​​​​​Abu Dhabi, UAE – The 9th Annual Angel Rising Investor Symposium, organized by startAD, the Abu Dhabi-based global accelerator powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi, and VentureSouq, the MENA-based venture capital firm, recently concluded at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Held in partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and supported by ecosystem partners Global Climate Finance Center (GCFC), Ethara, and Carta, the symposium convened leading investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and climate innovators under the theme Scaling Climate Resilience in the Global South.

Now in its ninth year, Angel Rising has strengthened its position as one of the region’s leading platforms for investor education and early-stage technology investing. The 2025 edition drew an audience of more than 150 decision-makers and ecosystem leaders, featuring keynote addresses, panel discussions, and networking sessions focused on unlocking capital and accelerating innovation in ClimateTech.

This year’s program featured an impressive lineup of regional and international speakers driving the global ClimateTech agenda. The event opened with a keynote address from H.E. Shaikha Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Executive Director of the Integrated Environmental Policy and Planning Sector, EAD, who highlighted the importance of closing the innovation gap that limits progress in climate adaptation. Panelists included H.E. Sheikh Dr. Majid Al Qassimi, Founding Partner at Soma Mater; Qais Al Suwaidi, Vice President, Innovation and R&D at TAQA Group; Zain Tarawneh, ClimateTech Lead at Hub71; Alp Katalan, MENA Commercial Lead at Desolenator; Mohammed Al Marzooqi, Director of Marine Biodiversity at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; Khalid Tebe, Director of Climate Policies, Regulations and Market Mechanisms at the Global Climate Finance Centre (GCFC); Eva Ramos Perez Torreblanca, Director of Environmental Policy Analysis and Economics at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi; Amy Lehoczky, Director of ESG at G42; Dr. Vian Sharif, President of NatureAlpha; Sean Park, Chief Executive Officer at EnergyX; Patil Mesrobian, Head of Client Coverage – MEA at S&P Global, and Zoe Reich, Founding Partner at Octopus Energy Generation. Together with leading investors, corporate innovators, and policy experts, they explored how capital, regulation, and emerging technologies can accelerate climate resilience across MENA and the Global South.

H.E. Shaikha Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Executive Director of Integrated Environmental Policy and Planning Sector of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, said: “At the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, we see adaptation not only as an environmental imperative but also as a social and economic one. Earlier this year, we launched the Abu Dhabi Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2025–2050), a long-term framework to strengthen the resilience of our ecosystems, communities and economy.

Yet while the need is clear, the resources are not. Today, the MENA region remains a very small recipient of climate-tech capital. In fact, Middle East investors direct less than 2 percent of their global climate-tech investment into companies based in the region. Most of this limited funding goes toward mitigation, while adaptation, despite the region’s high vulnerability, receives only a marginal share. The result is a widening innovation gap, where bold ideas outpace the capital required to scale them. If we are serious about advancing climate resilience, we must close that gap. That is why Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as a bridge between global finance and local innovation, channelling capital into solutions designed for the Global South, from the Global South."

Nihal Shaikh, Associate Director of startAD, commented: “Communities across the Global South bear the most significant burden of climate impacts and face projected GDP losses of up to 64 percent by the end of this century. Accelerating ClimateTech investment is not only essential for the planet, it is an economic and social necessity.

Over the last decade, Angel Rising has endeavored to create the conditions for climate investment to scale faster and more effectively by demystifying ClimateTech investing, enabling de-risked strategies, connecting capital with emerging solutions, enabling learning from global expertise and best practices, and developing grassroots investor capability that strengthens the region.

The climate transition represents a trillion-dollar growth opportunity. Accelerating investment in climate-exposed and investment-ready regions across the Global South is key to unlocking the next wave of economic growth while securing a more resilient future for all.”

Sonia Weymuller, Co-Founder and General Partner at VentureSouq, added: “The symposium showcased the quality and diversity of thought leadership emerging from this region. From venture-backed founders to policy innovators, the dialogue was both solutions-driven and deeply collaborative. What stood out was a shared recognition that building climate resilience in the Global South requires an inclusive investment approach – one that combines early-stage capital with long-term policy commitment.”

