Abu Dhabi-backed startup platform Hub71 is sharpening its focus on India as it accelerates efforts to position the emirate as a technology hub connecting Asia and the West, according to a senior executive of the accelerator.
The strategy comes as Abu Dhabi pushes a wider economic diversification agenda away from oil, with Hub71 framed as one of the ecosystem-building instruments in that transition, PTI reported.
“Build a global tech ecosystem from Abu Dhabi”
Peter Abou Hachem, Head of Growth and Strategy at Hub71, told visiting Indian media in Abu Dhabi that the platform’s mandate is to help Abu Dhabi develop “one of the fastest-growing technology ecosystems,” PTI reported.
“Hub71 exists for the mandate to build a global tech ecosystem from Abu Dhabi,” he said.
Hub71 was launched in 2019 and has since expanded into a startup community spanning more than 20 sectors.
Three-phase buildout: from attraction to scale
Hachem described Hub71’s growth in three broad phases:
- Phase 1: Proving startups from around the world could be attracted to Abu Dhabi
- Phase 2: Building the broader ecosystem, investors, corporates and service providers
- Phase 3 (last two years): A tighter focus on scale, with a “critical mass” of startups and partners now in place
PTI attributed this framing to Hub71’s five-year journey, signalling an evolution from recruitment to consolidation and expansion.
Hachem said Hub71 now counts more than 200 partners across verticals and has more than 15 partnerships with countries worldwide, which it plans to deepen.
India connect: Telangana tie-up and market access
India sits prominently in the platform’s next leg. Hub71 has built ties with Telangana’s innovation ecosystem through Hyderabad-based T-Hub, with both sides supporting startups, talent exchange and cross-border expansion.
Going forward, a core priority will be two-way movement: attracting companies from across India into Hub71 while also helping Hub71-based startups expand into the Indian market, according to Hachem’s comments.
He also linked Abu Dhabi’s positioning to geography, saying its central location has helped it emerge as a capital for the Global South.
AI infrastructure push seen as a broader startup opportunity
Hub71 is also tracking business opportunities emerging from the UAE’s AI infrastructure investments. Hachem pointed to a planned 5-gigawatt AI campus and data centre cluster being developed by UAE-based G42, in partnership with US hyperscalers and technology companies including Nvidia, Microsoft and OpenAI.
The potential spillover, he suggested, is not limited to AI-native startups: the buildout could generate opportunity for climate technology firms, energy players, logistics companies, and software providers involved in constructing and maintaining data centres.
WeWork handles space; Hub71 focuses on community
Operationally, Hub71 has outsourced the real-estate layer. WeWork serves as the platform’s real estate partner, managing office spaces and on-ground community operations, allowing Hub71 to focus on ecosystem-building rather than property management, Hachem said, as reported by PTI.
Significance for Indian founders
For Indian startups seeking to move beyond an India-focused scale, the India-centric approach of Hub71, with an initial connection with Telangana’s T-Hub and an ambition to facilitate expansion across borders, marks an indication of intentions to move beyond being just an investment pit stop by Abu Dhabi.
“It’s a pitch that has a full stack base: partners, country-level connections, and access to large infrastructure plays that could generate demand across industries,”
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