Dubai Founders HQ, a joint initiative by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with global early-stage venture capital firm Antler. The collaboration aims to launch a flagship founder residency program designed to accelerate the creation of a new generation of venture-backed startups from Dubai.
The partnership is a significant development for the emirate’s ecosystem, with plans to upskill over 600 founders and systematically build a strong pipeline of new companies that will be launched and funded in Dubai.
A Strategic Push for D33 Agenda
This initiative directly supports the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033 and scale 30 unicorns from the city. The collaboration combines Dubai Founders HQ’s ecosystem-wide mandate with Antler’s established model for venture creation and investment.
His Excellency Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), 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.”
Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, added that the cooperation “marks a significant leap forward in cultivating Dubai’s entrepreneurship ecosystem,” by merging global expertise with local support to help startups scale efficiently and reinforce Dubai’s position as a global hub.
Antler’s Day Zero Support Model Comes to Dubai
At the core of the partnership is Antler’s globally recognized Residency Program, which will be delivered from the Dubai Founders HQ. The program is designed to support early-stage entrepreneurs from “day zero,” helping them refine ideas, find co-founders, build Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), and access pre-seed investment.
Participants will also benefit from Antler’s Academy, a comprehensive educational platform offering specialized training from Antler’s network of investors, mentors, and technology partners. This creates a clear, end-to-end pathway for founders, addressing the critical early-stage gap of turning talent into investable companies.
Magnus Grimeland, Founder and CEO of Antler, commented: “As the world’s most active early-stage AI investor, we see Dubai as the primary launchpad for the next wave of agentic innovation… 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.”
A Permanent Foothold in the Ecosystem
As part of the agreement, Antler has established its UAE headquarters within the Dubai Founders HQ campus. This move embeds its investment and program teams directly into Dubai’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, enabling faster founder iteration and closer engagement with investors.
Applications for the inaugural residency program are now open to entrepreneurs from the UAE and around the world, inviting them to build their companies from Dubai.
About Dubai Founders HQ
Launched in October 2025, Dubai Founders HQ is a joint initiative of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. It serves as the city’s central platform to connect founders with investors, corporations, and other key ecosystem enablers as part of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.
Source: Zawya
