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Washington DC-based incubator Halcyon, in partnership with Access Abu Dhabi, backed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), concluded a week-long program in Abu Dhabi representing 28 of the region’s most promising founders impact-driven businesses. Access Abu Dhabi is open to all US businesses and includes support to accelerate expansion and growth in the UAE capital.
This year’s cohort marks the second year of the Halcyon Middle East and North Africa (MENA) fellowship, which brings together founders from across the region to build skills and build networks. The two-year program is run in partnership with the US Department of State and Amazon Web Services (AWS), with the support of Leana and Marc Katz.
Halcyon’s 2023 MENA Fellows hail from seven countries in the region and are bringing innovative solutions to market addressing issues ranging from clean water and affordable medical equipment to sustainable food systems and educational access for students with disabilities Broad question. They join Halcyon’s network of more than 300 fellows from around the world solving 21st century challenges through impact-driven business.
Highlights of the trip to Abu Dhabi included a mentoring session at ADIO, where Halcyon’s 2023 Middle East and North Africa Fellows were briefed on the opportunities available to tech startups in Abu Dhabi’s innovation ecosystem.
Abdulla Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Acting Director General of ADIO, said: “Abu Dhabi is focused on harnessing technology for economic and social progress, an underlying theme for many of the Halcyon 2023 MENA fellows. ADIO is here to help ambitious start-ups realize the potential of their ideas , and leverage the power of partners in the Abu Dhabi ecosystem, where other organizations are both collaborators and value creators.”
During the visit, the delegation held a series of meetings with entrepreneurs and investors in Abu Dhabi to explore potential cooperation opportunities. The delegation also shared insights into the thriving startup ecosystem at Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, and its work to support the growth and development of innovative companies. Today, Abu Dhabi is home to hundreds of businesses in areas such as cleantech, healthtech, edtech and fintech that are critical to the future of the Abu Dhabi economy and ensuring its long-term prosperity. Built on partnership and collaboration, Halcyon and the U.S. Department of State are working closely with local and global businesses and government organizations to accelerate the growth of Abu Dhabi’s global tech businesses.
Special Representative McAuliffe said her Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships is “proud to continue supporting Halcyon’s MENA fellowship, which strengthens the resilience of social impact-driven businesses that are helping us in the wake of the pandemic.” Build back better and put us on track to a more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive future.”
“These 17 businesses are a strong addition to the network of Halcyon Fellows around the world who are innovating to solve our most pressing challenges in climate, health, equity and economic inclusion,” said Daniel Barker, Managing Director of the Halcyon Incubator. Abu Dhabi is making strides to develop a robust ecosystem for startups, and we, along with our partners and collaborators at the US Department of State, are proud to support this work.”
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