Edinburgh Business School Global Incubator

Global Incubator

Edinburgh Business School Dubai campus is committed to providing world class education and business support to its students and to the wider community, and never has this been more important than during these current challenging times.

The Global Incubator was founded on the premise that dedicated individuals with transformative ideas can solve 21st-century challenges. In an effort to empower change, the Global Incubator supports fearless entrepreneurs through a unique programme designed to transform audacious ideas into scalable and investable ventures. By providing free workspace, strategic, educational, and business resources, along with access to professional and investor networks, the Global Incubator gives fellows the tools needed to achieve meaningful outcomes. Located in Edinburgh and Dubai, the diverse political, philanthropic, academic, business and international community engenders a truly unrivalled enterprise ecosystem to incubate innovation.

The Global Incubator is a one-stop haven for entrepreneurs to scale their business ideas.

Our Global Incubator is especially keen to support start-ups related to:

  • Energy Transition & Decarbonization
  • Robotics & Artificial Intelligence
  • Earth & Marine Technology
  • Smart Construction & Sustainable Infrastructure
  • Health & Care Solutions
  • Photonics or Quantum Technologies

Driving economic, societal, and environmental impact is a core part of Heriot-Watt University’s strategy. The Global Incubator aims to drive start-up growth by leveraging Heriot Watt’s pioneering education, entrepreneurial ecosystems research and enterprise expertise. The target audience for the global incubator is early-stage companies either in the pre-incorporation or start-up/spin-out phase.

What’s included?

Incubated companies can access all the support and enterprise development activities in Edinburgh Business School and Heriot-Watt University Dubai, throughout the network and the broader support community. They also receive access to resources, training, and workshops, and have the opportunity to work with a mentor.

Our Promise

From Concept to trading within 12 months. And to accomplish the goal of helping talented entrepreneurs change the world, the Global Incubator takes no equity in supported ventures and provides:

  • Support in transforming an idea into an MVP
  • Free workstation, business address, IT infrastructure
  • Skill development workshops
  • Breakout spaces, including meeting rooms of various sizes
  • Access to a community of Heriot-Watt entrepreneurs in residence and extended networks
  • Links to Heriot-Watt enterprise events, external competitions and support
  • Tailored support and training to achieve your goal

Please note: Applicants to Edinburgh Business School Dubai campus Incubator must have their own UAE visa.

Meet The Team

Huma Imdad, Incubator Manager-Enterprise Executive

Huma is a sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship specialist with an MS in Development Studies and MBA. She has been involved in multiple social development projects. With knowledge of social innovation and entrepreneurship she has founded Zhaagh Business Solutions, Muzh Studios, SharingOut and HerQbator, all running to date. She is Enterprise Executive and EBS Incubator Manager in HW Dubai.

She has diverse experience of working in Pakistan, UAE, KSA and US in different fields such as entrepreneurship, women’s economic and political empowerment, and food security. She continues to provide mentorship and training to social entrepreneurs and represents her country on numerous panel discussions and initiatives.

h.imdad@hw.ac.uk
+971581511014

Meet the fellows

Cohort I of 2022/2023

Freight Collab 

Freight Collab is a Business to Business (B2B), Software as a service (SaaS) professional social network and marketplace (market network) for global Freight sellers and buyers. It enables them to do their business collaboration, including finding reliable business partners, exchanging freight quotes, making digital agreements, doing all their business communication, and arranging safe international payments, all through a user-friendly dashboard. Over 600 verified companies from over 80 countries have joined Freight Collab.

Accomi portal Est.

Accomi portal Est. is a service-based firm that aims to support international students from different countries as they come to study in the UAE. Our mission is to make sure that their academic and social lives are safe and enjoyable. To achieve this, we have identified the common problems that students face when trying to find suitable living arrangements and made it our goal to resolve these issues. Our service does all the necessary paperwork, freeing up the students to concentrate on their studies. Furthermore, we assist students in finding cost-effective and suitable student housing and apartments and help them acclimate to the local culture in the UAE.

Nevronn

Nevronn is a mobile app that is: 1. Integrating information and services that owners need throughout their EV lifecycle. 2. Creating a community among existing EV users along with new potential users, enhance the experience of the users through various functions and benefits. 3. Starting in UAE and focusing on EV, aims to become a global platform integrating the clean mobility ecosystem. 4. The company is already settled as a Free Zone Establishment (Arianna Aglietti 100%).

StoryBox

StoryBox is an AI-driven EdTech application that helps parents make their child’s screen time more productive by transforming their kid’s creations like drawings into engaging stories for social, cognitive, and educational development.

Proscan

Proscan is a cutting-edge software company that is revolutionizing the construction industry. Our mission is to provide innovative software solutions that streamline the process of safety and quality control, ensuring better and safer construction practices, while enabling construction management companies and developers to focus on building the future.

Applications

Stage 1

Applications for Cohort II will open on May 29th, 2023, and the deadline to submit your completed application form will be August 7th, 2023.

Applications will be considered by a committee. The committee will review each application and decide which businesses are shortlisted to come and pitch.

Stage 2

Pitches should be five minutes long and clearly explain the business opportunity and the benefits incubation will provide. The committee will select successful candidates from these pitches.

Apply to Global Incubator now.

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