ABU DHABI — Startups based at Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s flagship technology ecosystem, have raised more than 2.7 billion dollars in funding and generated 1.5 billion dollars in revenue since the hub’s founding, according to its annual impact report released Sunday.
The figures mark a new milestone for the emirate’s ambitions to position itself as a global destination for high-growth technology companies.
In 2025 alone, Hub71 startups secured 599 million dollars in funding and generated 175 million dollars in revenue, continuing what the report described as a period of sustained growth across the ecosystem.
Founded in 2019, Hub71’s community has grown to 390 startups, 295 of which are supported through its structured programmes connecting founders with investors, corporates, regulators and strategic partners. The hub received more than 5,000 startup applications in 2025 — a 62 percent increase year-on-year — and admitted 52 new companies, reflecting growing international appetite for Abu Dhabi as a base for regional and global expansion.
Startups in the ecosystem have also signed corporate deals worth 244 million dollars between 2022 and 2025, including 37 million dollars in 2025 alone, underscoring the hub’s role in brokering commercial partnerships that accelerate market entry.
“Hub71’s performance reflects the sustained progress Abu Dhabi is achieving in building a more competitive, innovation-led economy,” said Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of Hub71 and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development. “Startups are contributing to investment and long-term growth, while strengthening the emirate’s position as a place where ambitious technology companies can build, scale and compete globally.”
Ahmad Ali Alwan, Hub71’s Chief Executive Officer, said the growth of the community reflected “the increasing appeal of Abu Dhabi as a destination for founders” and the strength of the wider ecosystem supporting them.
Hub71 expanded its international footprint significantly in 2025, deepening ties with venture capital firms, corporates and government partners across Hong Kong, Japan, Portugal, India, Ireland and the United States, creating new commercial and investment pathways for its startups.
The hub launched two new initiatives during the year. The Immersion Programme brings high-potential international startups to Abu Dhabi for structured engagement on market entry, regulatory frameworks and commercialisation. Its first cohorts came from Hong Kong and Japan through partnerships with HSITP, Cyberport, MTR Lab and JETRO.
Hub71 also launched Hub71+ Life Sciences, a new specialist vertical joining existing tracks in artificial intelligence, climate technology and digital assets. The addition aligns with Abu Dhabi’s broader economic diversification priorities and targets founders and investors working across healthcare innovation, biotechnology and advanced life sciences.
The 2025 Impact Report positions Hub71 as a central pillar of Abu Dhabi’s push to build a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy capable of competing with established global tech hubs.
