Hub71 is the UAE's flagship technology startup ecosystem — a Mubadala-backed platform on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi that has grown from a 2019 launch into the country's most active home for venture-backed founders. It sits inside ADGM Square, anchored by sovereign capital, and now houses more than 250 portfolio companies across AI, fintech, climate, health, and digital assets. The headline draw is the Hub71 Access Programme — a multi-year subsidy package covering housing, workspace, and health insurance worth over AED 200,000 per startup. Specialised Hub71+ tracks channel founders into G42's AI stack, ADQ and Mubadala Capital's fintech network, COP28-linked climate capital, and an ADGM-licensed digital-asset cluster. This guide explains how Hub71 works and how it sits alongside Dubai's DIFC Innovation Hub, Sharjah's Sheraa, and the wider UAE startup ecosystem.
At a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 |
| Location | ADGM Square / WTC complex, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi |
| Backing | Mubadala (anchor), ADGM, Abu Dhabi Government |
| Portfolio companies | 250+ (2024) |
| Programmes | Access Programme; Hub71+ AI, Fintech, Climate, Digital Assets |
| Subsidy value | AED 200,000+ per startup over two years (Access Programme) |
| Cohort cadence | Twice-yearly intake |
| Sectors | AI, fintech, climate, health, digital assets, deep tech |
| Acceptance rate | Single-digit % (public reports indicate 5–10%) |
| Website | hub71.com |
What is Hub71
Hub71 was launched in 2019 as a joint initiative of Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), and the Abu Dhabi Government, with Microsoft and SoftBank Vision Fund among the founding ecosystem partners. The mandate: build a globally competitive tech-startup density in the UAE capital, with Mubadala's balance sheet and ADGM's common-law framework as the backstop.
The hub occupies the WTC West tower within ADGM Square on Al Maryah Island, sharing the island with the regulator, the courts, and a dense cluster of financial services tenants. Founders walk between their desks, the FSRA, ADGM company registration, and Mubadala HQ in a few minutes — a deliberate compression of the regulatory, capital, and operational stack that few global tech hubs match.
In its first three years Hub71 was deliberately tech-agnostic: any scalable technology startup could apply, and the Access Programme covered apartment, office, and health insurance — the operating costs that typically eat early-stage capital. From 2022 onwards the platform layered on Hub71+ specialised programmes, aligning Mubadala and the Abu Dhabi sovereign portfolio (G42, ADQ, Mubadala Capital) with founders working in AI, fintech, climate, and digital assets.
The Access Programme
The Hub71 Access Programme is the headline benefit and the principal reason international founders relocate to Abu Dhabi rather than Dubai or Riyadh. Selected startups receive a structured subsidy package designed to cover the basic UAE cost-of-living and operating burden for the first two years of company building.
The package, valued at AED 200,000 or more per startup over two years, typically includes:
- Subsidised housing in Abu Dhabi serviced apartments — meaningful for founders relocating from lower-cost geographies.
- Office space at Hub71's premises in ADGM Square — hot desks, dedicated desks, or private offices by team size.
- Health insurance subsidy for founders and core team — material in the UAE where private cover is mandatory and not cheap.
- Discounted services across legal, accounting, cloud credits (AWS, Microsoft, Google), and corporate banking via Hub71's partner network.
Eligible founders are typically pre-revenue or early-revenue startups — usually pre-Series A — with a scalable technology product, a committed founding team willing to relocate to the UAE, and a credible path to international scale. Hub71 looks for founders willing to make Abu Dhabi their primary operating base, not founders parking a flag for the subsidy.
Applications run on twice-yearly cohorts. Public reports consistently put acceptance rates in the single digits — broadly comparable to Y Combinator and Techstars on a percentage basis, though Hub71's application volume is smaller in absolute terms.
Specialised Programmes
The Hub71+ family launched between 2022 and 2024 to channel sovereign capital, corporate balance sheets, and sector regulators into specific verticals. Each is a partnership that gives founders direct access to cornerstone investors and infrastructure partners, on top of the core Access Programme benefits.
Hub71+ AI
A partnership with G42, AI71, and Mubadala-portfolio AI assets, Hub71+ AI is the access route for AI startups into Abu Dhabi's increasingly central role in the global AI build-out. Founders gain working relationships with G42's compute infrastructure, the AI71 model stack, and Mubadala's growing portfolio of AI-native operating companies — aligning directly with the UAE AI ecosystem.
