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AstroLabs Dubai only Google-partnered Tech
Hub for entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
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AstroLabs Dubai to open by April 2015
SAN FRANCISCO, September 8th 2014 – Middle East entrepreneurship platform,
AstroLabs, announced today the launch of the region’s first Google for
Entrepreneurs Tech Hub, AstroLabs Dubai, at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference
in San Francisco.
With the opening of the facility planned for early next year,
AstroLabs Dubai will welcome tech entrepreneurs from across the globe seeking to
access high-growth emerging markets. This collaborative coworking space and
educational center will be based in Dubai’s DMCC Free Zone, an ideal location
for startups to scale their ventures in new markets, with one-third of the
world’s population accessible within a four hour flight.
Google for Entrepreneurs selected AstroLabs Dubai as the newest
member of its global Tech Hub network, making it the only Google-partnered hub
in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Bridgette Beam, Senior Manager at Google
for Entrepreneurs, said, “The AstroLabs founders are experienced entrepreneurs
who know how to accelerate the growth of early stage companies. We see
enormous potential for them to help startups across MENA take their ideas to
the global stage.”
AstroLabs has already successfully built one of the largest
networks of high-growth startups in the MENA region, amplifying the potential
impact of the new tech hub. In the last year alone, AstroLabs’ flagship “Scaling
Online Startups” acceleration program trained the founders of over 100 startups
in cities across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan,
and Lebanon. Alumni of the program have raised over US$ 20 million in
funding and created hundreds of jobs in the tech sector across the region to
date.
As the DMCC is the UAE’s largest and fastest-growing Free Zone
with over 9,000 international members, it is the perfect home for AstroLabs
Dubai. The DMCC Free Zone affords startups the benefits of zero taxation and
100 percent ownership of their businesses. Startups based at AstroLabs Dubai
will also benefit from subsidized and fast-track company licensing through a
single point of contact at the DMCC.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman of the DMCC, commented, “We welcome Dubai’s first tech hub to
the DMCC Free Zone. Dubai is a city built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs
inspired by the strength and vision of the leadership of the Emirate, and
projects like the AstroLabs Dubai launch reflect the caliber of startups that
make this vision a reality. As these startups grow and flourish we hope to see
them join the future powerhouses of large corporates and multinationals
destined to see DMCC’s ‘Burj 2020 District’ as their new business address.”
Gautam Sashittal, Chief Executive
Officer, DMCC, added, “At DMCC we are constantly enhancing our Free Zone
offering to support startups, SMEs and large corporates alike. Bringing the
first Google for Entrepreneurs and AstroLabs Dubai collaboration to Dubai and
the DMCC Free Zone is exciting and the next natural step in enabling startups
to innovate and grow.”
The new AstroLabs Dubai hub will feature an advanced mobile device
development lab, co-designed with Google for Entrepreneurs, to enable startups
to build apps for the highest smartphone penetration markets globally.
The 6,500 square foot facility will be fully flexible with a large
training space, feature a bustling café, and will be set on a beautiful
promenade overlooking a park. In-house experts in user experience design,
digital marketing, and operational optimization will make the space a center of
deep subject matter expertise.
AstroLabs Founding Partner, Muhammed Mekki, added, “With AstroLabs
Dubai we aim to put Dubai on the
global entrepreneurial map as the best base for high-growth startups to access
emerging markets and to play a direct role in fostering more successful tech
entrepreneurship within the MENA region.”
