Top Startup Accelerators & Incubators in Dubai, UAE

Dubai is a major innovation hub in the UAE, with numerous startup accelerators, startup incubators, and innovation programs. It boasts a high concentration of accelerators aiming to build and nurture disruptive startups across diverse tech and entrepreneurial fields. This guide explores Dubai's leading accelerators and incubators that support startups in the ideation, launch, or growth phase.

Top 15 Startup Accelerators and Incubators in Dubai, UAE

1. Dtech Sandbox

Target Audience: Early startup with a team.

Niche: Technology.

Dtec, located in Dubai Silicon Oasis, is the largest tech startup campus in the Middle East. It serves as a 12-month startup hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. It offers a dynamic ecosystem with flexible coworking spaces, founder-focused startup programs, and access to a network of investors and corporate partners. Dtec supports the growth and launch of UAE startups through various services, including company setup within a free zone, mentorship, and networking events.

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2. Government Accelerators

Target Audience: Early startup with a team.

Niche: Sector Agnostic.

Government Accelerators is the world's first government accelerator to achieve rapid, sustainable, and scalable results by empowering government and private sector employees through intensive 100-day challenges. This initiative fosters collaboration across federal entities and sectors, focusing on innovative problem-solving and efficient decision-making to enhance public services. The program comprises design, acceleration, and sustainability phases to ensure lasting impact.

3. Hatch & Boost

Target Audience: Early-stage startup with a team.

Niche: Impact-driven startups with a team.

Hatch and Boost is an early-stage venture startup accelerator that partners with visionary founders to develop and scale digital innovation projects. Its team of experts in product design, marketing, and other key areas provides comprehensive support and acts as co-founders in the ventures it invests in. They focus on creating purposeful companies with a significant global impact, leveraging a network of diverse and passionate professionals to drive creativity and successful outcomes.

4. INNOVEST Middle East

Target Audience: Early-stage startups and visionary builders.

Niche: Technology-driven and innovative ventures.

Innovest is a startup accelerator that offers mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities to tech-focused startups. It helps them scale their innovative ideas into impactful businesses by providing tailored programs and access to a network of industry experts. Innovest focuses on fostering sustainable growth and global expansion for its portfolio companies.

5. Faster Capital

Target Audience: Early-stage startup with a team.

Niche: FinTech, edTech, health-tech, software, e-commerce, blockchain.

Faster Capital is a global virtual incubator, accelerator, and venture capital firm that provides seed funding, mentorship, and resources to early-stage startups. It helps entrepreneurs scale their innovative ideas by offering strategic guidance and access to a network of industry experts. Faster Capital fosters sustainable growth and enables startups to achieve long-term success.

6. in5

Target Audience: Early stage startups with a team.

Niche: Innovation and business incubation.

in5 is a Dubai-based business incubator that provides workspace, mentorship, and resources to startups in technology, media, and design. It offers access to industry experts, networking opportunities, and support services to help entrepreneurs develop and scale their innovative businesses in the Middle Eastern market.

7. Startupbootcamp Smart City Dubai

Target Audience: Startups with a team.

Niche: Smart city and urban innovation in Dubai and the Middle East.

Startupbootcamp Smart City Dubai is an accelerator program that supports startups that develop innovative solutions for smart cities and urban environments. They provide mentorship, funding, and access to a network of industry experts and investors. The program helps startups scale their solutions to address urban challenges, leveraging Dubai's infrastructure and strategic position to foster growth and global expansion.

8. Charged Ventures

Target Audience: Early-stage startups with a team.

Niche: Web3, blockchain, and crypto.

Charged Ventures is a leading web3 and crypto venture capital firm based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and the Middle East. Using their combined expertise and network of industry-leading professionals, they offer mentorship, advisory services, investment opportunities, and strategic resources to their cohorts' most promising web3 projects. They support projects across DeFi, NFTs, blockchain infrastructure, gaming, and more.