Hub71+ Fintech
Hub71+ Fintech runs with Mubadala Capital and ADQ — two of Abu Dhabi's primary sovereign investors — alongside ADGM's regulatory sandbox. The natural home for fintech founders who want UAE corporate banking, MENA payments rails, and direct introductions to sovereign LPs without DIFC's cost base.
Hub71+ Climate
Hub71+ Climate focuses on sustainability, energy transition, and climate tech, launched against the UAE's hosting of COP28 in 2023. Founders in industrial decarbonisation, climate-tech hardware, alternative proteins, and circular-economy models access Mubadala's climate-aligned capital, ADQ's industrial portfolio, and Masdar's clean-energy network.
Hub71+ Digital Assets
Hub71+ Digital Assets is reserved for crypto, blockchain, and Web3 startups regulated under ADGM's FSRA virtual-asset framework — one of the most respected globally. Eligible founders include exchanges, custodians, stablecoin issuers, and Web3 infrastructure companies engaged with FSRA on licensing. The track sits alongside Dubai's VARA-coordinated DMCC Crypto Centre as the two principal UAE landing spots for digital-asset firms.
Notable Portfolio Companies
By 2024 Hub71 had passed 250 active portfolio companies across all programmes. Several have become recognisable names regionally:
- Bayzat — Abu Dhabi-headquartered HR and payroll software; long-time Hub71 alumnus.
- TruKKer — digital freight platform across MENA, one of the region's largest logistics-tech raises.
- Sarwa — robo-advisor offering passive investment products across UAE and Saudi Arabia.
- Tabby — BNPL consumer credit platform, now Saudi-domiciled but historically active in the UAE and Hub71 ecosystem.
- A growing roster of AI, climate, and fintech startups across the Hub71+ tracks, many funded by Mubadala or partner funds.
The portfolio is deliberately diverse: Hub71 is not a single-thesis accelerator. The platform's value is the breadth of the LP and corporate-partner network rather than concentrated capital deployment.
Where Hub71 Fits in the UAE Ecosystem
The UAE has four meaningful technology-startup hubs. Hub71 is the largest and the most heavily subsidised, but each plays a different role.
vs DIFC Innovation Hub
The DIFC Innovation Hub in central Dubai is the UAE's principal fintech-focused ecosystem, anchored by the DFSA's regulatory sandbox and a dense cluster of regional and global banks. Bigger than Hub71 in raw fintech-firm count and stronger for founders who need adjacency to UAE retail banking — but more expensive, less subsidy-led, and less concentrated in deep tech. Hub71 is broader across AI, climate, and digital assets, and far more generous on direct subsidies.
vs in5
in5 is the TECOM-operated incubator network in Dubai across tech, design, and media. Multi-vertical, lower regulatory ceiling, cheaper than DIFC Innovation Hub. Hub71 outclasses in5 on capital network and sovereign-LP access; in5 wins for founders who specifically need a Dubai address inside TECOM's free zones.
vs Sheraa
Sheraa in Sharjah is the smaller, university-anchored ecosystem focused on early-stage and student founders. Strong local impact, but a smaller capital network than Hub71 by an order of magnitude.
Hub71's unique angle
Hub71 is the only UAE programme that combines:
- Direct living-cost subsidies worth AED 200,000+ per startup — material in absolute terms for relocating founders.
- Sovereign-investor pipeline through Mubadala, ADQ, Mubadala Capital, and G42, with introductions baked into the Hub71+ tracks.
- ADGM common-law jurisdiction on the same island — corporate structuring, fund formation, and FSRA virtual-asset licensing all within walking distance.
- Sector breadth, from AI to climate to digital assets, rather than a single-vertical thesis.
For most international tech founders evaluating a UAE base, Hub71 is the default option to evaluate first — even if they ultimately choose DIFC Innovation Hub for fintech-banking reasons or in5 for a Dubai address preference.
How to Apply
Eligibility
Hub71 looks for technology startups with a scalable product, typically pre-Series A, and founders willing to commit to UAE residency during the cohort and ideally beyond. The programme is open to non-UAE founders — most successful applicants relocate from elsewhere — but the commitment to operate from Abu Dhabi during the Access Programme is non-negotiable. There is no hard restriction on company domicile pre-application; many founders re-domicile a parent into ADGM during the programme.
