The map·UAE·Accelerators & incubators

Sheraa

Sharjah's flagship startup hub, fully equity-free — 600+ startups supported, AED 1.14B ($310M) raised.

What
Equity-free grants plus programme support.
Who
Startups in EdTech, Sustainability, Manufacturing or Creative Industries.
Cost
No equity — grant
From abroad
Open to companies from abroad — Presence in the UAE required for onboarding, demo days and showcase opportunities; Must obtain a business license in Sharjah for at least two years All programmes open to founders from abroad →
Status
Active

Checked · September 2026 · sheraa.ae · How we check ↗

Apply →Website ↗On the map →

In detail

Sheraa is an accelerator + incubator in the UAE. Sharjah's flagship startup hub, fully equity-free — 600+ startups supported, AED 1.14B ($310M) raised. Runs the S3 incubator (EdTech, Sustainability, Advanced Manufacturing, Creative Industries), the Access Sharjah Challenge with AED 250K equity-free POC contracts, and the AED 5M Entrepreneurs Resilience Fund launched 2026.

Amount
Equity-free grants + programme support
Terms
No equity
Eligibility
EdTech, Sustainability, Manufacturing, Creative Industries
Sectors
EdTech, Sustainability, Manufacturing, Creative Industries
Benefits
  • Free business license
  • Coworking
  • Sharjah market access
Status
Active

What the source says

“You are required to obtain a business license in Sharjah for at least two years.”

asc.sheraa.ae/s3-program · seen September 2026

“© 2026 Sheraa. All rights reserved. Building The Future of Entrepreneurship”

sheraa.ae · seen September 2026

“supports visionary founders on their journey from early traction to global scale.”

sheraa.ae · seen September 2026

Closing soon on the map

Cultural Development Fund (CDF)

Grant · Saudi Arabia
Up to SAR 500,000 non-repayable per project, capped at 20 projects total.
No equity — grant
29 Sep 2026closes

Finspire

Accelerator · Saudi Arabia
SAR 100,000 development funding, earmarked rather than paid as cash.
Equity via SAFE, capped at 5%
4 Oct 2026closes

QSTP Incubation

Accelerator · Qatar
In-kind support: Doha workspace and housing for a four-week Sprint, talent and investor access.
Equity — 1.5% deferred SAFE-style stake
1 Nov 2026closes

All published deadlines →

More accelerators & incubators in the UAE

Hub71

Accelerator · UAE
AED 250K in-kind plus AED 250K cash via SAFE note; up to AED 250K more via Access.
Equity — via SAFE note
—

in5 Dubai

Accelerator · UAE
Subsidized business licence and coworking workspace.
No equity — service or permission
—

500 Global UAE

Accelerator · UAE
Equity investment pre-seed to Series A.
—

Catalyst

Accelerator · UAE
Seed funding as SAFE notes, pre-seed and seed.
Convertible — converts to equity
—

All accelerators & incubators in the UAE →  ·  Across the Gulf →

More programmes that take no equity →

Sources

Primary source · sheraa.ae · LinkedIn · linkedin.com/company/sheraa · Checked September 2026

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