Dubai – Sharikat Mubasher: Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED), in partnership with Hub71, announced the graduation of the first cohort of the MZN Hub71 Program, selecting 17 Emirati-led startups from more than 370 applications to support early-stage entrepreneurship in the UAE.

The program, delivered through the MZN Hub in Al Ain, aims to help Emirati founders turn ideas into scalable businesses through mentorship, training, and access to investors and industry networks, according to a recent press release.

The selected startups operate across sectors including HealthTech, FinTech, ClimateTech, AgriTech, and AI. Nearly 90% of the founders are under the age of 35, while more than 75% are launching their first startups. Female founders make up 35% of the cohort.

During the three-month program, founders will develop minimum viable products, validate their business ideas, and prepare for market launch before presenting their startups to investors and partners during a final Demo Day.

Commenting on this, Khalifa Al Kuwaiti, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Sector at Khalifa Fund, said the initiative reflects ongoing efforts to empower Emirati entrepreneurs and strengthen the UAE’s innovation ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, said the program highlights growing momentum among Emirati founders building startups from Abu Dhabi and aims to help them scale through early-stage support and global connections.