NextGen FDI, Climate First To Advance UAE Climatech Sector
The event introduced five climatetech companies—Climeworks, Energy Dome, ZeroAviva, Cylib, and Glasspoint.
The UAE Ministry of Economy’s NextGen FDI initiative has partnered with Climate First, a European private equity firm specializing in climate innovation investments, to support the UAE’s climatetech ecosystem.
The partnership was marked by the inaugural Climate First UAE Roadshow, held during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2025, which was held from January 12 to 18, in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Economy. The event introduced five climatetech companies — Climeworks, Energy Dome, ZeroAviva, Cylib, and Glasspoint— which have operations in Europe and the United States, to explore partnerships with UAE stakeholders focused on decarbonization.
The companies presented technologies including direct air capture, battery recycling, hydrogen-electric aviation, and solar steam generators for industrial processes, aimed at addressing challenges in various industries.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2025, held under the theme “The Nexus of Next — Supercharging Sustainable Progress,” provided a platform to discuss clean energy and sustainable development. The event brought together leaders and innovators to address environmental challenges, aligning with the partnership’s objectives.
Since its launch in 2022, NextGen FDI, an initiative aimed at attracting high-growth global technology companies and digital talent to establish their operations in the UAE, has welcomed over 20 companies in sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. The program supports the UAE’s efforts to diversify its economy and strengthen its role in innovation and sustainability.
Having invested in over 50 climatetech leaders worldwide, Climate First considers the UAE a suitable partner to help its companies expand their impact, pursue commercial opportunities, and grow their presence in the region.
During ADSW, HE Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said, “This partnership reflects the UAE’s unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability. Through the NextGen FDI initiative, we are creating a supportive ecosystem for advanced technology companies to thrive and lead global efforts in combatting climate change. By associating Climate First with the NextGen FDI initiative, we are fostering transformative collaborations that will help shape the future of clean energy and industrial decarbonization.”
Nadav Steinmetz, co-founder and managing partner of Climate First, stated, “We are honored to partner with the UAE Ministry of Economy and HE Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The UAE’s commitment to innovation creates an unmatched ecosystem for advancing climate tech. At Climate First, our mission has always been to drive impactful change through investments in transformative, zero-carbon technologies. We are thrilled to bring pioneering European solutions to the UAE. This collaboration will foster strategic partnerships to scale decarbonization efforts.”
