• The NextGen Incubator Cohort 4 program was designed for university students in the UAE who are passionate about developing tech-enabled solutions for global challenges outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals 

Abu Dhabi, UAE: startAD, the Abu Dhabi-based startup accelerator powered by Tamkeen and anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi announced the winners of the NextGen Incubator. The virtual program has been designed specifically for UAE-based university students between the ages of 18-25 who are passionate about developing tech-enabled solutions for global challenges as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Showcase Day represented the conclusion of a rigorous entrepreneurship training program. This edition included skill-building workshops, mentorship, and network access during which teams acquired the skills and tools to develop their project into a startup with a business model that is scalable, repeatable, and capital-efficient. Organized in partnership with Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Sandooq Al Watan, and Etihad Airways, the program takes advantage of the region’s favorable entrepreneurial environment, and equips students with future-ready social, digital, entrepreneurial, and business skills that spark curiosity, enhance employability, and encourage innovation.

The winning startups presented outstanding solutions for responsible consumption and production, quality education, climate action, good health, and wellbeing and won prizes worth USD 33,000.

  • Mental Health AE, a platform that provides services, information, and resources to create awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health in the UAE, won the National Impact Award, a USD 10,000 prize offered by Sandooq Al Watan.
  • Ground Z, an innovative digital platform that aims to reduce educational inequality with the help of artificial intelligence won first priz eof USD 3,000 from GGGI.
  • 5mm, a startup which creates sustainable microplastic clean up solutions placed second with a prize of USD 1,500 from GGGI
  • RePlaste, a sustainable design studio addressing waste management, won the Etihad Airways Challenge and return business class tickets to any destination served by the Etihad Greenliner, as well as the opportunity to test and validate their technology through a pilot project on Etihad Airways’ Ecoflights. They also received the third prize of USD 500 from GGGI.

Twelve teams comprising 34 students pitched their solutions to a panel of experts during Showcase Day.

Commenting on the fourth edition of the NextGen Incubator, Managing Director of startAD and also Vice Provost for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at NYUAD, Ramesh Jagannathan said: “According to the UN 2020 World Youth Report, 600 million jobs would be needed in the next 15 years to meet global youth employment needs. Entrepreneurial disruption is now more essential than ever before; as the world tackles a global pandemic, technology disruptors will rise to play a critical role in reshaping economies

“The NextGen Incubator is dedicated to promoting innovation as a crucial pillar of the UAE’s transition into a thriving knowledge-based economy. By providing the nation’s talented and entrepreneurial youth with the skills and tools needed to realize their ideas into successful businesses, we are contributing towards building a brighter and more prosperous future for all, with sustainability at its core.”

Chief Digital Officer of Etihad Aviation Group Frank Meyer said: “Our warmest congratulations to the winning teams and the finalists, who have shown us yet again the enormous potential of UAE youth in driving innovation and progress. We look forward to working with these future leaders to explore innovative ways of continuing to make air travel more sustainable, not just for Etihad, but for the global aviation industry as a whole.”

Director General at Sandooq Al Watan Hind Baker said: “Sandooq Al Watan is delighted to partner with startAD in supporting the NextGen Incubator Program, which functions as an instrumental tool to help motivate and encourage the UAE’s young entrepreneurs to find tech-enabled solutions for some of the most pressing challenges the global community is facing  As an organisation that is committed to promoting social responsibility and community cohesion, Sandooq Al Watan seeks to collaborate with the most impactful initiatives that can make a difference in UAE society. We are proud to announce the winner of the National Impact Grant, Mental Health AE, and we look forward to enabling their journey to grow into a successful technology startup.”

The virtual program received 146 applications from 27 universities.  The 34 finalists, of whom 50 percent were female, represented 15 nationalities, seven universities, and three Emirates of the UAE.

The jury included Head of Sustainability & Business Excellence at Etihad Aviation Group Mariam Al Qubaisi, Director General at Sandooq Al Watan Hind Baker, Senior Strategic Program Manager at Sandooq Al Watan Sama AlHammadi, and Senior Officer at Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Hyun S. Lee. The investor panel consisted of CEO and Cofounder of The UAE Angels Capital Investment Dr. Abdulhannan Kareem and Corporate Leader, Board Director and Advisor to multiple family offices and Venture Capital companies Alaa Alhashem.

To date the NextGen Incubator has advanced 369 youth entrepreneurs from 30 universities and five emirates in the UAE. Many of these entrepreneurs have gone on to incorporate their businesses and secure significant local and international projects with leading UAE corporations.

-Ends-

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 70 million in investment, generated USD 50 million in revenue, secured over 50 global pilot projects with corporations, and created over 270 jobs worldwide.

About Tamkeen

Tamkeen is an Abu Dhabi based company mandated to deliver projects to meet the UAE’s vision of knowledge-based development. Tamkeen works with a variety of local and international institutions to enrich the UAE’s social, cultural and educational landscape. 

About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and science campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective liberal arts, engineering and science curriculum with a world center for advanced research and scholarship enabling its students 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 115 nations and speak over 115 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 Sandooq Al Watan 

Sandooq Al Watan (the National Fund) is a community initiative launched by a group of prominent Emirati businessmen that seeks to promote a sense of social cohesion in Emirati society. The initiative is in line with the UAE leadership’s vision of a sustainable future for the country and its citizens. It also reflects the private sector’s commitment to social responsibility and the positive role that Emirati businessmen and women play in supporting social development projects and plans.

Sandooq Al Watan is meant to attract investments and community contributions and utilise them to the benefit of society through a range of creative projects that would serve strategic economic and social sectors.

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