Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 named Masdar City’s official startup ecosystem partner

Masdar City and Hub71 will promote opportunities for clean tech and climate tech startups focused on sustainability.

This development follows the signing of an MoU at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week by virtue of which the entities will identify opportunities to collaborate in areas including mobility, food, health, and climate action.

The MoU also named Hub71 as the freezone’s official startup ecosystem partner.

Ahmed Baghoum, the acting CEO of Masdar City. “As one of the world’s most sustainable cities and a hub for innovation, research, and development, we share Hub71’s vision for providing startups with an ideal environment to scale technologies that will have a sustainable impact globally. Together, we will work toward the UAE’s mission to achieve net zero.”

Hub71 startups will also benefit from The Catalyst, the region’s first startup accelerator focused on sustainability and clean tech, which is jointly owned by Masdar City and bp. The Catalyst and Hub71 will work together to develop a sector-focused accelerator programmw to enhance the benefits available to climate tech startups, including finance.

Read: Masdar City, MBZUAI, The Catalyst to promote clean energy and tech, AI in the region

“The joint effort from all three entities will provide startups a platform to scale their cleantech innovation, provide access to shareholder networks, and prepare them to showcase their capabilities at COP28,” added Baghoum.

Supporting startups and sustainability

The tech ecosystem recently onboarded another 20 startups from six countries operating in different strategic sectors.

“Our partnership will support the growth of startups in the climate tech and sustainability sectors in Abu Dhabi, building on the UAE capital’s robust strategy and initiatives in these sectors. By providing operational, engagement and exposure opportunities, startups will be in a better position to deploy clean technologies that will contribute toward the national and global climate change agenda,” said Ahmad Ali Alwan, the deputy CEO of Hub71.

“Green tech and climate tech investments are needed to address the environmental and climate challenges facing the world today. Following Egypt’s COP27 and with COP28 taking place in the UAE later this year, the time is ripe for MENA’s climate-tech startups to bloom,” said Stephen Severance, the director of growth at Masdar City.

In other news, Masdar, ADNOC, bp, Tadweer (Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company) and Etihad Airways are set to carry out a joint feasibility study exploring the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and other products, such as renewable diesel and naphtha, using municipal solid waste (MSW) and renewable hydrogen.

Read: Masdar, ADNOC, bp, Tadweer, Etihad to explore SAF production in UAE