How corporate venture capital works in the UAE
Corporate venture capital in the UAE comes from three kinds of parent. Telecoms and technology groups: e& capital (the investment pillar of e&, around $500M under management, deployed and committed), du Ventures (a $50 million fund launched in June 2026 and managed by Shorooq) and G42, the Abu Dhabi AI and cloud group that builds and holds AI-first companies (Core42, Presight, M42). Banks: the Emirates NBD Innovation Fund (Dubai, est. 2023), NeoVentures (Mashreq), ADIB Ventures (Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, launched 10 October 2024, Sharia-compliant) and CBIx (Commercial Bank International, launched October 2025). Industrial, retail and family groups: the Strategic Development Fund (wholly owned by EDGE Group), CE-Ventures (Crescent Enterprises, Sharjah and DIFC), Al Fardan Ventures (Al Fardan Holdings, DIFC, $500M+ deployed capital, 40+ portfolio companies), Dubizzle Group Ventures (One Central, Dubai), The Greenhouse (Chalhoub Group's startup studio in Dubai Design District) and Fast Foundry (FAST Ventures, Dubai Internet City).
Stages and tickets: the two published ranges are at the large end — e& capital's average ticket is USD 5–30M at Series A and B, and the Strategic Development Fund writes venture tickets of $10-35 million for early- and mid-stage frontier-technology companies and $20-100 million for equity stakes and joint ventures, plus venture debt with UAE banks for SMEs. ADIB Ventures invests mainly at Series A, selectively earlier or later; the Emirates NBD Innovation Fund from early to growth stage; Dubizzle Group Ventures at Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A; The Greenhouse funds pre-seed ventures it co-builds; Fast Foundry invests up to US$3 million across early-stage startups from idea to pre-seed and seed; CE-Ventures from early to late stage and into venture funds, unbound by sector or stage; Al Fardan Ventures from early to growth stage. NeoVentures, CBIx, du Ventures and G42 publish no ticket size.
Strategic fit is the entry ticket: e& capital invests in verticals strategic to e& (connectivity and IoT, fintech and embedded finance, SaaS, ad-tech, cybersecurity, embedded AI); du Ventures in fintech, AI, cybersecurity, cloud, loyalty, gaming, enterprise and customer-experience technologies that fit du's strategy, with a significant share for UAE-based ventures; the Emirates NBD Innovation Fund in fintech, banktech and enterprise tech with strategic relevance to the group; ADIB Ventures in fintech and digital banking, payments and embedded finance, AI and data in financial services; CBIx in AI, fintech, Web3, tokenised assets and gaming-focused financial services; the Strategic Development Fund in aerospace, advanced mobility, autonomous systems, robotics and advanced manufacturing that anchor projects or growth in the UAE; Dubizzle Group Ventures in real estate, automotive and re-commerce; The Greenhouse in retail and adjacent tech (fashion, beauty, wellness, creator and circular economy); Fast Foundry in adtech, creator, AI and marketing products. CE-Ventures and Al Fardan Ventures are the generalists.
What the parent adds: ADIB Ventures gives access to ADIB's banking infrastructure, regulatory expertise and regional network; the Emirates NBD Innovation Fund strategic relevance to the group's operations; e& capital a bridge between MENA and global markets in both directions; the Strategic Development Fund capital, strategic alliances, market access and the combined EDGE and SDF network; Dubizzle Group Ventures its marketplace presence and experience; The Greenhouse hands-on co-building with Chalhoub's retail know-how; Fast Foundry workspace at FAST Ventures HQ, engineering and marketing support from FAST's agencies, cloud credits and back-office help; NeoVentures venture incubation and co-creation with Mashreq.
Applying: 6 of the 13 UAE corporate investors publish a route. Dubizzle Group Ventures takes pitches through the form on its ventures page; The Greenhouse through its Build with us form (LinkedIn profile and a short video required); Fast Foundry through its Start Your Application form (idea, MVP, revenue or pre-seed/seed stage); Al Fardan Ventures through its contact form with deck and funding requirements; the Emirates NBD Innovation Fund through its dedicated contact form; the Strategic Development Fund takes venture-debt enquiries from UAE companies through its Venture Debt Enquiries form. CBIx works by e-mail, CE-Ventures through Crescent Enterprises; e& capital, NeoVentures, G42, ADIB Ventures and du Ventures publish no application route. Every entry with a public route carries an Apply button on GulfPitch.
In numbers: 15 corporate VCs in the UAE, 6 taking applications; 1 states on its own website that it takes companies from abroad (November 2026).
