Future 100’ honours the third cohort of companies joining the initiative and announces the opening of registration for its new edition this October
Three new partners – Nuwa Capital, Global Ventures, and Carta – join the Future 100 network
Abu Dhabi, October 9, 2026: In the presence of H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Co-Chair of Investopia, ‘Future 100’ – the joint initiative between the Ministry of Economy and Tourism and the Government Development and the Future Office – honoured its third cohort of 100 companies in recognition of their achievements and contributions to the new economy sectors, as well as their role in developing innovative solutions and business models. The ceremony took place during the Investopia Bridge 2026 event in Abu Dhabi.
The initiative announced the opening of registration and nominations for its new edition this October, welcoming startups and entrepreneurial projects operating in the new economy sectors to nominate themselves. This offers them the opportunity to join the initiative and benefit from its partner ecosystem, as well as programmes supporting growth, expansion, and investment.
H.E. Bin Touq said: “The UAE is keen to support startups and companies operating in the new economy sectors and help them develop their businesses and expand into markets through an integrated ecosystem of enablers, legislation, incentives, and programmes that grant them access to funding, expertise, and markets, while enhancing their ability to innovate and forge new partnerships. The ‘Future 100’ initiative embodies this approach by highlighting promising companies every year and supporting their growth and expansion.”
His Excellency added: “Since its launch, the initiative has succeeded in attracting investments worth $100 million through its partners, benefiting more than 53 companies enrolled in the initiative. It has contributed to enhancing their access to investments and partnerships and supporting their ability to transform promising opportunities into projects and companies with high growth potential. This aligns with the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision to consolidate the country’s position as a global hub for the new economy over the next decade.”
Future 100 report reviews companies’ journeys, growth models, and innovation
The initiative launched a new report reviewing the journeys of the participating companies, the sectors in which they operate, their business models, and their most notable achievements. It also features indicators and data on the distribution of companies by sector and growth stage, providing a comprehensive overview of the development of participating companies and their growth and expansion trajectories within the new economy sectors.
Furthermore, the report highlights the ecosystem of supporting partners and their role in providing growth and expansion opportunities. It also sheds light on the innovative business models, technologies, and solutions offered by these companies, as well as the progress they have achieved across various growth stages, reflecting the diversity of entrepreneurship and innovation in the UAE.
Three new MoUs with entities specialised in investment, business development, and services
On the sidelines of Investopia Bridge 2026, the ‘Future 100’ initiative signed three memoranda of understanding. The first was with Nuwa Capital Ltd, aimed at supporting the growth and expansion of listed companies, promoting the list, cooperating in the evaluation of applicant companies, and exploring opportunities for business development and mutually beneficial partnerships.
The second memorandum was signed with Global Ventures to enhance business development and partnership opportunities for the listed companies, support their growth, and participate in evaluating applicantions. The company also committed to investing at least $1 million in one or more companies joining the initiative.
The third memorandum with Carta will provide specialised services that help companies strengthen their ability to attract funding, support valuation, compliance, and ownership management processes, and offer training and mentorship programs, plus a 25 per cent discount on the annual subscription to the Carta platform during the first year.
Extensive partnerships strengthening engagement with investors and financial institutions
The ‘Future 100’ initiative has been expanding its partnership network that includes government entities, innovation funds, tech companies, financial and banking institutions, business accelerators and incubators, and venture capital funds, bringing the total number of partners to 42 Key partners include the strategic partner Majra – National CSR Fund, acceleration partners Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, Dubai Future District Fund, Emirates NBD, Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund, Investopia, Microsoft, MEVP, Careem, EY, Eurasia Capital, In5, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, FTI Consulting, Nuwa Capital Ltd, EGF, Carta, and DIFC Innovation Hub, along with several community partners from both the public and private sectors.
These partnerships have supported the initiative’s progress and expanded opportunities for listed companies, whether through engagement with investors, venture funds, and financial institutions, or through access to specialised expertise, business development opportunities, and new markets and networks. Over the past three editions/cycles since the initiative’s launch, 300 companies have been recognised from 3,395 applications received, including 1,282 applications in the third cycle, reflecting growing interest in promising companies within the new economy sectors.
The selection process evaluates applications across four main pillars: creative capability, market potential, business model sustainability and scalability, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact. This helps identify companies with innovative business models, strong growth potential, and solutions, products, and services that advance new-economy sectors.
The Future 100 list covers 17 sectors, including space, biotechnology, sustainability and environment, health technology, HR technology, renewable energy, creative industries, sharing economy, agri tech, ed tech, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, food technology, fintech, smart mobility, legal technology, and proptech. The initiative also encompasses a range of modern technologies and business models, including e commerce, sharing economy, 3D printing, Internet of Things, Web 3.0, robotics, metaverse, AI enabled service enhancement, and blockchain technology.
The initiative invites promising companies in new economy sectors to register and apply to join the Future 100 list by visiting the following link: www.future100.ae
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