DET, Antler launch founder residency to boost Dubai startups

The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, through Dubai Founders HQ, have launched a multi-year partnership with early-stage venture capital firm Antler to roll out a flagship founder residency program aimed at converting talent into investable companies. Antler has established its UAE headquarters within the Dubai Founders HQ campus, and the initiative is expected to upskill more than 600 founders over the course of the partnership while helping founders move from concept to pre-seed funding.

“Partnering with Antler allows us to translate ambition into execution, supporting founders from the earliest stages of ideation and reinforcing Dubai’s role as a launchpad for global startups under the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33,” said HE Hadi Badri, CEO DEDC.

Program structure and offerings

The Residency Program, delivered from Dubai Founders HQ, embeds Antler’s globally recognised Residency model and Antler Academy within the emirate’s central founder platform. Antler’s local investment and program teams will operate on-site to bolster investor engagement and align venture creation more closely with capital deployment.

• Early-stage support from ideation through team formation
• Help identifying co-founders and building minimum viable products (MVPs)
• Access to pre-seed investment facilitated by Antler’s networks
• Entrepreneurial training via Antler’s Academy and connections to global investors, mentors and technology partners

Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said: “This partnership combines global venture expertise with the comprehensive support model of Dubai Founders HQ. It equips founders with specialized knowledge, practical experience, and strong investor connections, enabling sustainable growth and reinforcing Dubai’s standing as a global hub for startups.”

Magnus Grimeland, Founder and CEO of Antler, emphasised the firm’s strategic view of Dubai within its global operations: “As the world’s most active early-stage AI investor, we see Dubai as a key launchpad for the next wave of innovation. This partnership creates a structured pathway for exceptional founders to build and scale companies from Dubai, contributing to the future of the digital economy.”

Context and strategic alignment

Dubai Founders HQ was established in October 2025 as a joint initiative of DET and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, operating under the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33. The platform is positioned to connect founders with investors, corporates and ecosystem enablers, and is designed to fast-track high-growth startups and scale-ups toward global competitiveness.

The partnership explicitly supports D33 objectives, including the ambition to scale 30 unicorns from Dubai. By embedding Antler’s programmes locally, the partners aim to address a persistent early-stage challenge: converting skilled talent into companies that are ready for external capital.

Applications for the Antler Residency Program are now open to entrepreneurs from the UAE and around the world, inviting founders to build and scale their companies from Dubai with on-site support from Antler and the Dubai Founders HQ ecosystem.