Six UAE-based AI startups have been selected to advance in the inaugural Mastercard Lighthouse UAE programme, following evaluation of 14 finalists.
Loyyal, NewForm Technologies, NodeShift, Polynome, Valura.AI and zypl.ai will take part in a four-month mentorship programme focused on scaling their technologies and connecting them with financial institutions and investors.
The startups cover areas including AI and blockchain-powered loyalty, agentic AI for regulated financial institutions, sovereign generative AI infrastructure, bilingual enterprise AI, investment technology, and AI-driven credit scoring and fraud detection.
The programme was launched by the UAE Government’s Artificial Intelligence Office and the Mastercard Center for Advanced AI and Cyber Technology. It is supported by ecosystem partners including Hub71, Global Ventures, Further Ventures, Shorooq, VentureSouq and the Dubai Future District Fund.
The initiative will conclude with a Demo Day for investors and industry representatives. According to the announcement, Mastercard Lighthouse’s global alumni network has raised more than $1.3B and includes several unicorns since the programme began in the Nordic and Baltic region in 2018 before expanding to Türkiye.
Source: Middle East AI News
