Dubai, UAE – The Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF), an initiative launched by the UAE Ministry of Finance to support innovation in the UAE, has announced the opening of the application window for the 9th cohort of its celebrated Innovation Accelerator.

The MBRIF’s Innovation Accelerator – launched in 2018 in alignment with the UAE’s National Strategy for Advanced Innovation – enables entrepreneurs to enhance their potential to create a positive impact, both on their respective industries and on the UAE’s economy. The program is aligned to the priority sectors under the UAE’s National Strategy for Advanced Innovation.

Innovators selected to join the latest cohort of the program can look forward to a comprehensive support package including state-of-the-art resources and expert coaching and mentorship, with the aim of increasing their capabilities, scaling up their businesses and accelerating growth. Beyond support, the program also provides cohort members access to potential investment and a host of valuable connections, including established entrepreneurs across the region, opening doors to networking and offering the opportunity to form strategic alliances.

Fatima Yousif Alnaqbi, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Support Services Sector, Chief Innovation Officer at the UAE Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry's representative at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund, said of the latest cohort application opening: “The consistent influx of hundreds of applications from across the globe is a source of great pride, highlighting the intense interest in our initiative and the many benefits it offers both entrepreneurs and our innovation ecosystem. Once again, we are excited to explore ideas and innovations that we believe have the potential to create a profound impact on industries and drive our economy forward.”

Al Naqbi concluded: “The Innovation Accelerator is testament to our solid commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration as part of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in the UAE, in line with our support for the UAE’s National Strategy for Advanced Innovation, and we look forward to welcoming yet more of the brightest talents to our program.”

Entities welcomed to join Cohort 9 will join the ranks of more than 150 diverse businesses from 28 countries that have already benefited from the many valuable facets of the IA program. Notable success stories from the Innovation Accelerator include Fortyguard, a cleantech platform pioneering urban temperature intelligence which exhibited at the GTC 2024 alongside NVIDIA and their ecosystem partners; Verofax, a platform for asset tracking management and sustainable lifecycle tracing and Appro, recently named Best Fintech at the Fintech World Cup, Dubai Fintech Summit.

The application window to join the Innovator Accelerator Cohort 9 is now open and applications can be made online via https://mbrif.cognistreamer.com/

For more information about Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund please visit https://mbrif.ae.

About the MBRIF:

The Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF) is a federal initiative launched by the Ministry of Finance and is operated by Emirates Development Bank. Since its launch in 2016, the MBRIF has supported innovators through its first program, the Guarantee Scheme, which offers members access to affordable funding through a government-backed guarantee and without taking equity.

The MBRIF’s second program, the MBRIF Accelerator, was launched in December 2018. Aligned with the UAE National Innovation Strategy, the initiative aims to enhance growth potential of innovative businesses shaping the future of UAE’s economy. The MBRIF Accelerator offers world-class services and coaching to member companies to accelerate their business, elevate capabilities, unlock value and achieve scale.

Additionally, the MBRIF partners with the public and private sector to help facilitate growth, provide support, create opportunities and pave the way to success for its member companies in the UAE. For more information, please visit: https://www.mbrif.ae/

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