AstroLabs and the Italian Trade Agency partner to launch the UAE edition of the Global Startup Program 

AstroLabs and the Italian Trade Agency, the government agency which promotes the globalization of Italian firms under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have partnered to launch the 2nd edition of the Global Startup Program in the UAE. The program will support the business acceleration and expansion of 12 technology-enabled Italian startups to the UAE, as a launchpad for expansion into MENA and beyond. 

For the 2022 edition of the Global Startup Program, AstroLabs is commissioned by the Italian Trade Agency to tailor a comprehensive market entry program that will accelerate the expansion of its top emerging businesses into the UAE. With over 10 years of active ecosystem building in MENA, working closely with global and regional governments on expanding businesses into the UAE and Saudi Arabia, AstroLabs remains the region’s default market entry partner. Over the span of 2 months, the AstroLabs team will work closely with founders, partners, and experts to strengthen the technical, organisational, and financial abilities of the participating startups, as well as front-run their go-to-market strategy in the UAE with unrivalled navigation of its key stakeholder landscapes. 

The Global Startup Program 2022 edition encompasses 120 innovative Italian startups offering solutions across a various range of sectors including AI & data, foodtech, medtech, circular economy, green economy, e-commerce, and more. Through this newly formed strategic partnership, the UAE is one of 8 countries around the world to host a cohort of emerging Italian startups participating in the program, in addition to France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. 

While global markets face fluctuations, the UAE has been observing exponential growth and has become a top attractor for global players eyeing expansion.

This program will capitalise on existing capabilities and relationships to drive accelerated synergies between both business ecosystems as Director of ITA Dubai, Amedeo Scarpa highlights: “Italy and the UAE enjoy a strong trade relationship. Innovation is high on the agenda for the Italian internationalisation strategy which has pointed out sustainability, ecological transition, support for startups, digitalisation, and competitiveness as the key areas to focus on in the international economic scenario. The UAE is the most dynamic hub in the region and a global hub for innovation. Italy is the 2nd manufacturing country in Europe and the 8th global exporter. Our reputation is there. Italy has a tradition of innovation and following the success of last year’s program, we are glad to boost more win-win cooperations with Emirati and GCC partners.” 

While this provides an invaluable market expansion opportunity for the cohort of emerging startups, this also invites new innovations, business approaches, and technologies to the UAE. 

Christina Andreassen, Head of Programs at AstroLabs, notes: “We've been working with various government stakeholders globally on running market entry and expansion programs across MENA over the past years, and we've seen first-hand the impact of building effective local networks in scaling within hypergrowth markets like the UAE. The opportunity at hand is one-of-a-kind given the conducive market conditions and exponential growth we've been observing across the region. Surely, with the support our cohort will be receiving from the Italian Trade Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the AstroLabs teams and entrepreneurial communities, these emerging businesses will not only be able to thrive, but rather partake in shaping an exciting future for the UAE’s digital economy.’’

The Global Startup Program in partnership with ITA is one of many national-scale initiatives hosted and designed by AstroLabs to elevate innovation capacities in the UAE and beyond. While the ITA proposition will bank on the knowledge exchange between Italian and UAE-based entrepreneurs, the AstroLabs team will support the startups with the acquisition of new managerial techniques in line with the latest local & global market trends, curate engagement opportunities with commercial partners and investors, as well as introduce the startups to government innovation programs, in addition to fully servicing their local setup process. 

Aside from business, financial feasibility, and UAE-driven market entry consultations, AstroLabs will be hosting the teams at their coworking spaces in Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) which will also act as a soft landing platform for startups ready to enter and operate in the market. The program will kick off on October 4, and spanning 2 months will welcome the following Italian startups on their market entry journey to the UAE: 

• Service Biotec Srl
• Clentech
• Green Independence
• Green Kitchen
• Myndoor
• Mapskin Srl
• Senior srl
• Threebot
• Wym Srl - Ya Be
• Your Call System
• Trading and Marketing
• IBC Corp Srl