The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, through Dubai Founders HQ, have announced a multi-year strategic partnership with global early-stage venture capital firm Antler to launch a flagship founder residency programme and accelerate the creation of a new generation of venture-backed startups from Dubai.
The collaboration marks a pivotal step in Dubai Founders HQ’s mission to systematically support and scale the next generation of startup founders from Dubai. Through the collaboration, more than 600 founders are expected to be upskilled, with a strong pipeline of new startups launched and funded from Dubai.
Launched in October 2025, Dubai Founders HQ is a joint initiative of DET and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, established as the city’s central platform to connect founders with investors, corporates, and ecosystem enablers. As a flagship initiative under the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, which aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033, Dubai Founders HQ is designed to accelerate the creation of high-growth startups, support scale-ups, and contribute to the development of globally competitive companies, including the next generation of unicorns.
At the core of the partnership is Antler’s globally recognised Residency Program, delivered from Dubai Founders HQ. The programme supports early-stage founders from day zero, helping them refine ideas, find co-founders, build MVPs, and access pre-seed investment. Founders will also benefit from Antler’s Academy, a comprehensive, entrepreneurial education platform featuring high-calibre training delivered by Antler’s network of investors, mentors, and technology partners. Together, these programmes provide founders with a clear, end-to-end pathway from entrepreneurial ambition to funded startup, addressing one of the most critical gaps in early-stage ecosystems: the transition from talent to investable companies.
As part of the collaboration, Antler has established its UAE headquarters within the Dubai Founders HQ campus, embedding its investment and programme teams directly into Dubai’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This on-the-ground presence enables faster founder iteration, closer investor engagement, and tighter alignment between venture creation and capital deployment, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a destination of choice for ambitious entrepreneurs from around the world.
His Excellency Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), the economic development arm of DET, said: “Under the guidance of our visionary leadership, Dubai Founders HQ was established to give founders the confidence, infrastructure and long-term support required to build globally competitive companies. Partnering with Antler, an organisation with a track record of success globally, allows us to translate this ambition into execution, supporting founders from the earliest stages of ideation. This collaboration reflects our sustained commitment to building real pathways for entrepreneurship and to positioning Dubai as a launchpad for the next generation of global startups under the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.
Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, stated: “Our cooperation with Antler marks a significant leap forward in cultivating Dubai’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. This partnership merges global expertise with the comprehensive support model offered by Dubai Founder’s HQ, empowering startup founders to gain specialised knowledge, practical experience, and forge strong connections with investors. This, in turn, drives sustainable growth and enables them to efficiently and effectively scale their businesses, ultimately reinforcing Dubai’s standing as a premier global hub for entrepreneurs and an ideal destination for startups to thrive and evolve into unicorn companies, aligning perfectly with the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.”
Magnus Grimeland, Founder and CEO of Antler said: “As the world’s most active early-stage AI investor, we see Dubai as the primary launchpad for the next wave of agentic innovation, as part of the city’s strategic focus on empowering and upskilling founders. This partnership moves us beyond vision into execution, creating a structured pathway for exceptional founders to build the future of the digital economy from Dubai Founders HQ, which provides the ideal platform to allow startups to accelerate and scale.”
The partnership directly contributes to the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, including the ambition to scale 30 unicorns from Dubai and strengthen the city’s position as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. By combining Dubai Founders HQ’s ecosystem-wide mandate with Antler’s global venture creation and investment model, the collaboration is expected to generate hundreds of new entrepreneurs, supported by structured pathways to growth and investment. This partnership marks a major step forward in Dubai’s approach to economic development: focused on delivery, grounded in collaboration, and designed to scale impact across the city’s entrepreneurial landscape.
Applications for the Residency programme are now open, inviting ambitious entrepreneurs from across the UAE and around the world to join the programme, build their companies from Dubai, and become part of its fast-growing innovation ecosystem. To learn more and apply, visit: https://antler.co/apply