Dubai’s URB has launched the second edition of its urban-tech accelerator program, aimed at providing support and investment opportunities to early-stage startups specializing in urban technology. With up to $10 million in investment opportunities available, the program is seeking to empower urban-tech entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas that can shape the future of urban living in the UAE. This initiative is in line with the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and the URB Incubator is designed to accelerate this initiative by fostering a bottom-up entrepreneurial spirit in the built environment in the UAE.
The incubator program is focused on discovering, mentoring, and investing in the next generation of urban-tech entrepreneurs in the UAE. Its aim is to build a supportive ecosystem that will transform the UAE into a global urban technology hub. The program seeks to identify and scale the most impactful startups in the UAE that will help to achieve the country’s Net Zero targets by 2050, especially with COP 28 approaching.
The CEO of URB, Baharash Bagherian, who has designed several sustainable cities that are under construction, explains that the incubator’s primary objectives are to support urban technology companies, build the ecosystem, and transform the UAE into a global urban technology hub. He adds that the incubator is one of several initiatives by URB aimed at fostering an ecosystem of sustainable innovation in urban planning, which will help accelerate the world’s transition towards sustainable development.
In partnership with Anthill Ventures, the incubator offers up to $10 million in investment opportunities to startups that meet the criteria for incubation, with the main criterion being that projects must be at the proof-of-concept stage or beyond, demonstrating significant impact on shaping the future for cities. Smart cities are at the core of the incubator, and the program is open to startups that are addressing critical challenges in categories such as energy tech, water tech, agri-tech, waste tech, mobility tech, building materials, and smart tech.
