Hub71

Also called: Abu Dhabi Hub71

TL;DR

Abu Dhabi's flagship startup hub, offering free-zone licensing, subsidised housing/office, and equity-free incentives worth $5k to $250k/yr to founders.

Hub71 is Abu Dhabi's flagship startup ecosystem, launched by Mubadala in 2019 with the explicit mandate of attracting global tech founders to relocate to the UAE. It provides a Hub71-branded free-zone licence (with simplified visa sponsorship), subsidised housing and office space in Maryah Island, and an 'Incentive Programme' offering $5k to $250k/year of equity-free credits depending on cohort and stage.

Founders accepted into Hub71 typically get a fast-track route to ADGM company setup, residency visas for the founding team, and introductions to UAE sovereign LPs (Mubadala, ADQ, Mubadala Capital). The trade-off is a relocation expectation, Hub71 isn't designed for founders who only want a postal address in Abu Dhabi.

Worked example

A London-based climate-tech startup joins Hub71 Cohort 9: $150k of equity-free Hub71 incentives over 2 years (housing + office credits + cloud-services credits), Hub71-sponsored ADGM SPV setup, and a warm intro to Mubadala that closes a $3M Series A bridge.

Common pitfalls

•Joining Hub71 without genuinely planning to relocate and risking the loss of the licence and incentives.
•Underestimating the heavy reporting expected by Hub71 in exchange for the free credits.
•Treating Hub71 introductions to sovereign LPs as automatic checks, they still run their own diligence.

When this shows up in a pitch deck

Founder decks for Abu Dhabi-headquartered startups call out 'Hub71 Cohort 12, $200k of equity-free credits' on the team slide.

Related terms

Dubai Future District Fund

AED 1B Dubai government fund-of-funds and direct investor backing early-stage tech startups based in or relocating to Dubai's Future District.

Mubadala / PIF

Two dominant MENA sovereign wealth funds (Mubadala $300B, PIF $925B AUM), anchor LPs in global VC funds and direct investors in late-stage tech.

ADGM

Abu Dhabi's English-common-law financial free zone: Cayman/Delaware-style law, 100% foreign ownership, zero CT. Popular for VC funds and tech holdcos.

Free Zone Company

UAE company in one of 45+ specialised free zones (DMCC, RAKEZ, Hub71): 100% foreign ownership, zero personal tax, but limited mainland trading.

Golden Visa (UAE)

10-year renewable UAE residency visa for investors, founders, and high-skill specialists, decoupled from employer sponsorship, a talent lever.

Use Hub71 in your next pitch deck

Deckmetric scores your pitch across 10 VC frameworks and against 8 investor types.