Fikra Ventures and Hub71 Announce Partnership to Build AI-Native Companies from Abu Dhabi to the World
Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71 and Wael Aburida, CEO of Fikra Ventures at the Hub71-Fikra Ventures partnership signing
Fikra Ventures joins Hub71 as a partner venture studio, combining in-house venture creation with a joint-venture pathway for selected global AI companies.
Abu Dhabi is building the foundations to become a global hub for the AI economy, and this partnership is about turning that ambition into companies that launch, scale, and compete globally.”
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, January 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Fikra Ventures has announced a partnership with Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, to build and scale AI-native companies from Abu Dhabi. Under the partnership, Fikra Ventures joins Hub71’s ecosystem as a partner venture studio and will operate as a venture builder for Hub71’s Initiate Programme, building AI-native ventures in-house and forming joint ventures with selected global AI companies to pursue the regional market from Abu Dhabi. The agreement was signed at Hub71 by Wael Aburida, CEO & Managing Partner, Fikra Ventures, and Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO, Hub71.— Wael Aburida
As AI adoption accelerates globally, long-term success is increasingly shaped by factors beyond model performance. Distribution, access to regulated markets, and speed to commercialisation are also becoming decisive advantages. This partnership brings together Hub71’s founder-focused ecosystem with Fikra Ventures’ venture studio platform to support the creation and scaling of AI companies designed to succeed in real markets, starting in Abu Dhabi and expanding globally.
As a founding member of the Initiate Programme, Fikra Ventures will support the development of an AI startup cluster through two clearly defined pathways:
• Venture Creation: Build AI-native companies in-house and in partnership with founders around validated market demand, with enterprise-ready products and commercialisation embedded from day one.
• Global Scale-in: Support selected global AI companies entering the region by forming joint ventures to pursue the regional market. Fikra builds the joint-venture operating platform and execution required to accelerate customer acquisition and scale.
“We firmly believe in Abu Dhabi’s vision to be not only the capital of capital, but the capital of AI. We want to do our part to make that vision a reality. We will complement the significant investments Abu Dhabi is making in AI infrastructure by rapidly enabling world-class AI companies to become leaders in Abu Dhabi’s tech ecosystem and scale globally from here,” said Wael Aburida, CEO & Managing Partner of Fikra Ventures. “Fikra’s ambition is to build the world’s leading AI-native venture studio, aligned with Abu Dhabi’s innovation leadership and powered by Hub71 within ADGM.”
“Hub71 is focused on helping high-potential technology companies scale globally from Abu Dhabi by strengthening the commercial pathways that turn innovation into durable businesses,” said Divya Nair, Startup Journey Lead, Hub71. “This partnership with Fikra Ventures strengthens the ecosystem’s venture-building and market-entry capabilities, supporting new venture creation and enabling global companies to expand into the region through Abu Dhabi with targeted go-to-market support.”
Launched in 2025, Hub71’s Initiate Programme is designed to support founders at the ideation and pre-seed stage by helping them transform ideas into minimum viable products and establish product-market fit. Through this partnership, Fikra Ventures enhances the programme with hands-on venture-building expertise, supporting the development of AI-native companies designed to scale globally from Abu Dhabi.
ENDS
About Fikra Ventures
Fikra Ventures is an AI venture builder focused on one outcome: turning the right ideas into enduring businesses and doing it fast with discipline. Fikra builds AI-native companies in-house and partners selectively with global AI companies seeking a serious market partner to access customers and scale across the region.
For more information visit www.fikra.ventures and follow us on @fikraventures #fikraventures.
About Hub71
Hub71 is Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem that enables founders to build globally enduring homegrown tech companies in any sector by providing access to markets, a capital ecosystem, a global network of partners, and a vibrant community filled with highly skilled talent governed by forward-thinking regulation.
Backed by the Government of Abu Dhabi and Mubadala Investment Company, Hub71 is growing its vibrant community of tech startups, investors, government, and corporate partners to ensure the availability of investment, commercial activities, and incentives from the public and private sectors. Through Hub71’s entrepreneurial infrastructure, value-add programs, enabling services and support packages, founders can build and scale widely adopted technologies with purpose and impact. Hub71 is on a mission to introduce new minds and technologies to Abu Dhabi, finding new ways to build globally enduring technology companies and sustain the nation’s continuous economic development.
For more information visit www.hub71.com and follow us on @Hub71AD #Hub71.
Media Contacts
Fikra Ventures: media@fikra.ventures
Hub71: techhubedelman@edelman.com
Media
Fikra Ventures
media@fikra.ventures
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
X
Other
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
