'DIFC Launchpad' to accelerate growth of start-ups

Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has announced the official launch of its venture building programme, which aims to promotes the growth of innovative start-ups and scale-ups in the region.

'DIFC Launchpad' expects to support the launch of over 200 ventures in Dubai, create over 8,000 jobs and attract over AED2 billion in venture capital.

It serves as an important step towards realising the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy and consolidate its position as one of the world’s top four financial centres over the next decade.

"The new programme also supports efforts to realise DIFC's 2030 strategy to catalyse new job creation and economic development in both the financial and non-financial services industry," said His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, and President of the DIFC.

.@DIFC, the leading global financial centre in the MEASA region launches its venture building program, ‘DIFC Launchpad’. The initiative seeks to develop a strong venture building model that promotes the growth of innovative start-ups & scale-ups.https://t.co/WxL9TbfS3n pic.twitter.com/2eMYkkeMHV

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 21, 2023

The ‘DIFC Launchpad’ programme is supported by multinational experts specialised in new venture creation, corporate innovation and emerging technologies, who will be working closely with DIFC’s investor bases and corporate partners Mashreq, Mastercard and Commercial Bank of Dubai to create the next generation of global FinTech start-ups in the emirate.

To scale venture building activities across a range of verticals, ‘DIFC Launchpad’ has attracted some of the world’s leading venture studios to Dubai including R/GA, Antler, BIM Ventures, and Futurelabs.

The Career Development Centre at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford is the Talent Partner of ‘DIFC Launchpad’.