Dubai hosts its largest-ever Expand North Star event, uniting over 2,000 startups and 1,200 investors from 180 countries to showcase innovation in AI, climate tech, and digital economy, as the UAE accelerates its ambition to become a global startup capital.
Expand North Star 2025 has officially kicked off in Dubai, marking its milestone 10th year as the largest-ever gathering connecting startups and investors worldwide. The event, running from October 12 to 15 at Dubai Harbour, brought together over 2,000 startups and 1,200 investors hailing from 180 different countries—collectively managing assets worth around US$1.1 trillion. Organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, this four-day affair aims to supercharge funding, scaling efforts, and deal-making opportunities. There’s a particular focus this year on emerging AI economies and fostering inclusive digital growth—which, honestly, is quite exciting to see.
Since launching in 2016, Expand North Star has grown into a global hub for innovation, helping more than 8,000 founders worldwide to accelerate their ideas. Its 2025 edition is especially notable because it has the highest growth percentage and includes a large number of late-stage startups. These span sectors like artificial intelligence, climate tech, deep tech, digital health, and fintech. Interestingly enough, this growth coincides with the UAE government’s recent declaration of an ambitious initiative—‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’—aimed at positioning the country as a leading startup hub globally. The plan targets creating about 30,000 new jobs by 2030 and nurturing at least 10 unicorns—companies valued at over a billion US dollars—by 2031.
His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, delivered a keynote speech setting out the country’s long-term vision for AI. He recounted the UAE’s early investments beginning in 2008 and emphasized how the nation is increasingly becoming a significant player on the AI world stage. “We don’t think like other nations,” he said, “we think in multidecade intervals… and against all odds, we’re proving we can succeed.” Al Olama also highlighted the government’s commitment to collaboration and continuous learning, encouraging global innovators to contribute insights that will influence future policies—so, it’s pretty ambitious.
Speaking about the broader technology landscape, Hatem Dowidar—CEO of e&—offered insights into how advancements like 5G standalone and 5.5G are opening doors for new business models, including startups. He stressed that having solid governance frameworks is crucial to keeping data private and secure. His organization, for instance, has implemented a comprehensive AI governance system within its ecosystem, which is kind of reassuring, right?
A real highlight of Expand North Star 2025 was Presight’s debut showcase of its AI-Startup Accelerator cohort. Presight, which is the largest big data analytics company in the region and a subsidiary of G42, started this dedicated AI acceleration program in 2024. It’s aimed at early-stage AI ventures that are ready to scale with market-proven prototypes. According to Thomas Pramotedham, Presight’s CEO, this program is pretty unique because it offers startups genuine business opportunities and access to a global platform rooted in the UAE’s growing AI ecosystem. The first cohort generated over 70 qualified leads—both commercial and strategic—and several startups are now partnering with government and industry players, not just locally but internationally too.
Presight also launched some exciting AI solutions at the event under the banner ‘Applied Intelligence Today,’ introducing impactful products like the AI-Policing Suite, LifeSaver emergency response platform, Vitruvian agentic AI platform, and NewsPulse news intelligence assistant. They even showcased Presight Persona, a digital AI human designed to interact in real-time during the event. On day one, Presight announced a partnership with the UAE Cybersecurity Council, underscoring how crucial cybersecurity is for the country’s digital growth. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cyber Security at the UAE Government, emphasized the essential role entrepreneurs play in strengthening national security and protecting critical infrastructure in these rapid technological times.
International cooperation continues to be a core part of the event. This year, participants from 180 countries took part, with Brazil signing on as the first-ever official Country Partner through ApexBrasil. Brazil’s delegation includes 55 startups and innovation hubs focusing on AI, fintech, and other frontier technologies—definitely an exciting step toward fostering global innovation ties.
The gathering also showcased an impressive lineup of over 40 unicorns—the biggest-ever, in fact. These include PsiQuantum from the US, valued at a staggering US$68 billion for its work on a fault-tolerant quantum computer, and Talabat, the leading on-demand delivery platform in the MENA region, valued at US$8.5 billion. Also present were Andalusia Labs from the UAE, which is rapidly growing into a unicorn, and Carousell from Singapore, a booming e-commerce platform. Big players in finance and venture investments, like JP Morgan, Daiwa Capital Management, Eurazeo, Octopus Energy Generation, Qatar National Bank, Raiffeisenbank, Samsung Ventures, and SBI Ventures, are all on the lookout for the next big thing in tech.
Besides the main program, Expand North Star 2025 rolled out some new initiatives to boost the startup scene. For instance, ScaleX showcased 100 of the fastest-growing tech companies globally. There was also the North Star Green Impact zone, a dedicated space for climate and environmental innovations, as well as the GITEX Digital Asset Forum, which aims to connect traditional finance with digital assets. And, interestingly, they introduced ‘NorthStar by Night’—a series of curated evening events including yacht parties, AI DJ sets, and live entertainment—all designed to encourage networking in a more relaxed, social atmosphere.
All in all, this landmark event really underlines Dubai’s ambition to become a top global hub for technology, AI, and innovation. It’s not just about connecting startups to investors and partners, but also about laying the foundation for a truly vibrant ecosystem supported by both public and private sectors.
