Dubai Future Solutions programme advances global university start-ups in UAE expansion

The Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity initiative is moving three university-born ventures from Switzerland, the United States and Egypt into pilot deployment and commercial expansion in the UAE, organisers confirmed. The programme, run under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and organised by the Dubai Future Foundation in partnership with Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Art Dubai and the Hussain Sajwani – DAMAC Foundation, has selected 100 start-ups from thousands of academic submissions and is advancing Oxara, P‑Vita and Virufy toward UAE projects that begin in the second half of 2026.

“Through the ‘Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity’ initiative, we are building a structured pathway that takes breakthrough research from the lab to real world deployment and scalable ventures. Dubai offers something few places can, an integrated environment where government, industry, and capital align to test, refine, and scale solutions at speed. At the Dubai Future Foundation, our role is to support this journey end to end by connecting global talent with local partners and transforming scientific potential into tangible impact across sectors,” said His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation.

From lab prototypes to pilots in Dubai

The cohort spans industrial and health-focused science. Oxara, founded by Dr. Gnanli Landrou and Dr. Thibault Demoulin, recycles mineral and construction waste into low‑CO₂ building materials that require a fraction of the energy and capex of conventional cement. The company is now moving into commercial‑scale deployment after a pilot with “one of Dubai’s leading concrete manufacturers,” and is pursuing projects and partnerships across Europe and Africa.

P‑Vita, founded by environmental engineer Mohamed Tarek Abdelzaher and Chief Science Officer Naglaa Mohamed—both alumni of Zewail City of Science and Technology—uses proprietary biotechnology and AI‑driven production to make natural raw materials for agriculture, food and pharmaceuticals. The company already supports more than 4,800 smallholder farmers and is preparing to scale a tested joint‑venture model internationally, with “a growing number of trials, crop applications, and farming models” launching in the UAE this month.

Virufy, led by Amil Khanzada, is enhancing a smartphone app that analyses cough sound patterns to screen for multiple respiratory diseases. The start‑up is progressing a pilot clinical study with Dubai Health that has enrolled “nearly 200 patients to date” and will enter a specialised AI research and development phase to create a screening tool aimed at helping up to one billion people across developing nations.

Programme model and next steps

• The initiative operates “using a commercially minded, de‑risking approach” to shepherd academic founders from validation to business set‑up, commercial projects and growth.
• It offers funding, business expertise, dedicated team support and industry collaborations to translate scientific research into commercially viable solutions.
• Organisers say new ventures from Harvard, Imperial College London, Petronas Technology University and Duke University are in late‑stage conversations with leading UAE entities to advance activities starting in the second half of 2026.

“The gap between a scientific breakthrough and a functioning commercial venture is rarely bridged without deliberate, bespoke support. The ventures we are advancing are proof that when the right methodology, partners and environment come together, that gap can be crossed, creating real value for organisations, society and markets,” said Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Managing Director of ‘Prototypes for Humanity’. Applications are open for the 2026 annual summit in Dubai this November, inviting students, graduates and researchers to apply for the 2027 ventures programme.