DIFC Innovation Hub opens opportunities for Trailblazing start-ups by bridging their gap with investors

DIFC Innovation Hub, the world’s most advanced financial centres, and the leading financial hub in Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), is hosting its annual flagship Investor Day, where the investors will have an opportunity to meet the finalists of the ninth edition of the FinTech Accelerator Programme and the seventh edition of AccelerateHer.The Investor Day marks the conclusion of DIFC Innovation Hub’s programmes with an opportunity for the wider investor community to meet start-up finalists. The event will take place on 13 December 2023 at the DIFC Atrium and serve as a ‘graduation day’ for 19 start-ups from the FinTech Accelerator Programme and 10 women financial services professionals from AccelerateHer.These participants will present their business plans and improved skill sets, shaped through mentorship from prominent banks and insurance firms in the region.This year, the FinTech Accelerator Programme was supported by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC), Emirates Post Group (EPG), Emirates NBD, HSBC, Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB), Visa, and Zurich, whereas AccelerateHer participants received endorsement and mentorship from Dubai Islamic Bank.At the event, the start-up finalist will be provided with the opportunities from both programmes to present their innovative technologies, business plans and elevated skills that will help them with their future prospects to reach their potential investors, industry leaders, and senior stakeholders of financial partners.The 2023 programmes provide innovative ideas that are based on open banking, artificial intelligence, automation, innovative payment solutions, hyper-personalisation and customer experience that are further designed to enhance financial literacy. To generate the opportunities among the participants, these programmes include activities such as mentorship sessions, professional and soft-skill workshops, and networking opportunities along with access to the DIFC Innovation Hub’s coworking spaces.Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC Innovation Hub, Mohammad AlBlooshi, said: “We are thrilled to host our upcoming Investor Day, an event filled with excitement and promise. DIFC Innovation Hub’s accelerator programmes are appealing platforms for the world’s most innovative start-ups in the financial services industry. Investor Day is an opportunity for global investors and partners to access an exclusive cohort of talented start-ups that have successfully graduated from our accelerator programmes.”The FinTech Accelerator Programme has an outstanding history of empowering start-ups, aiding them in translating their concepts into distinctive products tailored for the financial market. To date, the program has seen the participation of over 3,000 entrepreneurs, resulting in the successful graduation of more than 150 FinTechs, RegTechs, InsurTechs, and Islamic Finance start-ups. These graduates have gone on to deliver over 100 proof-of-concepts (POCs) in collaboration with leading financial institutions in the region.Launched in 2019 by the DIFC Innovation Hub, the AccelerateHER programme aims to equip the upcoming generation of women financial services professionals with substantial guidance as they embark on their career paths. This support is provided by Dubai’s top talent and industry leaders. The AccelerateHER network has achieved success by mentoring over 100 women through more than 200 mentorship pairings and 120 workshops.