among those based in the UAE. They are listed alphabetically, not ranked or recommended, and each description is based on what the firm publishes on its own website.

  • BECO Capital has invested since 2012 in founders building technology companies across the Gulf and the wider Middle East. It says it manages more than $820 million across five funds, investing from pre-seed to pre-IPO, and sometimes co-founds and incubates companies.
  • Global Ventures describes itself as a UAE-based international venture capital firm, founded in 2018, with $400M in assets under management. Its old web address now redirects to a domain sale page, and its current site is global.vc, so check you are on the right site.
  • Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP) is based in Dubai. Its funds page describes its fourth regional fund, launched in 2023 and anchored by the European Investment Bank, as having a size of $105M, while its launch announcement gave a target size of $150 million, so confirm the current figure. It has an application page for founders.
  • Shorooq Partners is regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. It says it has grown its assets under management from $2 million to over $1 billion since its founding in 2017. Its funds include the Qatalyst Fund for late-stage companies and the Presight–Shorooq AI Fund.
  • Wamda Capital invests through two entities, Wamda Capital – Fund I and Wamda Capital – Evergreen, in high-growth technology and technology-enabled startups across the Middle East and North Africa, Turkey and Sub-Saharan Africa. As an evergreen fund, it says it prioritises long-term investment.

Fund sizes describe how much a firm manages, not whether it suits you or how well it has performed.

How to approach a private investor

  • Check fit first. Read each firm's website for stage, sector and geography, and whether it leads rounds.
  • Use the front door, and an introduction if you can. Use application forms where they exist. An introduction from a founder the firm has backed, or from a programme such as Hub71 or in5, often helps.
  • Ask your own questions. Who else is in the round? Does the fund keep money for follow-on investment? How long will a decision take?
  • Check the paperwork. Ask which legal entity will invest and where it is regulated, then confirm it on the regulator's register. Speak to founders the firm has backed.

Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

Founders often ask which emirate to choose. There is no single answer, but the programmes point in different directions.

Abu Dhabi makes sense if you want Hub71's cash and incentives. Hub71 and ADGM work together: ADGM's Tech Startup Licence requires a Hub71 approval letter. Emirati founders there can also look at the Khalifa Fund, which requires a business established in Abu Dhabi. TrustList's ranking of venture capital firms in Abu Dhabi lists investors based in the emirate.

Dubai suits founders who mainly want a subsidised licence and workspace, as in5 offers, or who work in fintech and want the DIFC's licences and regulatory framework. Emirati founders can look at the Dubai SME fund. See the ranking of venture capital firms in Dubai.

Either works for the federal schemes. MBRIF and EDB serve companies across the UAE.

Do not choose an emirate for a single programme without reading the full terms. A licence, office, visas and a resident signatory all carry costs and obligations. Take advice from a lawyer and an accountant before you set up.

How to use TrustList's funder rankings

TrustList's ranking of startup funding programmes in the UAE lists programmes and schemes, and the Dubai and Abu Dhabi venture capital rankings list private investors. Know how they are built:

  • They are based on what funders publish. TrustList's investor rankings draw on what funders say on their own websites, such as the stages and sectors they invest in and where their offices are. They are not based on investment performance or returns, so a higher position does not mean a better investor for you.
  • Nothing paid counts. Sponsored placements are labelled and never add to a position. Our trust and methodology page explains how TrustList keeps rankings independent.
  • They are a starting point. Use them to build a list, then check each funder's current terms on its own website.

Every investor and programme profile on TrustList also has a form to request an introduction. The TrustList team reads each request and passes on only those that fit the funder's stage and focus, with your pitch and contact details. It costs nothing, and a funder is not obliged to reply.

TrustList does not give legal, tax or financial advice. Before you sign a SAFE, a term sheet or a loan agreement, take advice from qualified professionals.

A checklist before you apply

  • Check nationality rules: some funds are for Emirati founders only.
  • Decide whether you need cash, a loan, a guarantee, a licence or workspace.
  • Confirm current amounts, fees and deadlines on the official page.
  • For Hub71, read the SAFE terms and the cohort timing closely.
  • Budget for licence, office and visa costs in the emirate you choose.
  • Treat programmes whose status is unconfirmed, such as DisruptAD, as unverified until you hear back.
  • Take legal, tax and financial advice before you sign.

Sources

Categories & features

Keep exploring

More on TrustList

Everything here links back to the same verified catalogue. Pick your next stop.