Hub71 announced the selection of 27 startups for Cohort 18 of its Access Programme following a record 2,453 applications from 112 countries, the Abu Dhabi tech ecosystem builder said in a statement on June 4, 2026. The intake carries a highly competitive 1.1 percent acceptance rate and for the first time consists entirely of companies headquartered outside the United Arab Emirates. All selected startups have begun licensing procedures and are establishing operations in Abu Dhabi, demonstrating the emirate’s streamlined processes for new ventures, according to the announcement. Thirty-one percent of applications arrived through Hub71 partner and founder networks, underscoring the role of community referrals in sourcing high-potential candidates.
The selected companies have raised an average of $8.5 million apiece, producing a collective total approaching $230 million that Hub71 described as the highest funding level of any cohort to date. This calibre of participant reflects the growing appeal of Abu Dhabi as a base for market-ready technology firms seeking global expansion. The statement highlighted that the cohort spans pre-seed to series A stages and draws participants from 12 countries.
Startups will join either the core Access Programme or one of three specialist tracks in digital assets, climatetech and life sciences, Hub71 reported. Seven companies entered the life sciences ecosystem, six joined digital assets, five signed for climatetech and the remaining nine entered the general track. Examples include Kenya-based Duck, which unifies retail data systems, US-based EchoTwin AI that converts vehicle fleets into sensing networks for digital twins, UK-based Persium developing air-quality sensors and Sweden’s Wingbits, a flight-tracking network that has raised $9.4 million, the statement said.
Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, said, “Cohort 18 reflects the continued flow of startups choosing to build from Abu Dhabi. The companies joining us are developing technologies with clear market application and the ability to scale. At Hub71, we enable founders to secure commercial traction and capital, and to grow from Abu Dhabi into global markets.” The 12-month programme supplies up to AED 250,000 in cash via a SAFE note and an equivalent amount in in-kind incentives together with mentorship, investor introductions and regulatory guidance. Top performers can qualify for additional follow-on support to accelerate international growth from their Abu Dhabi base.
The addition of the new cohort expands Hub71’s overall startup community to 525 companies, further solidifying Abu Dhabi’s status as one of the fastest-growing innovation ecosystems in the MENA region, according to the organisation. A 2026 Global Startup Ecosystem Report produced by Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network ranked Abu Dhabi among the world’s top 50 emerging startup hubs. The assessment calculated $73.4 billion in ecosystem value generated between July 2023 and December 2025, representing a 3,057 percent increase from the 2018-2020 baseline.
The cohort also includes three Hong Kong startups that first engaged through Hub71’s Hong Kong Immersion Programme launched the previous year, illustrating the initiative’s success in converting international exposure into permanent relocation. Two Indian companies, Uravu Labs in climatetech and Endimension Technology in life sciences, further advance collaboration under the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the statement noted. Hub71 continues to align its specialist tracks with Abu Dhabi’s strategic priorities in regulated digital finance, climate innovation and health technologies.
