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Dubai Future Foundation’s (DFF) Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA), a flagship programme to position Dubai as a hub for innovation, emerging technologies and an attractive destination for startups and entrepreneurs, successfully hosted an Investor Day in collaboration with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the regulatory authority responsible for the growth and quality of private education in Dubai.
The event witnessed seven education-technology startups pitch their innovative solutions for the future of education to an expert panel of investors that could potentially fund them to grow and scale further.
Over a seven-week duration, the seven startups worked tirelessly in collaboration with DFA and the KHDA to explore and firm up their solutions and make them viable and ready for scale as needed. The startups collectively managed to engage with more than 22,000 students. By the end of the duration of the programme, a total of five commercial contracts were secured with a total value of more than $14 million and 11 pilot projects with an outreach to 538 schools around the UAE including GEMS Wellington, Al Salam schools, and GEMS Modern Academy.
Hosted at AREA 2071, DFF’s innovation ecosystem, the DFA cohort brought together leading startups and entrepreneurs from around the world to focus on identifying and deploying innovative educational products and prototypes at a city-wide scale. With Dubai aiming to become a leader in enabling personalized and future-focused education, the cohort supported companies that could further collaborate with KHDA to create lifelong learning experiences with wellbeing at their heart.
Speaking on the first-ever Investor Day, Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO of DFF, said, "The quality of participation at this inaugural edition of DFA Investor Day was truly inspiring. We are pleased to have been able to bring together the amazing talent in the education sector and prospective investors who can make their dreams a reality. At Dubai Future Accelerators, it is our endeavor to bring great ideas to life and ensure they have a tangible impact on ground to enable communities to lead better lives. We are confident that the success of the Investor Day will be replicated in the years to come and lead to even greater impact for our investors and startups alike."
Participating investors, funds and angel networks who attended the event included WAMDA, Shorooq Partners, Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), Iliad Partners, VentureSouq, EQ2 Ventures, Roland Berger, Gemini Enterprises Africa, Dubai Angel Investors, Oqal – Bahrain Chapter, Ripples Impact, and Skaleup Ventures.
Through offering the environment, resources, and access to key decision makers needed to promote disruptive, and positive change, the Dubai Future Accelerators programme empowers entrepreneurs and startups to co-design and co-create innovative solutions side-by-side with government and private sector partners to support the economic growth in the UAE.
The programme provided mentorship opportunities and insights into the educational ecosystem from international experts such as Will Fan, Co-Founder and CEO of NewCampus and Peter Gould Founder of Gould Studio. Several interactive community and networking events were also held throughout the programme, leveraging on DFF’s ecosystem.
DFA is currently ongoing its Fall Cohort which will conclude with a Demo Day and a wider Investor Day around March 2021. The current Cohort focuses on the future of mobility, energy, digital services, healthcare and construction.
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