Dubai's in5 incubator quietly expanding options for entrepreneurs in the UAE

Lately, we often hear startups from Casablanca to Cairo asking us how they can get a foothold in Dubai, the market with the region’s highest smartphone penetration rate and largest e-commerce market.

Not all who have made the leap have succeeded; Bahraini startup Exa.io, for example, explained to Wamda last year why they had to leave Dubai. Yet conditions for expat-led startups like Exa.io are improving, especially at In5, the startup facilitator in Dubai Internet City’s Knowledge Village that is quietly becoming one of the more popular options for getting set up in Dubai (as Wamda contributor Abdullah AlShalabi previously reported).

Offering five primary services – assistance with setup, access to mentorship, training, networking, and access to funding – the center has managed to attract over 48 startups since it launched last May, luring founders from France, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, the U.S., and even Vietnam. The incubator takes only 10 startups in each cycle, so interested founders must apply to join, but for those who make the cut, its appeal is broad.

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Dubai’s in5 incubator quietly expanding options for entrepreneurs in the UAE