Partnership Prospectus
India's largest cross-border start-up initiative is entering its second chapter.
We are inviting strategic partners to be part of what comes next.
The largest bilateral startup initiative
ever conducted in India
In under six months, the UAE–India Start-Up Series became the largest cross-border start-up initiative ever held in India — backed by government, blue-chip corporates, and the region's most influential institutions.
Applications
Pitched Live
to the UAE
Signed
Landmark partnerships, nationwide reach,
and five winning start-ups entering the UAE
From launch to winners entering the UAE market in six months.
<
Earned media value of USD 550,000–600,000
in six months
Between June and December 2025, the Series generated sustained, high-visibility coverage across India, the UAE, and international markets.
Mentions
(Impressions)
Reach
Value (Avg)
What this means — Series 1.0 delivered nearly USD 600,000 in earned media value and 482 million impressions across a six-month campaign period. With The Final Pitch television series currently airing on ANI and an expanded media strategy for Series 2.0, the brand exposure opportunity for partners across India and the UAE is significant and compounding.
Who Backed Series 1.0
A coalition of government bodies, sovereign-adjacent enterprises, financial institutions, and media networks.
"The Start-Up Series has grown into the largest start-up initiative of its kind ever held in India. None of us expected, nor were we truly prepared for, the overwhelming response it received."
Ahmed Aljneibi — Director, UAE–India CEPA Council
Sharpening the Model
With proven demand, institutional credibility, and a pipeline of thousands of high-potential founders, Series 2.0 focuses on the technology start-ups driving the next stages of the bilateral relationship. Backed by Hub71 as the Cross-Border Partner, the Karnataka Government as the Host Partner, and under the Patronage of the UAE Embassy, New Delhi, Series 2.0 will further accelerate the flow of high-growth Indian technology start-ups into the UAE.
Technology Focus
AI, deeptech, fintech, climate technology, and healthtech — reflecting the sectors where UAE–India commercial opportunity is greatest.
Expanded Geographic Reach
Extended roadshows into more Indian cities and innovation hubs, reaching high-potential founders beyond the traditional metros.
Scaled Application Pipeline
Building on 10,000+ applications, Series 2.0 creates the largest cross-border deal-flow pipeline between India and the UAE.
Deeper Institutional Partnerships
Building on MoUs with IIT Bombay, IIM Calcutta, IIM Bangalore and others, Series 2.0 will add new academic and government partners.
Elevated Media & Content
Full broadcast production, national media syndication, episodic content, podcast integrations, and a multi-platform digital strategy.
Sector-Specific Tracks
Dedicated vertical tracks allow partners to align with the sectors most relevant to their strategic interests.
FinTech
HealthTech
CleanTech
AI & DeepTech
AgriTech
Mobility
Six months, four stages,
two jurisdictions.
A structured journey from the Abu Dhabi launch through nationwide corridor conversations to the Bengaluru Finals and the UAE Winner Showcase.
Launch
Public launch at the Hub71 Impact Event in Abu Dhabi on 9-10 June. Title Partner co-naming live from this date across all assets in both countries. Opening of the nationwide application call.
Corridor Conversations
Five to six closed, 90-minute, invite-only roundtables across Indian cities — 15-20 senior figures per city. Co-hosted by partners. Each filmed and produced as a LaunchStream Studio episode.
Bengaluru Finals
Three days at the Bengaluru Tech Summit. Day One: closed Investors' roundtable, Podcast Studio, Ideas Programme with Karnataka CM and IT Minister. Day Two: pitch and winners.
UAE Winner Showcase
Three winners presented to the UAE market at Abu Dhabi Finance Week. Co-presented by the CEPA Council and Title Partner. Strategic Partners bring their UAE teams. Hub71 facilitates introductions.
Not a conference sponsorship.
A year-round bilateral platform.
Months of presence, not one day
Partners are named and visible from the Abu Dhabi launch in June through the Bengaluru Finals in November to the UAE Showcase in December.
Intelligence no one else has
Exclusive access to a filtered, searchable pool of applications — the largest cross-border founder intelligence dataset between the two countries.
Access, not just visibility
Private Ambassador's dinners, closed Investors' Tables, co-hosted city roundtables, and brokered bilateral meetings.
Sovereign validation
Association with a UAE and Indian Government-backed bilateral platform at the moment the relationship is deepening.
National media reach
600M+ impressions and USD 700K+ in earned media value targeted across the eight-month programme, with ANI/PTI wire syndication.
Content that endures
Three LaunchStream Finals episodes, three publications, and an episodic pitch series on YouTube — partner integration lives on after every event closes.
Partner positions are limited
The Start-Up Series is the institutional bridge between India's innovation engine and the UAE's global ambitions. Contact us to discuss involvement.
Series 1.0 proved the demand.
Series 2.0 builds the value.
Be part of building the institutional architecture for cross-border start-up collaboration between the world's third-largest start-up ecosystem and the region's most dynamic business hub.
Become a Partner →