Tech startups tackle challenges for Abu Dhabi entities

Partners include Aldar, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT) and Ministry of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) and Thales.

Startups will have the opportunity to customize their products to support the organization’s business objectives, develop commercial deals and receive up to AED 100,000 to fund the development of their Proof of Concept (POC).

The second edition of The Outliers features seven challenges from five leading organisations, including Aldar, DCT, DoH and Thales. For the first time, a dedicated category has been created for unicorns to participate in The Outliers, and used car e-commerce platform Cars24 has also joined the edition. By participating, Cars24 will support Hub71’s innovation ecosystem and help startups succeed.

Elodie Robin-Guillerm, head of growth and strategy at Hub71, said: “In addition to fundraising, startups need to be able to enter into commercially viable contracts and partnerships with a business community and government that is increasingly embracing the entrepreneurial mindset.”

Robin-Guillerm added: “The Outliers program responds to the need for the public and private sectors to accelerate their digital transformation processes, thereby increasing efficiency and enhancing long-term competitiveness. This mutually beneficial program is one of many initiatives at Hub71 that enables founders to Create real impact and address pressing issues affecting the strategic sectors that drive our economy.”

With advancements in Web3 technologies including artificial intelligence, IoT and wearables, DCT, which presented two challenges this year, is looking to leverage advanced technologies and the most effective solutions to better understand when tourists are visiting attractions or shopping When Behaviour Abu Dhabi helps inform future marketing campaigns. Likewise, DCT is focused on using Web3 technology to reveal the future of tourism in Abu Dhabi.

In healthcare, DoH is looking to reduce wait times and increase patient flow at its healthcare facilities. Ultimately, DoH is looking for ways to reduce operating costs without compromising the quality of care. No matter what form of care patients seek, the solution will improve the patient experience within their healthcare facility.

Thales is investing in digital and “deep technologies” – big data, artificial intelligence, connectivity, cybersecurity and quantum technologies. The company aims to work with start-ups to develop an integrated low-altitude and urban air mobility system dedicated to drone safety and threat identification. With a digital platform that ensures real-time global integration, Thales aims to address the safety concerns of the increasing adoption of drones in the cities of the future.

Aldar is a lead developer in the community looking to implement robust design solutions that solve problems for clients and the community with sustainability at its core. Through its involvement with The Outliers, Aldar is finding ways to support the reduction and reuse of resources throughout a project’s life cycle, from design to construction, thereby minimising waste of resources.

Finally, Cars24 is exploring developing a seamless customer experience that would allow customers to pay only once for the entire cart value and split payments across multiple partners in real time. Unicorns are finding ways to use digital platforms to sell cars without a test drive and eliminate the need for a test drive in the process of buying a car.

Through an eight-week program, successful startups work closely with each organization to develop a viable POC and customize their offerings to support the partner organization’s business goals. As part of accelerating the startup’s potential to scale, the program also allows founders to further build product-market fit. Hub71 also offers successful start-ups fast-track to a range of programs, including flexible incentive programs and value-added programs.