Lisbon: Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, and Unicorn Factory Lisboa, an initiative of the Lisbon City Council, have signed a strategic partnership to advance cross-border innovation and entrepreneurship between the UAE and Portugal.

The agreement was signed at Web Summit 2025 in Lisbon, witnessed by Mohammad Abdulrahman Alhawi, Under-Secretary of the UAE's Ministry of Investment; Ahmed Almahmoud, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Portugal, and Margarida Figueiredo, Director-General for Economy and Innovation, Lisbon City Council.

The partnership builds on Hub71’s strategy to position the Middle East and Europe as a corridor for innovation, enabling global founders to access new markets, capital and growth opportunities.

Launched in 2022, Unicorn Factory Lisboa empowers entrepreneurs through incubation, acceleration and scale-up programmes. Since its inception, it has supported over 820 startups with a combined valuation of exceeding 1BE.

Under the agreement, Hub71 and Unicorn Factory Lisboa will establish a coordinated framework enabling startups to expand internationally through shared resources and market access. The partnership includes startup exchange programmes, mutual promotion of initiatives and cross-market pathways that allow founders to scale across Europe, the UAE and the wider MENA region.

Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, said, “Lisbon has established itself as a leading hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, and Hub71’s partnership with Unicorn Factory Lisboa reflects a natural alignment between forward-thinking tech ecosystems. Together, we aim to empower our startup communities by creating new pathways to access capital, talent and market opportunities.”

Gil Azevedo, UFL Executive Director , Unicorn Factory Lisboa, commented, “Hub71 has established Abu Dhabi as one of the world's leading destinations for ambitious tech companies. This partnership creates a bridge for startups of each market to have unprecedented access to both the Middle East and Europe, connecting two of the most sophisticated tech ecosystems, world-class infrastructure, and vibrant investment communities. From our side, we are thrilled to connect our founders with Hub71's exceptional network and opportunities.”

During Web Summit, Hub71 led a delegation representing Abu Dhabi’s innovation ecosystem, with over 20 key partners and eight startups including droplinked, Kingpin, Esports XO, Grubtech, Reno, healthstay.io, OnLoop and eVoost AI. The delegation met with investors, corporates and global tech leaders to engage partnerships and promote Abu Dhabi as a launchpad for global ventures.

Building on their established partnership, Hub71 and Unicorn Factory Lisboa hosted a side event highlighting opportunities to expand into the region through its programmes and cross-border collaborations. The event reflects the ongoing collaboration between both ecosystems to connect startups and increase visibility across Abu Dhabi and Lisbon.

This partnership reinforces Abu Dhabi’s expanding role as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. By aligning with international partners committed to advancing innovation-led growth, Hub71 continues to position Abu Dhabi as a gateway for startups scaling across continents, unlocking new opportunities for founders to grow globally, attract investment, and contribute to sustainable economic development.