Highlights Start-Up Successes and Financing Accomplishments at Step Dubai 2025 Event
in5 Shines at Step Dubai 2025, Boosting Dubai's Tech Ecosystem
At Step Dubai 2025, the city's largest tech festival held on 19-20 February at Dubai Internet City, in5 showcased its role as a catalyst for strategic partnerships and a hub for emerging ventures. The Dubai-based start-up incubator, established by TECOM Group PJSC in 2013, highlighted success stories in sectors like AgriTech, Sustainability, and Cloud Kitchen services, aligning with Dubai’s strategic focus on food security, climate resilience, and innovative service models.
Key highlights included Kitopi, a cloud kitchen startup founded in 2018, which has grown to a valuation of over USD 1 billion and expanded across Gulf markets, reflecting the success of innovative food-tech solutions supported by incubators like in5. AgriTech startups also benefited from government- and incubator-backed mentorship, lab infrastructure, and funding, aimed at scaling sustainable food production in challenging desert conditions.
In5 supports early-stage founders with zero-equity terms, subsidized licensing, grants, and mentorship, making it attractive especially for ideation and seed-stage startups. It is recognised among the best GCC startup accelerators for offering equity-free support while connecting startups to regional networks and resources, further boosting venture growth prospects.
In addition to its financial and strategic support, in5 provides workshops and educational events to enhance startup capabilities on topics like pricing, growth, and value creation. Recently, CFO-led sessions were held for in5 incubated startups.
While not all new startups at Step Dubai 2025 tied to in5 were explicitly listed, the incubator’s strategic focus and support have clearly fostered high-impact ventures in Dubai’s prominent verticals such as food tech, sustainability, and technology services.
In January 2025, Halo AI secured AED 22 million in funding during the '1 Billion Pitches' competition. As in5 continues to expand its ecosystem in 2025, with a growing pipeline of high-potential ventures, it remains committed to nurturing next-generation innovators in support of the UAE’s long-term vision for a diversified, knowledge-based economy.
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- The success of startups like Kitopi, supported by in5, demonstrates the impact of innovation in business sectors like food tech.
- With a focus on financing, mentorship, and infrastructure, in5 aims to scale sustainable food production and contribute to Dubai's food security initiatives.
- By offering equity-free support and connecting startups to regional networks, in5 has earned recognition as one of the best GCC startup accelerators.
- Aside from financial support, in5 offers workshops and educational events to empower startups with knowledge on topics like pricing, growth, and value creation.
- The collaboration between government, incubators like in5, and private enterprises has fostered high-impact ventures across key sectors, including technology services and sustainability.
- Halo AI, a recipient of significant investment, is just one example of the next-generation innovators nurtured by the in5 ecosystem, contributing to the UAE's vision for a knowledge-based economy.
- Enhancing safety, technological advancements, and economic growth, the in5 initiative plays a vital role in Dubai's expanding transportation and artificial intelligence sectors, ultimately benefiting the broader community.
