MBZUAI’s Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center Launches Demo Day for AI Builders in Abu Dhabi

MBZUAI’s Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) has launched the Build it Demo Day – a stage for builders to showcase working AI solutions to the UAE’s innovation ecosystem.

Unlike traditional pitch events, Build It focuses on actual products and prototypes, not presentations. The event has three straightforward requirements: participants must demo something they’re genuinely proud of, AI must be at the core (whether a model, agent, or workflow), and they must show work-in-progress – a mock-up, prototype, or short video.

The first Build It Demo Day will take place on October 30, 2025, from 5-7pm at Masdar City Park. Applications are now open on a rolling basis to university students, startup founders, and professionals building AI products.

Selected participants for Build It will gain exposure to a network of leading local and global organizations, and access to a comprehensive package of technology credits designed to fuel their next milestone, including:

• OpenAI API credits (up to $2,000)
• Nvidia credits (up to $120,000)
• AWS credits ($25,000)
• ElevenLabs credits ($50,000)
• HuggingFace credits (up to $2,000)
• PostHog credits (up to $50,000)
• Microsoft Azure credits ($5,000)
• HubSpot 90% discount

Haochen Sun, Acting Head of the Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center said: “About 25% of our students show up with a startup idea already running, and there are builders across Abu Dhabi working on their own projects. But there wasn’t a place to share that early work, the kind that might break during the demo, but where you learn more by showing it than by trying to perfect it alone.

“The Build It Demo Day is that stage. We have brought together NVIDIA, Microsoft, AWS, ElevenLabs, and others who have contributed over $200,000 in credits because they believe in early builders. We’re creating the space where a rough demo becomes a conversation, and that conversation becomes a company. And we want that story to be in Abu Dhabi.”

The IEC’s programs, including its Entrepreneurship Workshops and Grant Initiative, have already produced more than 250 startup pitches and over 400 hours of mentorship and training by leaders from across industry, including OpenAI and Microsoft. Since its launch in 2023, the IEC has supported the creation of 14 AI startups in Abu Dhabi, facilitated significant external investment, and fostered a thriving entrepreneurial community of more than 2,000 members.

Applications for Demo Day are now open on a rolling basis, To apply and learn more, visit buildit.mbzuai.ac.ae. Submissions are encouraged for consideration in the first showcase on October 30.