The UAE and Germany promote innovation through a Startup Tech Tour to Dubai

From 13–14 October 2025, pioneering startups from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Germany gathered in Dubai for the Emirati–German Startup Tech Tour. The delegation included six German startups that were selected through an application process to travel to Dubai. The programme took place alongside GITEX and Expand North Star, two of the world’s leading fairs for technology and innovation. Organized by the Emirati–German Energy Partnership, the Startup Tech Tour aimed to promote innovation and foster collaboration for the energy transition. Both Germany and the UAE bring strong expertise and advanced technologies to drive innovation in tackling the challenges of the energy transition and climate change. The startups had the opportunity to connect with investors, innovation hubs, and policy leaders from both countries, forging new partnerships for a cleaner and smarter energy future.

The highlight of the tour was the Emirati–German Policy and Partners Hub event with over 70 participants representing business, government and investment stakeholders from the UAE and Germany. Government representatives from the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Dubai took part in the event. At the heart of the event were inspiring pitches by German and Emirati startups including ChargeX, DeepSource Technologies, Factor2 Energy, FortyGuard, ManVision, Olive Gaea, Rise Future Energy, Phlair, and theion. The startups took the stage to showcase cutting-edge solutions in clean energy, mobility, carbon capture and digital innovation showing how technology and entrepreneurship can drive real impact in the global energy transition. In a panel discussion on “Scaling Innovation: Ecosystems that Empower Startups”, experts from digihub Düsseldorf, MENA Impact, Hub71, and the Siemens Energy Innovation Center Abu Dhabi explored how strong innovation ecosystems and bilateral cooperation can support startups in scaling their impact.

As part of the Tech Tour, the startups visited GITEX and Expand North Star, where they had the opportunity to pitch their solutions at the Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus (Dtec). Across the two days, the delegation met with further key actors from the UAE startup ecosystem including with Hub71, an innovation hub that supports startups across the world,  and the Emirates Development Bank, which offers flexible financing opportunities for market entry into the UAE. In addition, exchanges with the Sheraa Foundation and the Presight AI-Startup Accelerator provided valuable recommendations for further networking and collaboration.

The Tech Tour was organized under the framework of the Emirati–German Energy Partnership, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) in cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI). The implementation of the Partnership is supported by Guidehouse and the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce (AHK). The Energy Partnership supports disruptive solutions from young companies and regularly involves startups in its activities, most recently in October 2024 during a pitching session in Berlin held as part of a high-level delegation visit from the UAE.