Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy Introduces Startup Showcases for Investor Connections at Expand North Star 2023

14 Oct, 2023

Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy Introduces Startup Showcases for Investor Connections at Expand North Star 2023

The Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the entities within Dubai Chambers, is set to introduce innovative showcases at Expand North Star 2023, offering a glimpse of the event's exciting new features. This flagship event will unfold at Dubai Harbour from October 15th to 18th, 2023, with the aim of creating connections between the world's most sought-after startups, innovators, investors, entrepreneurs, and the founders of global success stories.

Three prominent showcases will take center stage at Expand North Star 2023:

1. India Central: This is the largest showcase of Indian startups outside of India, a country that boasts over 90,000 startups and more than 100 unicorn companies. India Central will feature around 300 Indian startups, state ministers, unicorn founders, and leading venture capitalists. A dedicated conference will explore the Indian tech ecosystem, its regulatory environment, and emerging investment opportunities.

2. Asia Fast 100 and Africa Fast 100: These showcases will bring together 100 of the most promising startups from each continent. Southeast Asia's tech startups are predicted to reach a combined value of US$1 trillion by 2025, showing remarkable growth from just US$340 billion in 2020. Similarly, 633 African startups collectively raised US$3.3 billion in 2022, marking a substantial annual funding increase of over 1,000% since 2015. The showcases are the culmination of extensive four-month promotional campaigns and a series of networking events connecting major hubs in both regions. They promise a packed schedule of conferences, networking opportunities, and dedicated pitch competitions.

These new initiatives underscore the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy's commitment to fostering economic relationships with the Asian and African markets, especially in the technology and digital transformation sectors. The chamber aims to introduce entrepreneurs and ambitious startups to Dubai's thriving digital ecosystem, facilitate their expansion into the emirate, and provide them with the tools they need to flourish. Expand North Star aligns with Dubai's aspirations to become a leading global digital economy, aligning with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33).

The digital economy plays a pivotal role in the D33 agenda, which aims to generate an annual economic contribution of AED 100 billion from digital transformation projects. Expand North Star is poised to support this endeavor by nurturing 30 startups into unicorns (privately held startups valued at US$1 billion or more) by 2033.

This event is set to host over 1,800 startup exhibitors from more than 100 countries, with over 1,000 investors managing a combined total of over US$1 trillion in assets. Dubai is rapidly establishing itself as a leading hub of the global digital economy.

As part of its dedication to advancing Dubai's digital economy and realizing the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy aims to attract 300 digital startups to Dubai by 2024. This commitment underscores its role in shaping the future of the emirate's digital landscape.