Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Flat6Labs, in partnership with DisruptAD, the venture platform of ADQ, today announced the 10 innovative start-ups that have been selected to receive seed funding and world-class mentorship under its flagship Flat6Labs Ignite program. Representing the 3rd cycle of the program, this cohort was meticulously vetted and selected from over 700 applicant organisations from across the globe.

Launched in March 2021 as a partnership between DisruptAD and Flat6Labs, Flat6Labs Ignite is a specialised seed program committed to supporting up to 60 start-ups in Abu Dhabi over three years. To date, through cycles 1 and 2 of the Ignite Program, Flat6Labs and DisruptAD have graduated 17 start-ups that have cumulatively raised AED14.7 million in funding.

“This currently stands as our Ignite program’s largest cycle yet, with 10 start-ups having been selected — a testament to the popularity and value that it delivers. Based on the outcomes of previous cycles, we are confident that by grooming these new start-ups, we will springboard their success, and enable them to become valuable contributors to the entrepreneurship ecosystem and economy in the UAE,” said Ryaan Sharif, General Manager at Flat6Labs UAE.

Of the 10 start-ups receiving investments in this new cycle of the program, seven are home-grown UAE companies and the three others have been founded in Poland, Bahrain, and Turkey. The founders and leadership teams of these international start-ups will establish operations in Abu Dhabi, which will now serve as their global headquarters. This is in-line with the Flat6Labs Ignite program’s objective of establishing the nation’s capital as a global entrepreneurial hub and centre for innovation.

Each of these organisations was selected for investment and inclusion in the program based on their ability to deliver disruptive innovation in their individual market segments, with the aim of pioneering markets in the UAE and subsequently, broader international regions. The 10 organisations selected are:

  • DarDoc: Empowers patients to receive simple to complex care without visiting a hospital, by enabling them to hire a nurse, phlebotomist, or a physiotherapist on demand.
  • Digital First AI: A B2B Martech SaaS provider that leverages AI to enable brands and marketers to easily create and execute effective marketing strategies.
  • Fitlov: A managed marketplace providing fitness and wellness trainers on-demand in UAE, including personal training of any type, massages, life coaching, and nutritionists.
  • FundoMundo: An online, live-education marketplace connecting teachers with learners aged 3 to 18.
  • Hulexo: Helps retailers eliminate stockouts and automatically deploy highly personalised marketing campaigns using AI.
  • Lune: Enables banks, FinTechs and retailers to better serve customers by unlocking insights into customer spending, based on automated analysis of raw transaction data.
  • Makan: A company pioneering the concept of ‘furniture-as-a-subscription’ by enabling consumers to rent furniture monthly with the option of effortlessly keeping, returning or swapping out items as desired.
  • Reach ChannelPro: A SaaS platform that makes it easy for brand owners and their distributors to increase their indirect sales, by digitising channel partner engagement.
  • Savii: Promotes financial responsibility and independence among teens by offering a debit card and banking app that is tailored to their needs and lifestyle.
  • The Scalable CFO: Simplifies finance operations for small businesses by matching them to part-time CFOs from a growing pool of over 6,000 qualified professionals, and also enables the automation of finance and back-office functions.

“We are excited to commence this third cycle of our program which sees us supporting start-ups in a variety of new industries — from well-being to martech. The solutions and services of these 10 organisations hold immense value for their target segments and the UAE economy at large. With the expert mentorship and guidance they will now receive, these start-ups have the ability to unlock their full potential, fine-tune their value proposition and rapidly scale their operations in order to accelerate time-to-market,” added Sharif.

About Flat6Labs

Flat6Labs is the MENA region’s leading seed and early-stage venture capital firm, currently running the most renowned startup programs in the region. Annually, Flat6Labs invests in more than 100 innovative and technology-driven startups enabling thousands of passionate entrepreneurs to achieve their daring ambitions and ultimately becoming their institutional co-founders.

Flat6Labs manages a number of seed funds with a total AUM in excess of $85M. More than 25 leading institutions have invested into the Flat6Labs managed fund. Alongside investments, Flat6Labs’ startup programs, executed to cater specifically to the needs of innovative entrepreneurs, help them accelerate their growth by providing them with a plethora of support services and connecting them to unparalleled opportunities with an expansive network comprising hundreds of business mentors, investors, and corporates.

Launched and headquartered in Cairo since 2011, Flat6Labs has multiple offices across the region; with ongoing plans to expand into other emerging markets.

Media Contact:
Vernon Saldanha
Procre8 for Flat6Labs
Email: Vernon@procre8.biz  

About DisruptAD

DisruptAD, ADQ's venture platform, was launched to accelerate the future of innovation. The platform offers productive incubation, investment and commercial scaling opportunities for tech start-ups in a state-of-the-art infrastructure for a digital led age. DisruptAD aims to advance R&D and unleash the potential of the UAE's innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem through highly skilled tech talent.

DisruptAD is attracting and creating a thriving community of founders, fund managers, incubators, and accelerators to globally build, support and scale disruptive technologies from Abu Dhabi.