Expand North Star 2025 is set to run through October 15 alongside GITEX Global’s 45th edition at Dubai World Trade Centre, and plans are already underway for 2026, when the event will move to the new Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai with a more immersive, expansive format. The growth of this event — and honestly, the scene as a whole — really reflects both the rapid global push toward tech entrepreneurship and the UAE’s central role in shaping that future.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.cryptobreaking.com/expand-north-star-2025-by/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.expandnorthstar.com/northstar-by-night – Expand North Star 2025, held from 12–15 October at Dubai Harbour, introduced ‘NorthStar by Night’, a series of evening events designed to foster networking among founders, investors, and innovators. These events featured yacht parties, AI DJ sets, live shows, and festival music, providing attendees with opportunities to connect and collaborate in a relaxed setting. While open to all attendees, certain curated side events required prior booking and confirmation. This initiative aimed to enhance the overall experience by blending business with entertainment.
- https://www.presight.ai/news/presight-celebrates-success-of-inaugural-ai-startup-accelerator-cohort-at-expand-north-star-2025/ – Presight, a leading global AI and big data analytics company, celebrated the success of its inaugural AI-Startup Accelerator cohort at Expand North Star 2025. The program, launched in 2024, aims to transform cutting-edge AI innovations into scalable, market-ready solutions across sectors like smart cities, fintech, energy, cybersecurity, education, and climate risk. The first cohort generated over 70 qualified commercial and strategic leads, with several startups now in advanced partnership and contract discussions with major industry and government clients both in the UAE and internationally.
- https://www.presight.ai/news/presight-announces-application-call-for-ai-startup-accelerator-program/ – In March 2025, Presight announced the opening of applications for its six-month global AI-Startup Accelerator program, with a deadline of 10 April 2025. The program was designed to serve as a launchpad for AI startups ready to accelerate their growth, aiming to scale their solutions by turning breakthrough AI products into market-leading solutions. Participants were offered exclusive access to the UAE market and G42’s global network, integration into Presight’s AI ecosystem across 15 markets in MEA, Europe, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, and more.
- https://www.presight.ai/news/presight-to-showcase-applied-intelligence-today-across-gitex-global-and-expand-north-star-2025/ – Presight showcased its real-world application of advanced AI technologies under the theme ‘Applied Intelligence Today’ at GITEX Global and Expand North Star 2025. The company highlighted transformative AI solutions, including the Presight AI-Policing Suite, Presight LifeSaver emergency response platform, Presight Vitruvian agentic AI platform, and Presight NewsPulse, an AI-powered news intelligence assistant. Additionally, Presight introduced Presight Persona, a next-generation AI-powered digital human designed to engage with event attendees in real time, demonstrating the practical impact of its technologies.
- https://www.expandnorthstar.com/plan-your-visit – Expand North Star 2025, held from 12–15 October at Dubai Harbour, featured several new initiatives to enhance the startup ecosystem. These included ScaleX, the official growth programme spotlighting 100 of the world’s fastest-growing tech companies; North Star Green Impact, a sustainability zone focusing on startups driving climate and environmental innovation; and the GITEX Digital Asset Forum, bridging traditional finance with the future of digital finance. These additions aimed to provide fresh opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders to connect, collaborate, and scale innovation.
- https://gulfnews.com/business/dubai-announces-biggest-ever-expand-north-star-with-five-new-features-for-2025-edition-1.500276536 – Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy announced five major new features for Expand North Star 2025, marking its 10th anniversary as the world’s largest gathering for startups and investors. The new features included ScaleX, Green Impact & Digital Assets Forum, set to redefine Dubai’s flagship startup show. These initiatives aimed to expand the event’s ecosystem, creating fresh opportunities for entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders to connect, collaborate, and scale innovation, reinforcing Dubai’s role as a global hub for technology and innovation.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is current, detailing the ongoing Expand North Star 2025 event in Dubai from October 12 to 15, 2025. The event is officially underway, with activities and announcements aligning with the reported schedule. ([expand-north-star.africa-newsroom.com](https://expand-north-star.africa-newsroom.com/press/expand-north-star-2025-by-gitex-global-opens-today-celebrating-ten-years-of-startup-innovation-with-its-biggest-edition-yet?lang=en&utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
The quotes attributed to His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama and Hatem Dowidar are consistent with their known public statements. However, the exact phrasing of these quotes in the narrative does not match any previously published sources, suggesting potential originality. The absence of direct matches online indicates these quotes may be exclusive to this report.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, press releases are often promotional and may lack independent verification, raising concerns about objectivity. The absence of citations or references to external sources further diminishes the reliability of the information presented.
Plausability check
Score:
7
Notes:
The reported figures and events align with known details about Expand North Star 2025, such as the participation of over 2,000 startups and 1,200 investors from 180 countries. The focus on emerging AI economies and inclusive digital growth is consistent with the event’s objectives. However, the narrative’s tone and phrasing, including phrases like “which, honestly, is quite exciting to see,” and “which is kind of reassuring, right?” are informal and may not align with typical corporate or official language, raising questions about the report’s authenticity.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
While the narrative provides current and plausible information about Expand North Star 2025, its origins as a press release and the informal tone raise concerns about objectivity and authenticity. The lack of independent verification and reliance on promotional content suggest a need for cautious interpretation. Further corroboration from independent sources is recommended to fully assess the credibility of the information presented.
