Overview
Hub71 is Abu Dhabi’s global technology ecosystem, established in 2019 to attract, support, and scale technology startups within the emirate. Backed by Mubadala Investment Company and supported by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign institutions, Hub71 provides startups with subsidised workspace, housing, health insurance, and access to a network of venture capital partners, corporate partners, and government entities.
Hub71 operates from its base on Al Maryah Island, adjacent to Abu Dhabi Global Market, creating a physical and institutional cluster that connects technology entrepreneurship with financial services infrastructure.
Founding and Mission
Hub71 was launched in March 2019 with a mandate to position Abu Dhabi as a competitive destination for technology entrepreneurs and venture capital. The initiative was born from the recognition that Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification required not only large-scale sovereign investment but also a vibrant startup ecosystem capable of generating innovation, employment, and new business formation.
The founding was supported by strategic partnerships with SoftBank Vision Fund, Microsoft, and other global technology and investment entities. These partnerships provided Hub71 with credibility, deal flow, and connections to the global technology investor community from inception.
Incentive Programmes
Hub71 offers tiered incentive packages to qualifying startups, structured to reduce the cost and risk of establishing operations in Abu Dhabi:
Incentive Programme: Qualifying startups receive subsidised office space, housing allowances, health insurance, and other operational support. The level of subsidy varies by programme tier, with earlier-stage companies typically receiving more comprehensive support.
Access to Capital: Hub71 connects startups with a network of venture capital funds, including funds backed by Mubadala and other Abu Dhabi sovereign investors. The ecosystem facilitates introductions, co-investment opportunities, and follow-on funding relationships.
Corporate Partnerships: Hub71 maintains relationships with major Abu Dhabi corporations and government entities, providing startups with potential pilot customers, strategic partners, and distribution channels within the emirate and the broader region.
Ecosystem Scale
Since its founding, Hub71 has grown to host hundreds of technology startups from dozens of countries, spanning sectors including fintech, healthtech, enterprise software, artificial intelligence, climate tech, and logistics. The ecosystem has attracted companies from established technology centres including Silicon Valley, London, Singapore, and Bangalore, as well as regional founders from across the Middle East and North Africa.
The collective valuation of Hub71 resident startups has grown substantially since the ecosystem’s launch, with several resident companies achieving significant funding milestones and regional expansion.
Venture Capital Infrastructure
Hub71’s ecosystem includes a growing number of venture capital funds that have established a presence in or committed capital to Abu Dhabi. The platform has helped catalyse the development of a venture capital industry within the emirate, addressing a historical gap in Abu Dhabi’s financial ecosystem — the availability of risk capital for early-stage and growth-stage technology companies.
Mubadala’s venture capital activities, including investments through its own funds and partnerships with international venture firms, complement Hub71’s startup attraction efforts by ensuring that capital is available for companies that demonstrate growth potential.
Role in Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030
The Economic Vision 2030 calls for a large, empowered private sector and a sustainable knowledge-based economy — objectives that require new business formation, technology adoption, and entrepreneurial activity. Hub71 is the institutional platform designed to cultivate these outcomes.
While the vision was published before the startup ecosystem concept gained its current prominence, the underlying objectives are directly served by Hub71’s activities. The platform creates private sector employment, attracts international talent, facilitates technology transfer, and builds the innovation infrastructure that a knowledge economy requires.
Hub71 also supports the vision’s objective of attracting foreign direct investment, albeit at a different scale and type than traditional FDI. Startup founders who relocate to Abu Dhabi bring intellectual capital, international networks, and business models that contribute to the emirate’s economic diversity.
Institutional Significance
Hub71 represents Abu Dhabi’s recognition that economic diversification cannot be achieved solely through sovereign capital and government-linked enterprises. A vibrant startup ecosystem introduces market-driven innovation, entrepreneurial risk-taking, and business model experimentation that large institutions are structurally less equipped to provide. Hub71 is the institutional bridge between Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth and the entrepreneurial energy that drives technology-led economic transformation globally.