Abu Dhabi's MZN Hub71 Program Awards AED200,000 To Three Emirati Startups
The MZN Hub71 program was a three-month initiative delivered by Hub71 in partnership with the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development at the MZN Hub in Al Ain
Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem Hub71 and its not-for-profit economic development fund, the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED), have awarded a total of AED200,000 (US$54,456) in non-equity support packages to three Emirati-founded startups.
The three companies—Limb, Reach LLM, and Hign Al Khaleej—were the winners of the inaugural edition of the MZN Hub71 program, a three-month initiative delivered by Hub71 in partnership with the KFED at the MZN Hub in Al Ain (a business accelerator supported by the KFED) that was aimed at helping Emirati founders develop market-ready minimum viable products before progressing to Hub71's flagship programs.
Limb, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered physiotherapy platform for remote monitoring and personalized rehabilitation, secured first place and received AED100,000 ($27,229) in support. Reach LLM, an AI platform that helps brands improve visibility and performance across large language models, placed second with AED60,000 ($16,338), while Hign Al Khaleej, a digital marketplace for buying, selling, and auctioning camels across the Gulf, took third place with AED40,000 ($10,892).
In a statement, Basma Ahmed AlBadi AlDhaheri, Head of Value Creation at Hub71, said, “Today's Demo Day demonstrates what's possible when founders are given the right environment to build. Seeing what these Emirati founders were capable of achieving after three months is exactly why early-stage support matters. When founders have access to the right guidance, networks and opportunities from the beginning, they're better positioned to build companies that create lasting impact for Abu Dhabi and beyond.”
The top three teams were chosen from a cohort of 17 Emirati founders who pitched concepts spanning AI, healthtech, climatetech, fintech, and agritech to an audience of investors, partners, and government stakeholders. Through the three-month initiative, participants transformed early concepts into minimum viable products while also cultivating the networks and strategic direction needed to scale their ventures.
Participants in the MZN Hub71 program were treated to a curriculum that delivered 21 specialized workshops, pitch clinics, and panel discussions focusing on product development, AI strategy, go-to-market planning, fundraising, and corporate engagement. Founders also drew directly on domain expertise from key industry players—including the Department of Health–Abu Dhabi, Vertix Holdings, Kraken, and Carzaty & Kavak—equipping them to validate their business models and launch into the regional market.
Pictured in the lead image is a scene from the MZN Hub71 Demo Day. Image courtesy Hub71.
