MBZUAI Incubation & Entrepreneurship Center
From lines of code to lines of business, we nurture the minds that shape our future with AI
Message from Eric Xing
At MBZUAI, we recognize the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and its capacity to drive innovation across industries. With the establishment of the IEC, we are taking a proactive step towards nurturing and supporting the next generation of AI-driven startups. What sets the IEC apart is our unique approach, which combines the technical depth of AI with invaluable business insights and a deep understanding of the local market dynamics. By blending these elements seamlessly, we aim to cultivate startups that not only harness the power of AI but also have a tangible impact on their respective sectors. Our mission at the IEC is clear: to incubate value-creating startups that not only thrive in the MENA region but also have the potential to make waves on a global scale. Through tailored mentorship, access to cutting-edge resources, and a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, we are committed to providing the support
Who We Are
Launched in November 2023, MBZUAI Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) aims to be the leading AI-native incubator in MENA. We blend technical substance of AI with business insights and an intimate understanding of the local market to incubate value-creating start-ups.
What We Offer
Funding
Receive up to AED 200k equity free funding for AI startups in idea, POC and growth stage
Network
Meet local community including government entities, industry partners, academia, investors
Expertise
Gain first-hand insights from AI scientists, technologists, founders, and investors in our network
Learning
Access curated AI programs to upskill talent, level up solutions, and scale startups
What We Do
We back our founders with funding & expertise
That's IEC Grant & Mentor Network
Up to AED 200k in competitive grants available for MBZUAI founders.
Supported 60+ world-class faculty, researchers, and students specializing in AI.
Startups awarded our grants have raised 8x their initial grant funding from external investors.
Access to the IEC Mentor Network for practical AI venture-building expertise.
We bring global insights to enrich the local ecosystem
That's Palmside Chats
Engaged 22+ top-tier guest speakers from leading tech companies and VCs for knowledge-sharing sessions, including OpenAI, Microsoft, Careem, and BECO Capital.
450+ attendees participating in the Palmside Chats.
Notable sessions:
We equip aspiring tech founders to transform code into businesses
That's IEC Entrepreneurship Workshops
80+ hours of intensive workshops and personalized training provide aspiring founders with the skills to turn code into businesses.
70+ entrepreneurs have graduated from our program, ready to make their mark on the AI world.
Success story: Audiomatic
We turn AI noise into strategic signals
That's Insights Minute
Bi-weekly insight-letter that only features the highest quality AI perspectives.
17 editions so far, helping you not only collect facts but connect dots.
Past editions: Insights Minute repository
We deliver impact to the broader Abu Dhabi ecosystem
That's SME Journey AI Program for Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (DED)
1000+ unique application views for the program across 10+ universities in Abu Dhabi.
40+ participants received training over a professional bootcamp.
Tackled a local challenge from DED, upskilled local solvers in Abu Dhabi, and developed a local solution in GenAI.
Featured Start Ups
Limb
A world where physiotherapy is no longer a luxury
Healthcare Computer Vision
Cradle AI
For the wellbeing of first-time parents and their babies
Healthcare Machine Learning
RenderMind
Where imagination meets vision
Entertainment Computer VisionWhat’s New
Going out on a limb: Transforming physiotherapy with the help of MBZUAI
Shamma Al Saedi used to struggle with public speaking. Presenting in English risked bringing on a panic attack. Yet she recently beat more than 300 projects pitching for the Ministry of Education Entrepreneurship Challenge prize for her startup, Limb.
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September startup spotlight: Five success stories from MBZUAI researchers, students, and alumni
As well as providing a cutting-edge hub for artificial intelligence (AI) research and learning, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is also working to turn AI-driven ideas into real-world startups.
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Participants pitch AI startup ideas after success of new MBZUAI Entrepreneurship Program
The inaugural Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) Entrepreneurship Courses concluded with 12 AI-based startup business plans presented at an on-campus event in Masdar City, with 22 students walking away with the entrepreneurial skills, tools, and networks needed to commercialize their AI solutions in the UAE, and three startups being fast-tracked for financial grants from MBZUAI.
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AI Startup Spotlight Series: LibrAI
Hello, I’m Xudong Han, founder of LibrAI, a startup committed to advancing AI safety and responsible AI practices. I earned my doctorate from the University of Melbourne last year. Prior to establishing LibrAI, I dedicated five years to AI safety research, contributing papers to leading NLP conferences such as ICLR, ACL, EMNLP, and NAACL. I also spearheaded the creation of FairLib, the inaugural open-source toolkit for assessing and enhancing fairness in deep neural network development and deployment.
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How MBZUAI’s Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center is helping two students revolutionize content creation
A new AI-driven audio production platform created by two Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) students could revolutionize the world of content creation; automating audio tasks for visual storytelling and mitigating licensing challenges.
Read MoreInnovation Program
HOME-GROWN AI SOLUTIONS FOR LOCAL BUSINESS
MBZUAI’s Innovation Program drives innovation by inviting students from universities across the UAE to work with MBZUAI faculty to develop AI-based solutions in real-time to provide organizations with mission-critical support.
The teams will spend several months working alongside product, design and commercialization experts to build scalable solutions to address real-world challenges.
