Hub71-based startups have now raised $1 billion in venture capital collectively 

Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, today announces that it has onboarded startups to its community that have raised $1 billion (AED 3.7 billion) in venture capital collectively since its launch in 2019.

The milestone was achieved in a year which has seen Hub71 onboard 53 high-growth technology companies each with a proven track record of attracting large-scale investment from leading venture capital firms.

Nine startups onboarded by Hub71 this year have raised more than $10 million (AED 36.7 million) in funding each, and $156.7 million (AED 575 million) collectively. Among these is Axiom, a startup that helps companies monitor and analyse data, which raised US$25 million (AED 93.6 million), the highest of any startup onboarded by Hub71 in 2022, and 257 per cent more than the highest amount raised by a startup joining Hub71 in 2021. 44.01, a carbon reduction company eliminating CO2 by transferring it into rock and the recipient of an Earthshot prize, had already raised $16.2 million (AED 59.4 million) upon joining Hub71 within its latest cohort.

This follows 2021, in which the highest amount raised by a startup joining Hub71 was US$1.9 million (AED 7 million) and the average fundraise of startups joining the community amounted to $463,000 (AED 1.7 million).

Badr Al-Olama, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Hub71, said: “A true sign of a quality startup is a founder’s proven ability to raise capital from high-profile investors. As the startups we’ve onboarded at Hub71 have raised $1 billion collectively, our community is increasingly accelerating deal flow and reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s stature as a top investment destination for startups at all stages. We are setting the tone for 2023 and remain committed to helping our founders create global impact from our ecosystem.”

Hub71 has built a diverse capital ecosystem of active investment partners ranging from Mubadala Investment Company to over 30 VC firms to family offices, giving startup founders various ways to access funding and investors the opportunity to increase deal flow.

The benefits for investors partnered with Hub71 include the ability to refer portfolio companies with high potential to Abu Dhabi’s growing startup community. In the latest cohort, 200 applicants (28.8 per cent) were referrals from VC firms, reinforcing the trust placed by general partners in Hub71 and its ability to accelerate the growth of startups and technology companies.

In 2022, Hub71’s vibrant community surpassed 200 startups following the onboarding of 21 startups in its third cohort of the year. Applications to join Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem through Hub71’s Incentive Program in 2022 have grown 100 per cent year-on-year, reflecting its growing appeal to gain access to incentives, structured programs, mentorship, talent and corporate and government partners in Abu Dhabi and leading tech markets globally.