The upcoming ninth edition of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) 2026 is set to significantly enhance founder-investor engagement with the launch of “Startup City,” a dedicated zone designed to accelerate startup growth and investment readiness. Organized by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), the festival will take place on January 31st and February 1st at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, bringing together the region’s most promising startups and influential investors.
A Dedicated Hub for Growth
“Startup City,” supported by du for business, will serve as a central hub for founders, investors, and ecosystem enablers to foster scalable businesses and long-term partnerships. The zone will allow participating startups to showcase innovative products and services in technology, digital solutions, and creative industries through live demonstrations. It will also host a series of discussions on the future of capital and alternative funding channels crucial for startup growth.
Fostering Founder-Investor Dialogue
A key feature of Startup City is the “Investors’ Lounge,” a structured environment for direct, one-on-one meetings between startups and a curated group of 100 investors. This initiative provides a clear pathway for founders to explore funding opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and plan market expansion.
Further amplifying investment opportunities, the zone will host the “Startup Pitch Competition” in collaboration with 1Tank. The competition offers entrepreneurs a platform to present their ideas to a panel of experts, receive direct feedback, and compete for prizes totaling AED 275,000, in addition to potential follow-on funding from attending investors.
Insights from Regional and Global Leaders
At the heart of Startup City lies the “Founders’ Stage,” which will feature 30 diverse sessions including keynotes and specialized talks on the realities of building and scaling a business. Sessions will cover market trends, investment directions, and the challenges founders face in talent acquisition and global competition.
The agenda includes prominent speakers such as Laura Modiano, Head of Startups at OpenAI, who will discuss the future of AI investments. Tala Al Jabri, Founder of Wild VC, will share her experience launching the region’s first AI-focused fund. Other notable speakers include Christos Mastoras of Iliad Partners, Parthi Duraisamy of Alaan, and Dr. Azzam Pasha of Maalexi, who will cover topics from capital market forecasts to modernizing food supply chains.
Strategic Partnership and Vision
Sara Balhaif Al Nuaimi, Executive Director of Sheraa, commented on the new initiative, stating, “Startup City is designed to be a practical dialogue space that brings founders together with investors and experts, supporting them in making clearer decisions that guide their companies’ growth path. Through this direct interaction, entrepreneurs can realistically assess their business models, understand investment readiness requirements, and build more balanced and sustainable growth paths.”
Karim Benkirane, Chief Commercial Officer at du, added, “Supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs through Startup City at SEF 2026 aligns with du’s mission to accelerate digital transformation in the UAE. Through du for business, we are pleased to contribute to a platform that connects ambitious entrepreneurs with the resources, networks, and strategic guidance needed to build future leading companies.”
About Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa)
The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) is a government-backed entity launched in 2016 to cultivate a world-class entrepreneurship ecosystem in Sharjah and the wider UAE. Sheraa provides a platform for aspiring and established entrepreneurs to launch and grow their ventures by offering mentorship, seed funding, and access to a network of investors and strategic partners.
Source: Zawya
