Dubai positions itself as launchpad for next generation of global founders

Dubai will serve as the final stage of a new year-long graduate programme that moves aspiring founders through Shanghai, London and Dubai, with the aim of producing investment-ready, globally scalable ventures. The Graduate Program in Entrepreneurial Leadership (GPEL) by Tetr College of Business pairs academic partnerships with Fudan School of Management and Imperial College London and brings participants to Dubai after idea development in Shanghai and market testing in London. The inaugural cohort is scheduled to begin in March 2027.

“The world does not need more people who understand entrepreneurship in theory; it needs more people who can build, adapt and execute in rapidly changing environments,” said Tarun Gangwar, Co-founder, Tetr College of Business. “GPEL is our response to that need. The ability to navigate uncertainty, respond to changing market realities and build across different contexts is increasingly what defines successful founders and these are the capabilities we hope to develop through this programme.”

The programme is explicitly designed around venture creation rather than classroom-only learning. Participants will spend the Shanghai leg focused on AI-led venture building, product development and supply chain execution, leveraging Fudan’s expertise in business, technology and China’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. London’s stage will centre on branding, finance and market strategy, drawing on Imperial College London’s strengths in science, technology and industry links. Dubai will be the launchpad for international expansion, providing exposure to investors, businesses and international networks as students prepare to scale.

GPEL targets a broad pool of candidates — from first-time founders and creators with nascent ideas to family-business successors and professionals seeking alternatives to conventional graduate routes. The curriculum includes a ‘Founder Reboot’ track aimed at resilience, decision-making and personal growth, plus ‘Perspective Projects’ that will embed students in real-world business challenges by working with local industries and communities.

Tetr College of Business says its existing venture-creation model has produced a range of startups built by undergraduate students, including Fluma (an AI-powered influencer marketing platform), BluSpru (an AI optimisation SaaS company), ServeClub (a pickleball equipment brand), Meridian (a consumer hardware startup), Jhatak (an Indonesian healthy snacks venture) and Nothing But (a clean-label food company). Collectively, ventures built by students have generated more than $1 million in revenue and raised over $500,000 from global venture capital firms and founders.

The college also highlights industry collaborations that will feed into the graduate programme’s ecosystem, naming partnerships and interactions with organisations such as Emaar, Emirates, Tesla, Alibaba, Google, the Louvre and the Prado Museum. These relationships are intended to provide students opportunities to present to senior executives and to access mentorship, corporate partnerships and potential investor introductions as they refine go-to-market strategies in London and seek funding in Dubai.

Outlook

• The March 2027 start date positions the inaugural cohort to complete a cycle of ideation, validation and fundraising within a year-long rhythm spanning three major global hubs.
• By sequencing AI-led product work in Shanghai with branding and finance in London, Tetr aims to deliver ventures that are both technically robust and market-ready by the time they reach Dubai.
• With student-built ventures already reporting more than $1 million in revenue and $500,000 in external capital raised, the programme seeks to scale that playbook and channel graduating teams into the emirate’s investor and corporate networks for global expansion.