India is now a strategic priority for UAE's Hub7 program. In June 2026, Hub71 and the UAE–India CEPA Council launched Start-Up Series 2.0, creating a dedicated pathway for Indian startups to expand into Abu Dhabi. The program offers a structured route into the UAE ecosystem. Launched on 26 March 2019 under Abu Dhabi's Ghadan 21 program, Hub71 was built the ambition of bringing the world's best founders to Abu Dhabi. Selected startups receive: • Access to Hub71's Immersion Program, designed to prepare startups for entering the UAE market. • Mentorship from experienced founders and operators. • Introductions to investors, corporate partners and government stakeholders. • Regulatory and market-entry support. From the shortlisted startups, one startup is selected for Hub71's flagship Access Program, which includes AED 250,000 in cash through a SAFE investment, AED 250,000 in in-kind support (workspace, cloud credits, legal, visas and business services), a structured 12-month scaling programme from Abu Dhabi Countries are now competing to attract high-growth founders (Singapore has Startup SG, France has Station F, Saudi Arabia has Vision 2030 startup initiatives). The UAE is building one of the strongest cross-border founder programs through Hub71 with Abu Dhabi positioning itself as a launchpad into the wider MENA region. We'll see many more Indian startups using Abu Dhabi as a gateway to global markets. #Hub71 #IndianStartups #AbuDhabi #UAE #StartupFunding #CEPA #GlobalExpansion #StartupEcosystem #MENA #Entrepreneurship Startup Grants India Nikhil M V
Good catch on the CEPA Council tie-in, that's the detail most coverage of Hub71 misses. Worth noting AED 250K in cash plus AED 250K in support is roughly what a founder would otherwise chase across two or three separate applications elsewhere. Programs bundling cash and infrastructure like this into one clean pathway are still rare enough to be worth flagging loudly.
AED 250,000 through a SAFE is not a grant. It converts. For an Indian startup landing in Abu Dhabi, that raises the question most founders defer: which entity does it convert into, and does the cap table survive both jurisdictions. I see the gap when the next round starts diligence and nobody can answer cleanly where the shares actually sit. Strong on-ramp. The structuring decision underneath it is what founders should settle before signing.
This is an encouraging development. As startup ecosystems mature, they're no longer competing only for capital - they're competing for founders, innovation, and entrepreneurial talent. Programmes like Hub71 recognise that attracting high-potential founders creates long-term economic value. For Indian startups, the opportunity is not just access to funding, but access to new markets, partnerships, and global customers. Equally, it reinforces the need to prepare founders for international growth through structured founder development, ensuring they can navigate different regulatory, cultural, and commercial environments with confidence.
Great breakdown, Aparna! The synergy between the CEPA framework and ecosystem builders like Hub71 is turning the India-UAE corridor into a powerful runway for global scale. It will be exciting to see how Indian founders leverage Abu Dhabi's strategic support to expand across the MENA region. 🚀
It's open only for Indian startup
Hi Aparna, interested to know more about this program
How to avail
It would be great if part of this program. Please share details and I can be part of this program.
Another Interesting fact, The inaugural UAE–India Start-Up Series in June 2025 attracted over 10,000 applications from across India. Only 20 startups made it to the Grand Finale, and 5 winners received fully sponsored UAE soft-landing packages through partners including Hub71, RAKEZ, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Emirates NBD and DP World.