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 The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development and Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, have successfully hosted the first Pitch Day for the "Muzn Hub71" program. The event celebrated the graduation of the program's first cohort, featuring 17 Emirati founders who showcased the innovative startups they developed over the intensive three-month accelerator.

Held at "Muzn Hub Al Ain," the Pitch Day was attended by a broad audience of investors, ecosystem partners, and government representatives. The participating founders presented projects spanning Artificial Intelligence (AI), HealthTech, ClimateTech, FinTech, and AgriTech to an expert judging panel comprising representatives from both the Khalifa Fund and Hub71.

Pitch Day Winners and Awards

Following a highly competitive pitching session, three startups were awarded substantial in-kind support packages to fuel their next phase of growth:

First Place – Limb: An AI-powered physical therapy platform offering remote monitoring and customized rehabilitation programs. The startup secured AED 100,000 in in-kind support.

Second Place – Reach LLM: An AI-driven platform designed to help brands optimize their visibility and performance using Large Language Models (LLMs). The startup received AED 60,000 in in-kind support.

Third Place – Hign Al Khaleej: A digital marketplace and auction platform dedicated to buying and selling camels across the GCC. The startup was awarded AED 40,000 in in-kind support.

Empowering the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

The Khalifa Fund emphasized that the Pitch Day highlights the remarkable progress the founders have achieved over the past three months and underscores the promising potential of the new generation of Emirati entrepreneurs. Through its strategic partnership with Hub71, the Fund continues to empower ambitious local founders from their earliest stages, providing the necessary backing to transform innovative ideas into sustainable businesses that contribute to Abu Dhabi’s long-term economic growth.

Basma Ahmed Al Badi Al Dhaheri, Head of Value Add at Hub71, highlighted the critical role of early-stage intervention:

"The Pitch Day reflects what can be achieved when founders are provided with the right environment to build their companies. What these Emirati founders have accomplished in just three months clearly demonstrates the importance of early-stage support. When founders receive proper guidance, access to networks, and the right opportunities from the very beginning, their potential to build impactful, sustainable companies in Abu Dhabi and beyond is greatly enhanced."

Program Overview and Next Steps

Throughout the 12-week program, the first cohort engaged in 21 specialized events, including hands-on workshops, panel discussions, and pitch training sessions. The curriculum covered vital startup milestones such as product development, market validation, AI strategy, go-to-market planning, fundraising, and corporate engagement.

Leveraging expertise from leading entities such as the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Vertix Holdings, Kraken, and Carzaty & Kavak, the program equipped the founders with actionable skills and insights to build, test, and scale their businesses.

The Pitch Day marks the beginning of the next chapter for these startups, as the founders will continue to benefit from integration into the broader Hub71 ecosystem, gaining ongoing access to a vast network of experts, investors, business partners, and government entities to accelerate their expansion from Abu Dhabi to the world.