Last call for technology startups to apply to AED100,000 Dubai Futurism Programme
- Futurism Programme is a zero-equity accelerator which closes on July 31, 2019
- The programme is a yearly initiative of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) in partnership with Accenture.
- The programme targets travel businesses and aims to grow technology innovation within this industry as well as promote Dubai as the world’s first technology hub for startups.
- Futurism Programme run in collaboration with Accenture aims to offer transformative travel experiences for visitors and position Dubai as a technology hub for start-ups
Futurism Programme is supported by over 12 key government and private sector partners from the travel, hospitality, fintech, AI and transportation industries. Among them: Seera Group, Atlantis The Palm, Emaar Hospitality Group, the Emirates Group, Accor Hotels as well as Shorooq Investments, Wamda, Middle East Venture Partners, Microsoft, Amazon, Careem and others.
Startups in the Futurism Programme will introduce transformative travel solutions to incite more travelers to choose Dubai as their primary travel destination.
His Excellency, Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Tourism, explains that the “Programme is inspired by the Dubai 10X initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to develop disruptive strategies and solutions that will propel Dubai 10 years in front of other world cities.”
He further added: “The growing interest among industry partners, venture capital firms and start-ups that have already applied for this year’s Futurism Programme is clear evidence that Dubai’s reputation as an entrepreneurial hub is continuing to gain rapid momentum. Indeed, the programme will not only ensure a great experience for start-ups and a suitable testing ground for new ideas but also provides trend-setting technology solutions to make the tourist’s experience transformative and even more memorable, as part of our efforts to make Dubai the world’s most visited city in line with Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2022-2025.”
Abdullah Bin Nasser Aldawood, Chief Executive Officer, Seera Group, told Zawya: “We are honoured to partner with the international Futurism Programme by Dubai Tourism, which underlines the concerted efforts to drive technology innovation in the travel and tourism sector. Our region’s young, tech-savvy youth will be at the heart of this transformational initiative that will encourage start-ups to present innovative ideas to enhance the traveller experience. As an organisation committed to embracing advanced digital technologies, we see this is an opportunity not only to nurture our young talents for the industry but also to potentially incubate ideas that will add significant value to our industry.”
The expert judging panel will shortlist 10 startups which will then enter a 6-week accelerator programme to develop and present their pilot project at the Dubai Tourism stand at GITEX Future Stars. The programme includes bootcamp workshops, networking sessions and individual mentorship.