Abu Dhabi-based G42 company Presight has seen applications for its AI-Startup Accelerator program surge, receiving 376 submissions from 62 countries for its second cohort. The figure represents a threefold increase from the 120 applications received for its inaugural program, signaling the accelerator’s growing reputation as a critical entry point for global AI startups targeting MENA’s enterprise and government sectors.
Quick Facts
- 376 applications received from 62 countries.
- Cohort I pursuing $26 million in commercial contracts.
- NodeShift secured a $1 million VC investment.
A Magnet for Global AI Talent
The sharp increase in both the volume and geographic diversity of applicants points to the program’s rising international profile. The inaugural cohort attracted submissions from 17 countries, a number that has expanded to 62 for Cohort II. While the UAE remains the top source of applications with 140, the program has attracted significant interest from the United States (37), India (26), the United Kingdom (19), and South Korea (16).
By region, the Middle East led with 162 applications, followed by Asia Pacific (84), Europe (65), and North America (42). The applicant pool also shows a clear maturation, with many startups already demonstrating commercial traction through active clients, revenue, and previous funding rounds.
From Program to Pipeline: Cohort I’s Commercial Wins
The accelerator’s appeal is backed by tangible results from its first cohort. Participants are collectively pursuing $26 million in potential commercial contracts, with several deals already secured within the G42 ecosystem.
Vulcan has signed a contract with CPX to work on generative AI security, and AlphaGeo has a deal with Khazna Data Centers. NodeShift, a sovereign AI startup, not only secured a strategic agreement with Presight for government projects but also landed a $1 million investment from the Presight-Shorooq Fund I. Other startups like Ajari are being integrated directly into Presight’s solutions portfolio.
“The tripling of applications for Cohort II reflects the success we have achieved with this Accelerator,” said Magzhan Kenesbai, Chief Growth Officer of Presight. “We have AI innovators from around the world who want access to our program to replicate the achievements they saw from Cohort I and unlock the same commercial pathways.”
The G42 Advantage
The program’s key differentiator is providing direct access to Presight’s infrastructure and the broader G42 network, which includes deep relationships with government and enterprise clients. This focus on deployment-ready solutions for complex, regulated environments allows startups to bypass common market-entry barriers.
Applications for the second cohort skewed heavily towards enterprise AI, agentic systems, data analytics, and process automation, with strong representation from fintech, healthtech, govtech, and cybersecurity.
The selection process for Cohort II is underway, with a shortlist of companies set to pitch to a judging panel in early April. The final ten startups selected for the program will be announced in early May 2026.
About Presight
Presight is an ADX-listed public company, majority-owned by Abu Dhabi’s G42. The company is a global leader in applied AI, deploying intelligent systems for governments and critical infrastructure. Presight builds AI-enabled platforms that provide operational intelligence for complex environments at national and enterprise scale.
Source: middleeastainews
