MBZUAI, OurCrowd Arabia ink MoU to boost funding for AI startups, research

Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and OurCrowd Arabia, the Abu Dhabi based subsidiary of Israel’s OurCrowd, recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly create and manage several initiatives aiming to accelerate and catalyse the growth of the AI technology ecosystem on the university’s campus in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

The MoU will see the creation of an AI-focused venture capital investment fund with the aim of attracting both local and global AI technology companies to scale up globally from Abu Dhabi.

It will also help develop strategic collaboration between MBZUAI and Integrated Data Intelligence (IDI), OurCrowd’s AI subsidiary in Abu Dhabi, on research projects in applied AI technologies across industries.

It will enhance Abu Dhabi’s AI innovation ecosystem via strategic partnerships with key government and government-related entities, and provide internship and job opportunities to MBZUAI graduates through OurCrowd’s vast global network of portfolio technology startup companies and industry partners.

MBZUAI to push partnerships

Sultan Al Hajji, MBZUAI’s vice president of Public Affairs and Alumni Relations, said, “Part of MBZUAI’s existence is to foster entrepreneurship and this partnership creates a mechanism for incubating startups and creating local opportunities for the university’s pipeline of talent. Through this strategic partnership with OurCrowd Arabia, MBZUAI is forging ahead with its mission to develop a dynamic, vibrant, AI ecosystem that will help to position Abu Dhabi as a global center for AI.

“Together, we will encourage funding to enable AI start-ups to scale up in the UAE’s capital, help to develop and commercialize AI research, and provide exciting opportunities in the field for young AI talent – including graduates and researchers from MBZUAI. The proposed initiatives are a perfect complement to MBZUAI’s and OurCrowd Arabia’s areas of expertise.”

OurCrowd Arabia executive chairman Sabah al-Binali added, “OurCrowd Arabia continues to build on its strategic relationships having started with our partnership with ADIO under its Innovation Program announced in November 2022. We look forward to continuing to leverage OurCrowd’s global experience and relationships to support the Abu Dhabi and UAE startup ecosystems.”

OurCrowd Arabia, which opened in the UAE capital in 2021, is also establishing a new VC investment center in Abu Dhabi to manage deals for its existing platform and cater to emerging markets.