Initiate
A programme by Hub71
A venture-builder-operated programme for ideation and pre-seed founders to build a first product, with a free licence and office space at Hub71 for one year.
At a glance
| Best for | Ideation and pre-seed founders in Hub71's priority sectors who want to build a first product. |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – MVP |
| Duration | One year of licence and office space |
| Format | In person |
| Run with | Venture One, SC Ventures, Fikra Ventures, TMC2 |
About Initiate
Initiate is for founders at the ideation or pre-seed stage who want to build a minimum viable product. It is operated with venture builders, among them Venture One, SC Ventures, Fikra Ventures and TMC2.
What you get
- A free licence and office space at Hub71 for one year, and help settling in
- Mentoring from the venture builder you are matched with
- Funding and equity terms are set by the venture builder, not by Hub71
Hub71 takes no equity in startups joining Initiate and gives no direct funding.
Who can apply
- Founders building in Hub71's priority sectors: FinTech and Digital Assets, ClimateTech, Life Sciences, EdTech, Mobility and Logistics, and FoodTech
- AI-enabled startups are encouraged
- The programme page does not say whether founders from outside the UAE may apply, though Hub71 says startups from outside the UAE can apply to Hub71 generally
How selection works: Hub71 first reviews whether your startup fits the programme. The venture builder then applies its own selection criteria and interviews.
How to apply: Use the application form linked from the programme page. No cohort dates are stated.
Where to apply
Other Hub71 programmes
- Access ProgrammeA 12-month programme for pre-seed to Series A startups that want a base in Abu Dhabi: in-kind support services plus cash taken for equity through a SAFE note.
- Hub71+ Digital AssetsA specialist 12-month ecosystem for Web3 and blockchain startups, on the same package as Access, with a three-month guided track powered by Elixir Capital.
- Hub71+ ClimateTechA specialist 12-month ecosystem for climate and sustainability startups, on the same package as Access, with a three-month guided track.
- Hub71+ Life SciencesA specialist ecosystem for biotechnology, MedTech and digital health startups, on the same package as Access, launched in 2025.
- Hub71+ AIA sector-agnostic AI ecosystem inside Hub71's programmes. There is no separate intake: you answer an AI question on another programme's form.
- SAVI mobility trackA track inside the Access Programme for smart and autonomous mobility startups, giving access to Abu Dhabi's Smart & Autonomous Vehicles Industry cluster.
- Hub71 Sandbox ProgrammeA regulatory sandbox developed with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, where companies test solutions with regulators and testbeds in Abu Dhabi.
- UAE-India Start-Up Series 2.0 and Immersion ProgrammeA cross-border competition for Indian startups run by the UAE-India CEPA Council with Hub71's support. Its application window has closed.