If you are a budding entrepreneur with an amazing idea and are looking to nurture and incubate your idea into a profitable business, getting admitted to a startup incubator might be a really good idea.
Dubai, especially, with a tax-free environment, and amazing infrastructure in place is an amazing hub to begin the growth of your startup idea.
If you don’t know what incubators are, they are programs (typically lasting for a year or more) that help your business put together a founding team, validate your business idea, provide mentorship, network connections and investment opportunities to truly take your business to the next level.
There are over 40 incubation programs in Dubai, but this list contains 5 of the best startup incubators in Dubai that could truly be your catalyst for success.
DTec Startup Accelerator in Dubai
Perhaps the single largest coworking campus in the Middle East, DTec is also known for providing incubation programs from their campus. Founded in 2015, DTec is a complete entrepreneur ecosystem that will provide your startup everything it needs to be a budding business in Dubai.
Apart from the coworking benefits, it will also provide you mentorship and capital support, often from its own venture capital wing. Their incubation program lasts for a period of 12 months, named Sandbox, and it will help transfer years of knowledge to the founders in this brief period.
Though DTec is primarily interested in Tech startups, their incubation programs are open for multiple sectors. Their portfolio of companies includes The Luxury Closet, Voicea, Writer among many others.
Faster Capital Startup Accelerator in Dubai
If your product is based on consumer internet technology, Faster Capital is perhaps the most ideal entry on our list for you.
This startup incubator/accelerator program in Dubai is known for providing highly competitive funding, in return for a major stake in the company. This funding could be around $50,000 – $500,000 in return for a 25% – 50% equity stake in the company.
Apart from incubation and acceleration programs, Faster capital is particularly known for offering CTO as a service. Their portfolio of companies include startups like Meody, ACV Mob, Mobile, Nakkeb and BeamGift among others.
In5 Startup Accelerator in Dubai
Founded in the year 2013, In5 is a startup incubator in Dubai that is backed by the TECOM group of businesses. They are known for their three famous startup incubation programs, namely In5 Tech, In5 Media and In5 Design, that help startups in the fields of technology, media and design respectively.
Their incubation program spans for a period of 6 months, and have successfully incubated over 500 startups in the 8 years since its inception. Areas of interest for the In5 incubation programs include IoT, Cloud Computing, Robotics, and 3D printing among others.
Their portfolio companies include ViaFone, Crowd Analyzer, FlexxPay among many other successful companies.
DIFC FinTech Hive Startup Accelerator in Dubai
The DIFC FinTech Hive, as the name suggests, is the perfect launchpad/incubator program in Dubai for startups in the FinTech industry.
The DIFC FinTech Hive program starts at $1500/year, with incremental options for different plans, according to the needs of your FinTech business. These features include access to coworking spaces/flex workspaces and access to local and international business experts that will help you refine your business model.
Popular startups that have gained a lot from DIFC FinTech include companies like Tarabut Gateway, Sarwa and Bondsmart to name a few.
Silicon Oasis Founders Startup Accelerator in Dubai
Silicon Oasis Founders is a startup incubator program that is entirely owned by the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, and the Dubai Government. Their main ambition is to help businesses with regional high potential in their seed phase.
Not much information is available on their portfolio of companies, but their investment in Melltoo marketplace to the tune of $1,000,000 is definitely noteworthy.
To Conclude
Starting up in Dubai can be extremely competitive. However, with the nourishing environment for startups, along with the help of ideal incubators, you can be the founder of your very own unicorn business.
Each of the incubators mentioned in the list is suitable for a different type of business, so make sure to thoroughly analyze if your incubator of choice will prove beneficial to your startup in the long run