9. Dubai Future Accelerators

Target Audience: Early and growth-stage startups.

Niche: Solutions for smart cities, sustainability, and digital transformation.

Dubai Future Accelerators is an accelerator program that partners startups with government entities to create cutting-edge solutions for Dubai's future challenges. It offers a nine-week program with mentorship, funding, and access to a vast network of industry experts to help innovative companies scale and significantly impact regional urban development and technological advancement.

10. DIFC Fintech Hive

Target Audience: Early-stage startups with a team.

Niche: Fintech.

Fintech Hive is an accelerator program based at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) that supports fintech startups. They provide mentorship, funding opportunities, and access to a network of industry experts and financial institutions. Fintech Hive focuses on fostering innovation in financial services, helping startups develop and scale solutions that transform the financial landscape in the Middle East and beyond.

11. Intelak Hub

Target Audience: Early-stage and late-stage startups.

Niche: Aviation, Technology, Education, Travel, Tourism.

Intelak is an accelerator that provides mentorship, funding, and resources to technology and innovation-focused startups. It supports entrepreneurs in developing and scaling their businesses by offering strategic guidance, access to industry experts, and networking opportunities to foster growth and success.

12. Grow Valley

Target Audience: Early-stage startups with a team.

Niche: Sustainable and growth-oriented ventures.

Grow Valley is an accelerator and venture studio specializing in inventing, investing in, and launching game-changing startups through influential partnerships. It supports early-stage startups by providing mentorship, funding, and resources to help them scale their businesses. Grow Valley focuses on fostering sustainable growth and innovation, offering tailored programs and access to a network of industry experts to drive success and impact.

13. TURN8

Target Audience: Early-stage startups and entrepreneurs.

Niche: HealthTech, FinTech, Transportation, Logistics, SaaS, Smart Cities, AI, IoT.

Turn8 is an accelerator that provides mentorship, funding, and resources to technology-focused startups. It supports entrepreneurs in scaling their innovative ideas by offering strategic guidance, access to a network of industry experts, and opportunities for growth and market expansion. Turn8 connects corporates, startups, and investors through various programs, including Venture Capital as a Service (VCaaS), a Venture Studio for startup development, and an academy for education and training.

14. Dalma Capital

Target Audience: Early-stage startups and growth-oriented businesses.

Niche: Fintech, AI, datacenter & e-commerce infrastructure, education, natural resources, blockchain.

Dalma Capital is a venture capital firm and accelerator that provides funding, mentorship, and strategic support to early-stage and growth-oriented startups. They focus on investing in technology and innovation-driven companies, helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses and achieve long-term success through access to a network of industry experts and valuable resources.

15. The Humanitarian Accelerators

Target Audience: Early-stage startups with a team.

Niche: Humanitarian technology and social impact initiatives.

Humanitarian Accelerator is a 10-week accelerator program dedicated to supporting startups and innovators who create technology-driven solutions for humanitarian and social challenges. It offers mentorship, funding, and access to a network of industry experts and partners to help scale impactful projects that improve lives and promote societal well-being. This program runs alongside Dubai Future Accelerators.

AcceleratorApp Closing Thoughts on Startup Accelerators and Incubators in Dubai, UAE

Dubai is one of the UAE's innovation hubs, with accelerators and incubators offering mentorship, guidance, access to funding, and an ideal environment for startups to thrive and grow.

By joining a business incubator or accelerator in Dubai, you can access various tools and assistance. You also become part of a thriving community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers. If you're prepared to embark on an exciting entrepreneurial journey, Dubai's startup accelerators and incubators are ready to push you toward success.

Want to discover more accelerators and incubators from other countries? Check out the list below. 

Top Accelerators and Incubators from:

• Berlin
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• Dubai
• Riyadh
• Egypt
• San Francisco
• Boston
• New York City
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• Bangalore
• Tel Aviv
• Singapore
• Seoul