Application route
Applications are submitted directly on hub71.com during open cohort windows. The standard process:
- Online application — company information, team, traction, deck.
- Screening interview — Hub71 team and selected partners.
- Final pitch / committee review — sector partners (G42 for AI, Mubadala Capital for fintech, etc.) often join.
- Offer and onboarding — Access Programme benefits start once the founder relocates and sets up the operating entity.
Cadence and acceptance
Hub71 runs twice-yearly cohorts, typically in the first and second halves of the calendar year. Public reports consistently indicate single-digit acceptance rates, broadly in the 5–10% range — competitive but not unreachable for founders with credible traction and a clear UAE relocation commitment.
Visas and residency
Hub71 supports founder visa sponsorship through ADGM. The UAE's Golden Visa is a separate long-term route for founders meeting investment or specialised-talent criteria. See government subsidies and the ADGM regime for the mechanics.
What Hub71 is not
Hub71 is not a direct equity investor in the way Y Combinator or Techstars are. It does not take a fixed equity stake in exchange for the Access Programme. Instead, it provides the operating subsidy and channels founders into Mubadala, ADQ, Mubadala Capital, and G42 for direct equity discussions on commercial terms — separately negotiated, separately closed. The right mental model is a government-backed soft-landing platform with a sovereign-LP flywheel, not an accelerator with a fund attached.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hub71?
Hub71 is Abu Dhabi's flagship technology startup ecosystem, launched in 2019 by Mubadala, ADGM, and the Abu Dhabi Government. It hosts more than 250 portfolio companies on Al Maryah Island and runs the Access Programme alongside specialised Hub71+ tracks for AI, fintech, climate, and digital assets.
Is Hub71 free?
The Access Programme is heavily subsidised rather than literally free. Selected startups receive housing, office, and health insurance support worth more than AED 200,000 per startup over two years, plus discounted partner services. Hub71 typically does not take direct equity in exchange for the benefits, although Mubadala and partner funds may invest separately on commercial terms.
How do I apply to Hub71?
Applications go through the official site at hub71.com during open cohort windows. The process involves an online application, screening interview, and final pitch with Hub71 and partner reviewers (G42 for AI tracks, Mubadala Capital for fintech, and so on). Cohorts run twice yearly.
Where is Hub71 located?
Hub71 occupies the WTC West tower within ADGM Square on Al Maryah Island, central Abu Dhabi — the same island as ADGM, the FSRA, ADGM Courts, and Mubadala's headquarters.
Who funds Hub71?
Hub71 is anchored by Mubadala Investment Company, ADGM, and the Abu Dhabi Government, with founding ecosystem partners including Microsoft and SoftBank. Specialised programmes layer in additional partners — G42 and AI71 for AI, Mubadala Capital and ADQ for fintech.
Does Hub71 invest in startups?
Hub71 itself is principally a platform rather than a direct equity investor. It provides the Access Programme subsidies and connects founders to investor partners — Mubadala, ADQ, Mubadala Capital, G42, and external venture funds — who invest separately on standard commercial terms.
What is the difference between Hub71 and DIFC Innovation Hub?
Hub71 is Abu Dhabi-based, broader in sector scope (AI, climate, digital assets, fintech, health), and offers direct living-cost subsidies through the Access Programme. DIFC Innovation Hub is Dubai-based, more concentrated in fintech, larger in raw fintech-firm count, and tighter to UAE retail banking — but does not match Hub71's housing or insurance subsidies.
Does Hub71 sponsor visas?
Hub71 supports founder residency sponsorship through ADGM during the Access Programme. Founders typically incorporate or re-domicile into ADGM and obtain residency visas via the standard ADGM employee channel. The UAE Golden Visa is a separate long-term track that many Hub71 founders pursue independently.
Can my non-UAE startup join Hub71?
Yes — most accepted founders are non-UAE before joining. The expectation is that founders relocate to Abu Dhabi during the programme and that operating activity moves to the UAE. Many startups re-domicile a parent or holding entity into ADGM during the cohort to align corporate structure with the UAE base.
What sectors does Hub71 focus on?
Hub71 was tech-agnostic from 2019–2022 and remains broad across the core Access Programme. Since 2022 it has layered Hub71+ tracks in AI (with G42 and AI71), fintech (with Mubadala Capital and ADQ), climate, and digital assets (ADGM-regulated crypto and Web3). Health and deep tech are also active across the broader portfolio.