Winners of the third edition to be honoured on 7 October
Create Apps Championship past winners: Dubai inspires innovation and opens new horizons for developing advanced digital solutions
- Mariam Khalifa Alnuaimi, Co-Founder of Boom: “The city provides an environment where entrepreneurs are given access to platforms, institutions, mentorship, and opportunities needed to turn ideas into real solutions.”
- Mariam Mohamme
d Almarri, Co-Founder of Boom: “Before the championship, the application was still a project in its early stages of ideation and prototyping. The funding made it possible to build a powerful tool that can truly make an impact on society.” - Rakesh Mavath, Co-Founder and CEO of Takeem: “Being selected and backed by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy gave us institutional cover we had not yet earned commercially. It changed the tone of initial meetings.”
- Bassem Nassif, Founder of The Intern: “Dubai rewards ambition and speed and has given us the belief to build towards our vision.”
- Mahra Al Hosani, Founder and CEO of Pharmedic: “Dubai offers advanced infrastructure, forward-looking policies, and access to global markets.”
Dubai, UAE – As Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy completes preparations for the award ceremony of the third edition of the Create Apps Championship on 7 October, entrepreneurs who won previous editions of the championship have highlighted Dubai as an inspiring environment for innovation that opens new horizons for developing advanced digital solutions and transforming promising ideas into scalable ventures.
The app founders cited Dubai’s advanced digital infrastructure, transparent data environment, and proactive regulatory framework as key pillars that enable startups to test ideas, develop solutions that address real market challenges, and build more efficient business models with greater capacity to scale.
The Create Apps Championship, organised by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, supports digital talent and entrepreneurs in developing innovative apps by providing specialised training and mentorship, opportunities to connect with investors and partners, and funding to support the development and market launch of winning apps. The championship forms part of the chamber’s efforts to strengthen Dubai’s position as a global hub for the digital economy and innovation in smart app development.
Turning ideas into scalable apps
Mariam Khalifa Alnuaimi, Co-Founder of Boom, said: “Dubai’s innovation ecosystem has played a key role in transforming Boom from an idea into a scalable business with wider market potential. The city provides an environment where entrepreneurs are given access to platforms, institutions, mentorship, and opportunities needed to turn ideas into real solutions. The support and exposure we received through entities such as Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, as well as opportunities to participate in major technology and startup events like Expand North Star, helped us strengthen our business model, expand our network, and think beyond the initial launch. Operating in such a fast-moving market has allowed us to refine a flexible delivery model that began as a local solution and now has the potential to serve communities across the UAE and other markets.”
Mariam Mohammed Almarri, Co-Founder of Boom, said: “A major milestone in our journey was participating in the Create Apps Championship, where Boom was recognised as ‘Dubai’s App of the Year 2025’ and ‘Most Impactful App’. This recognition enabled us to build Boom and transport it from an idea into a real product. Before the championship, the application was still a project in its early stages of ideation and prototyping. The funding made it possible to build a powerful tool that can truly make an impact on society. It also gave us greater visibility, credibility, and confidence in the market, while connecting us with Dubai’s wider technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem.”
Building institutional credibility
Rakesh Mavath, Co-Founder and CEO of Takeem, described how the championship provided essential credibility for an early-stage company: “The first thing it gave us was credibility. Convincing landlords to trust a young company, with no track record, with their rental income is a hard ask. Being selected and backed by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy gave us institutional cover we had not yet earned commercially. It changed the tone of initial meetings. The second was exposure—standing on that stage put Takeem in front of an audience we could not have bought our way into. The third was access; DCDE opened doors deliberately to enterprise players, government stakeholders, and investors. From that first cohort, we have now onboarded over 100,000 units and more than AED 9 billion in annual rental value.”
Mavath stressed that Takeem’s scalability stems from building directly on top of Dubai’s existing digital foundations: “Dubai does not just support companies; it builds the layers they stand on. The data layer came first—we have analysed 611,821 rental contracts yearly. The payments layer came next, where digital direct debit rails let us replace post-dated cheques with automated monthly collection. Then the regulatory layer, where regulators engage directly and move at the speed of the problem. We did not just build a rental app; we built on top of what Dubai had already put in place.”
Regional scale
Bassem Nassif, Founder of The Intern, explained how the championship helped refine their platform designed to bridge the gap between early-career talent and enterprise employers: “The Create Apps Championship was the moment our idea was put to the test in front of people who know what it takes to build something that lasts. The feedback from judges and mentors pushed us to refine the idea, the model, and the whole experience. The pitch process forced us to distil our story into something sharp enough to win over an HR director in five minutes. That clarity has changed the quality of every conversation we have had since with enterprise clients, partners, and investors alike.”
Nassif added that Dubai’s focus on digital transformation provided the ideal environment to scale across the region: “Dubai rewards ambition and speed. Through Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy and Create Apps Championship, we found mentors who had built and scaled businesses across the region, direct access to enterprise decision makers, and a market where digital transformation in HR is a priority. It has given us the confidence to think bigger than a single market. Today, with my sister Nora leading our regional business development across the GCC, we are launching in Egypt and laying the groundwork for a UK presence. Dubai has given us the platform, the network, and the belief to build towards our vision.”
Healthcare digital transformation
Mahra Al Hosani, Founder and CEO of Pharmedic, emphasised how the initiative helped strengthen digital healthcare delivery and precision medicine: “The Create Apps Championship supported Pharmedic in strengthening the digital delivery of our healthcare services and refining how we bring precision medicine closer to patients and healthcare providers. It provided valuable exposure to board advisors, strategic partners, healthcare regulators, and stakeholders. Furthermore, it expanded our global exposure, providing Pharmedic the opportunity to participate in the Try Everything South Korea Exhibition and engage with the international innovation ecosystem.”
Al Hosani underscored the strength of Dubai’s integrated environment in facilitating startup success: “Dubai harbours an integrated environment where health authorities, innovators, and healthcare providers work under a single mission to provide world-class healthcare. Dubai Chambers served as a bridge between stakeholders and startups. Its infrastructure, forward-looking policies, and access to global markets have supported Pharmedic’s growth and our ambition to contribute to the UAE’s leadership in precision healthcare.”
