Dubai, UAE: DIFC FinTech Hive, the first and largest financial technology accelerator in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, today announced that it will host its annual flagship Investor Day event in the metaverse for the first time.
Investor Day serves as the launch platform for DIFC FinTech Hive’s programs with an opportunity for the wider investor community to meet startup finalists.
Taking place on 10 November, the immersive online event will see the avatars of 41 start-up entrepreneurs from DIFC’s 2022 FinTech Accelerator program showcase their innovative technologies to virtual incarnations of investors, industry leaders and the programme’s finance and knowledge partners. The senior stakeholders of leading financial partners in the Middle East will have the opportunity to see start-ups showcase their ideas in the metaverse of FinTech, as well as attend a virtual exhibition to explore ideas and interact with founders first-hand.
The DIFC FinTech Accelerator program pairs the most innovative start-ups from around the world with the region’s leading financial services companies, such as banks, investment firms and insurance companies. The program enables them to collaborate to develop, test and tailor innovations to unlock new growth opportunities.
This year’s program attracted leading technology entrepreneurs from a wide range of sectors, including FinTech, RegTech and Islamic FinTech from around the world. The cohort, selected through a rigorous and competitive process, addressed key technology innovation themes including Open Banking, InsurTech, RegTech, Digital Assets, ESG, Wallets & Payments, Credit Scoring, InvesTech and more, to shape the future of the financial sector. . Partners for this year’s program include HSBC, Visa, ADIB, Zurich, Emirates Post Group, CBI, ADCB, ADNIC, Dubai Islamic Bank, Al Masraf and Mashreq.
Running alongside the 2022 FinTech Accelerator programme, the DIFC FinTech Hive also concluded its 2022 Scale-Up programme. 10 Series A+ FinTech start-ups presented to a panel of funding partners including Wamda, Gulf Capital, Dubai Cultivat8, Impact46, Dubai Future District Fund and Shorooq Partners. The start-ups came from Belgium, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Turkey, the UK and the UAE. In addition, the DIFC FinTech Hive’s AccelerateHER program continued to grow female talent with 35 women participating in more than 20 technical bootcamp workshops and receiving one-on-one mentoring with industry leaders to advance their ideas to shape the future of financial services.
Mohammad Alblooshi, Sector Manager for FinTech at DIFC, said: “DIFC’s accelerator programs continue to attract the world’s most innovative finance start-ups, and we enjoy connecting them with meaningful partners and serious investors. Interest continues to grow in our region from global investors, which is why we are leveraging the metaverse to offer them increased access to an exclusive group of promising startups that have graduated from our Accelerator program.
“According to the DIFC FinTech Hive’s 2022 FinTech Report, global investor interest in the MENA region more than doubled last year with 55 percent of deals in 2021 including participation from foreign investors, up from 40 percent in 2020. As we continue to cement our position as a global financial center and a FinTech and innovation hub, the metaverse will play an important role for the DIFC FinTech Hive in leading innovation in the future of financial services.”
According to the DIFC FinTech Hive’s 2022 FinTech Report, funding activity for the sector almost doubled in 2021, with those in MENA raising USD 998 million, a 78 percent increase from 2020.
More than 65 ecosystem partners supported DIFC FinTech Hive’s programs this year, including partners from legal, regulatory, compliance, consulting, technology, marketing and other backgrounds.
For more information and to register to attend Investor Day 2022, visit https://fintechhive.difc.ae/events-news/Investor-Day-2020-2
About Dubai International Financial Center
The Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) is one of the world’s most advanced financial centers and the leading financial hub for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), comprising 72 countries with an approximate population of 3 billion and an estimated GDP of 8 trillion dollars.
With a nearly 20-year track record of facilitating trade and investment flows across the MEASA region, the center connects these fast-growing markets with the economies of Asia, Europe and the Americas through Dubai.
The DIFC is home to an internationally recognized, independent regulator and a proven legal system with an English common law framework, as well as the region’s largest financial ecosystem with almost 30,000 professionals working across over 4,000 active registered companies – making up the largest and most diverse pool of industrial talent in the region.
The centre’s vision is to drive the finance of the future through ground-breaking technology, innovation and partnership. Today, it is the global future of finance and innovation hub offering one of the region’s most comprehensive FinTech and venture capital environments, including cost-effective licensing solutions, tailored regulation, innovative accelerator programs and growth start-up funding. -oops.
Comprised of a range of world-renowned retail and dining venues, a dynamic arts and culture scene, residential apartments, hotels and public spaces, DIFC continues to be one of Dubai’s most sought-after business and lifestyle destinations.
For more information, please visit our website: difc.ae, or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @DIFC.