Sessions such as Leveraging Technology to Adapt to Climate Change and Bridging the Gap: Unlocking Early-Stage Investment for Economic Growth examined how innovations in water, energy, and urban infrastructure can be scaled across the Global South, and how blended finance, venture capital, and digital platforms can de-risk early-stage investment and catalyze economic growth. Policy as a Multiplier: Enabling Ecosystems for Climate Innovation brought together regional and international policymakers to discuss frameworks and financing mechanisms to integrate adaptation into national agendas, while How AI is Supercharging Climate Solutions explored the potential of artificial intelligence in climate modeling, carbon accounting, and energy optimization.

Following the formal program, a networking session brought together investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to exchange insights and explore opportunities for collaboration. Several discussions focused on future co-investment, blended finance mechanisms, and pilot projects that could be scaled across MENA and the Global South in the year ahead.

Since its inception in 2015, Angel Rising has convened more than 900 investors and 100 ecosystem leaders, engaging speakers from global institutions including the Gates Foundation, Acumen, J.P. Morgan, and Investcorp, and reaching millions worldwide through digital content. The symposium continues to advance investor education and ClimateTech innovation through initiatives such as the Conscious Investor Fellowship (CIF), which trains senior capital allocators from across the region to align investment with purpose and de-risk early-stage climate technologies.

As global attention focuses on COP30 in Brazil, Angel Rising underscores the UAE’s continued commitment to driving tangible climate action beyond the summit stage. The symposium builds on the legacy of COP28 by channeling capital and expertise into ClimateTech solutions that strengthen food, water, and energy resilience across the Global South. As the GCC’s climate investor community matures, Angel Rising reinforces the UAE’s position at the forefront of global climate innovation, bridging regional investment with international climate goals.

About startAD

startAD is an Abu Dhabi-based accelerator, steering local and global startups to scale in the UAE and beyond. Powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi, startAD is a new model for innovation that creates customized and impact-driven programs in partnership with stakeholders including governments, corporations, investors, and innovation entities, furthering UAE’s transition into a knowledge-based economy. startAD’s unique sprint accelerator model enables corporations to further innovation by partnering with startups disrupting their core businesses, while equipping startups with the training and opportunity to pilot their solutions with industry leaders.

startAD offers unparalleled business advancement opportunities to local and global tech startups, SMEs, researchers, investors, and youth through an extensive range of programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and a strong global network. Driving innovation in construction, retail, finance, and other priority industries in the UAE, startAD alumni startups have raised USD 270 million in investment, generated USD 220 million in revenue, secured over 80 global pilot projects with corporations, and created over 2500 jobs worldwide.

About Tamkeen

Tamkeen LLC is a company that partners with leading local and international institutions to deliver projects that enrich the social, cultural and educational landscape of the UAE.

About NYU Abu Dhabi 

nyuad.nyu.edu

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. Times Higher Education ranks NYU among the top 31 universities in the world, making NYU Abu Dhabi the highest globally ranked university in the UAE. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 120 countries and speak over 100 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.

About Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD)

Established in 1996, the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is committed to protecting and enhancing air quality, groundwater as well as the biodiversity of our desert and marine ecosystem. By partnering with other government entities, the private sector, NGOs and global environmental agencies, we embrace international best practice, innovation and hard work to institute effective policy measures. We seek to raise environmental awareness, facilitate sustainable development and ensure environmental issues remain one of the top priorities of our national agenda.

About VentureSouq         

VentureSouq (VSQ) is a leading MENA-based venture capital firm with a global portfolio of 300+ companies. VSQ has established itself as a pioneering force in technology investments in MENA and beyond, with dedicated investment vehicles across Climate and FinTech. The firm is backed by leading regional sovereign wealth funds and institutional investors from the region. Through its thematic investment approach and flagship initiatives like Angel Rising and the Conscious Investor Fellowship, VSQ has built a strong track record in identifying, investing in, and scaling breakthrough technologies that address critical challenges in emerging markets.