Khalifa Fund Announces Entrepreneurship Competition Winners
The competition focused on three main sectors: robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), agritech and aquatech, and biolife and healthcare.
Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development has revealed the winners of its inaugural entrepreneurship competition, showcasing the achievements of innovators driving change in the UAE capital’s priority sectors.
Spotlighting robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), agritech and aquatech, and biolife and healthcare, the competition sought to attract visionary entrepreneurs and trailblazing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), empowering them to create impactful solutions and fuel sustainable economic growth.
The competition winners were announced during the closing ceremony of this year's Abu Dhabi Business Week, following a rigorous selection process that celebrated their achievements. Their innovative solutions were recognized for their ability to tackle complex challenges and drive meaningful impact.
VIAI Technologies took the top spot in the robotics and AI category with its smart glasses that are designed to boost athletic performance and improve decision-making in training and competition.
In the agritech and aquatech category, HyveGeo Limited impressed with its biochar technology, turning desert land into fertile farmland while addressing climate change and food security through carbon sequestration and soil regeneration.
Nutrigenics Care came in first in the biolife and healthcare category with its AI-driven nutritional platform, offering personalized health insights and real-time engagement tools to transform health management.
The winners will receive funding to grow their projects, along with mentorship and resources to help scale their solutions. This effort is part of Khalifa Fund’s ongoing drive to support Abu Dhabi’s startup scene and build a thriving, innovation-driven economy by promoting and enhancing an investment culture among UAE nationals.
Founded in 2007 under Law 14 of 2005 and its amendments, the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development was established in line with the vision of HH the late Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Khalifa Fund operates as an independent, non-profit economic development agency, dedicated to supporting and nurturing SMEs in Abu Dhabi.
In a statement, Mouza Obaid Al Nasri, acting CEO of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, said, “The winners of the first Khalifa Fund Entrepreneurship Competition have demonstrated an exceptional caliber of innovation and entrepreneurial ambition that we strive to cultivate in Abu Dhabi. This initiative is part of our commitment to advancing key priority sectors in alignment with our objectives and the broader aspirations of Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision, as well as promoting Abu Dhabi as a global hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development.”
Reflecting on Khalifa Fund’s objectives in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, Al Nasri added, “This competition underscores Khalifa Fund’s steadfast efforts in empowering entrepreneurs as catalysts for transformation by fostering their creativity and potential. Such initiatives keep them motivated to stay informed about the latest trends and challenges in targeted sectors, keep pace with the global economic landscape, and apply their skills to find brilliant solutions, contributing to a promising and prosperous economy. We would like to extend our gratitude to the judging panel, Khalifa Fund team responsible for organizing the competition, and everyone who participated and presented promising ideas and innovative concepts."
