MBZUAI Incubation & Entrepreneurship Center
From lines of code to lines of business, we nurture the minds that shape our future with AI
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
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.
Receive up to AED 200k equity free funding
for AI
startups in idea, POC and growth stage Meet local community including government
entities, industry partners, academia, investors Gain first-hand insights from AI scientists,
technologists, founders, and investors in our network Access curated AI programs to upskill talent,
level up solutions, and scale startups 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. 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: 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 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 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. A world where physiotherapy is no longer a luxury For the wellbeing of first-time parents and their babies Where imagination meets vision 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Message from Eric Xing
Who We Are
What We Offer
Funding
Network
Expertise
Learning
What We Do
We back our founders with funding &
expertise
We bring global insights to enrich the local
ecosystem
We equip aspiring tech founders to transform code into businesses
We turn AI noise into strategic signals
We deliver impact to the broader Abu Dhabi ecosystem
Featured Start Ups
Limb
Cradle AI
RenderMind
What’s New
Going out on a limb: Transforming physiotherapy
with the help of MBZUAI
September startup spotlight: Five success stories
from MBZUAI researchers, students, and alumni
Participants pitch AI startup ideas after success
of new MBZUAI Entrepreneurship Program
AI Startup Spotlight Series: LibrAI
How MBZUAI’s Incubation and Entrepreneurship
Center is helping two students revolutionize content creation
Innovation 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.
