Hub71 launches Community Centre of Excellence

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, has launched its Community Centre of Excellence, aimed at delivering world-class programmes to startups and founders at any stage in the life cycle to accelerate market access, talent hire and fundraising.

The Centre of Excellence will also deliver annual events and touchpoints between Hub71 startups and its corporate and government partners to create mutually beneficial commercial opportunities.

Hub71 inaugurated the Community Centre of Excellence at its first community event focused on HealthTech, involving startup pitches and onboarding. The "Founders Focus" event launched its new season and brought together leaders from influential healthcare organisations, Dr. Jamal Mohammed Alkaabi, Undersecretary of Department of Health-Abu Dhabi (DoH); Dr. Asma Al Mannaei, Director, Healthcare Quality Division at DoH; Khalid Mohammed Al Amadi, Senior Director, Informatics & Integration of Mubadala Health; Saqib Chaudhry - CDO - Head of Digital Innovation at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi; Majd Abu Zant, CEO of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) and Michael Schelper, CEO of Healthcare X.0, the first German HealthTech startup, which focuses on the digital transformation of oncology, to partner with Hub71 on its value creation programme.

Together with HealthTech startups at Hub71, the event enabled entrepreneurs to directly network with leading Abu Dhabi-based multinational healthcare institutions and present their digital healthcare solutions being built and scaled in Abu Dhabi.

The Community Centre of Excellence represents the first time Hub71 is opening its doors for non-incentivised startups, investors, corporates, and government to benefit from the value created by the global tech ecosystem. The initiative aims to source high-quality global tech startups by engaging and nurturing key players in the wider innovation ecosystem through a series of weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual events. Open to organisations seeking to connect with entrepreneurial talent, The Community Centre of Excellence will drive further collaboration between like-minded organisations with a shared mission to drive innovation and further establish Abu Dhabi as a leading global tech hub.

Mohammad Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, Chairman of Hub71, commented, "We are proud of the impact that Hub71 is generating, especially as we witness the shift in Abu Dhabi’s technology scene. Our vibrant and diverse community of innovators are actively engaging in dealmaking discussions with our partners. Startups are essential for maintaining a highly productive economy, and by providing the supporting infrastructure, investment, and engaged partners, it further establishes Abu Dhabi as the ideal environment for startups and SMEs to attract customers and gain real opportunities to generate impact."

The Community Centre of Excellence enables Abu Dhabi and its growing technology ecosystem to access the value of Hub71. It hosts regular events including Founder’s Focus, held every Tuesday, which gathers founders and influential voices for open discussions on various topics, the monthly ‘VC meets’ aimed at connecting investors with high-growth startups and Women of Hub71, which promotes female entrepreneurship and aims to elevate women in technology. Hub71 expects The Community Centre of Excellence to be a platform for Abu Dhabi’s wider innovation ecosystem to congregate and create connections that enhance the growth opportunities for startups worldwide in Abu Dhabi.