ABU DHABI, UAE, March 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Washington, D.C.-based incubator, Halcyon concluded a week-long program in Abu Dhabi this week with a cohort of 28 founders representing the region’s most promising impact-driven businesses. This year’s cohort marks the second year of Halcyon’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Fellowship, which brings together founders from across the region for skills building and networking. This two-year program has been conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of State and Amazon Web Services (AWS), with the support of Leana and Marc Katz. The delegation’s visit to the UAE was in collaboration with Access Abu Dhabi, a program supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), which is open to all US businesses and includes various support to accelerate expansion and growth in the UAE capital.
Halcyon’s 2023 MENA Fellows, from seven countries across the region, are bringing innovative solutions to market for a wide range of issues, from clean water and affordable medical devices to sustainable food systems, and access to education for disabled students. They join Halcyon’s network of over 300 fellows from around the world solving 21st century challenges through impact-driven business.
Highlights of the residency in Abu Dhabi included a mentorship session hosted at ADIO, where the Halcyon’s 2023 MENA Fellows were introduced to the opportunities available to tech startups in Abu Dhabi’s innovation ecosystem.
Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, Acting Director General of ADIO said: “Abu Dhabi is focused on using technology to achieve economic and social progress, which is the underlying theme for many of Halcyon’s 2023 MENA Fellows. ADIO is here to help ambitious startups realize the potential of their ideas and leverage the power of partnerships across the Abu Dhabi ecosystem, where other organizations are both collaborators and value generators.”
Over the course of the visit, the delegation held a series of meetings with Abu Dhabi-based entrepreneurs and investors to explore opportunities for potential collaboration. The delegation also shared insights on the emirate’s thriving startup ecosystem and work to support the growth and development of innovative companies at Hub71, a leading global ecosystem for tech companies, start-ups and investors looking to capitalize on growth opportunities which was founded in Abu Dhabi.
Special Representative McAuliffe said her Office of Global Partnerships at the U.S. State Department is “proud to continue its support of Halcyon’s MENA Fellowship which strengthens the resilience of social impact-driven small and medium sized businesses that focus on putting their communities on a path toward a more prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive future.”
“Halcyon Fellows across the globe are innovating to solve our most pressing challenges related to climate, health, equity, and economic inclusion, and these 17 ventures are powerful additions to that network,” said Daniel Barker, managing director for the Halcyon Incubator. “Abu Dhabi is making strides to develop a robust ecosystem for start-ups, and together with our partners and collaborators at the U.S. State Department, we are proud to be supporting that work.”
Halcyon accelerates the impact-driven future of business. We believe there’s a competitive advantage to having a social mission in your DNA, and that impact-driven businesses represent a powerful opportunity to drive equity and inclusivity in the workplace and society. www.halcyonhouse.org, @halcyoninspires
To schedule an interview or for additional questions, please contact k.roberts@halcyonhouse.org.
Access Abu Dhabi is designed to engage, enable and empower companies, particularly women and minority entities, to fast track their global reach with expansion to Abu Dhabi. The program, created by Maven Global Access and supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, will serve as a conduit for companies entering the capital of UAE’s burgeoning business and innovation ecosystem.
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) is the government entity responsible for attracting and facilitating investment in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. ADIO enables growth opportunities for innovative investors and businesses of all sizes by facilitating connections across Abu Dhabi’s innovation ecosystem and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors. With a comprehensive range of tailored services, incentives and partnership programmes, ADIO helps businesses achieve long-term, sustainable success in the market and across the region.