Facts from each programme’s own website, checked October – November 2026. Amounts in the currency the programme publishes.
Al Fardan Ventures
Dubizzle Group Ventures
EGA Ramp-Up (Emirates Global Aluminium)
Emirates NBD Innovation Fund
Fast Foundry (FAST Ventures)
Strategic Development Fund (SDF)
The Greenhouse — Chalhoub Group Startup Studio
ADIB Ventures
Agthia Ventures
CBIx
CE-Ventures (Crescent Enterprises)
du Ventures
e& capital
G42
NeoVentures (Mashreq)
Questions founders ask about corporate VC in the UAE
Which UAE corporate VCs take applications online?
Dubizzle Group Ventures (pitch form on its ventures page), The Greenhouse — Chalhoub Group Startup Studio (Build with us form), Fast Foundry (Start Your Application form), Al Fardan Ventures (contact form, inquiry type Investment Opportunity), the Emirates NBD Innovation Fund (dedicated contact form) and the Strategic Development Fund (Venture Debt Enquiries form for UAE companies). CBIx takes e-mail; e& capital, NeoVentures, G42, ADIB Ventures, du Ventures and CE-Ventures publish no form.
Which UAE banks have venture arms?
Emirates NBD (Emirates NBD Innovation Fund, Dubai, est. 2023, early to growth stage in fintech, banktech and enterprise tech), Mashreq (NeoVentures, fintech and AI banking, portfolio NewBridge, NymCard, Touché and Cashew), Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB Ventures, Sharia-compliant minority stakes mainly at Series A) and Commercial Bank International (CBIx, launched October 2025, ventures include Zypl.ai and Boomitra).
How big are the cheques?
e& capital: average ticket USD 5–30M at Series A and B. Strategic Development Fund: $10-35 million venture tickets, $20-100 million for equity stakes and joint ventures. Fast Foundry: up to US$3 million across its early-stage startups. du Ventures invests from a $50 million fund, Al Fardan Ventures reports $500M+ deployed capital; the Emirates NBD Innovation Fund, NeoVentures, ADIB Ventures, CBIx, CE-Ventures, Dubizzle Group Ventures and The Greenhouse publish no ticket size.
Which UAE corporate VCs invest at pre-seed and seed?
Dubizzle Group Ventures (Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A in real estate, automotive and re-commerce), The Greenhouse (pre-seed funding for ventures it co-builds), Fast Foundry (idea, MVP, revenue and pre-seed/seed stage), the Emirates NBD Innovation Fund and Al Fardan Ventures (from early stage) and CE-Ventures (early to late stage). e& capital starts at Series A, ADIB Ventures mainly at Series A.
Do I need a UAE company?
The Strategic Development Fund invests in companies that anchor projects or growth in the UAE and lends only to UAE-based SMEs; du Ventures dedicates a significant share to UAE-based ventures; Dubizzle Group Ventures wants GCC-focused startups. e& capital invests in MENA disruptors scaling internationally and international innovators entering MENA; CE-Ventures across the US, MENA, India and Southeast Asia; Fast Foundry across Saudi Arabia and MENA; ADIB Ventures and the Emirates NBD Innovation Fund look for strategic fit rather than a location.
Which UAE corporate investors focus on fintech?
The four bank arms — Emirates NBD Innovation Fund, NeoVentures (Mashreq), ADIB Ventures and CBIx — plus e& capital (fintech and embedded finance), du Ventures (fintech first on its list), Al Fardan Ventures (fintech among AI, energy, spacetech, manufacturing and healthcare) and Fast Foundry (B2C fintech).
Which UAE corporate investors back deep tech, AI or defence-adjacent technology?
G42 builds and holds AI-first companies; the Strategic Development Fund (EDGE Group) invests in aerospace, advanced mobility, autonomous systems, robotics and advanced manufacturing (latest announced investment Machina Labs); e& capital in embedded AI and cybersecurity; CE-Ventures in deep tech and biotech; ADIB Ventures and CBIx in AI for financial services; du Ventures in AI and cybersecurity.
What is a corporate venture studio, and which ones are in the UAE?
A studio co-builds the company with you instead of only investing: The Greenhouse (Chalhoub Group) co-builds retail-tech ventures from idea to exit with pre-seed funding for product, marketing and team, and Fast Foundry (FAST Ventures) takes founders through five stages from Foundry Fit to launch and growth with its agencies' engineering and marketing teams. NeoVentures (Mashreq) also incubates ventures, and G42 builds companies in-house.
Corporate VCs elsewhere in the Gulf
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