DIFC Celebrates Graduation of 10 Startups of Its Metaverse Accelerator Programme

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has revealed the participants of its inaugural ‘DIFC Metaverse Accelerator Programme.’

This program is aligned with the Dubai Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy Goals. It is the next step towards the DIFC’s plan to achieve the Dubai Metaverse Strategy, which aims to add $4 billion to Dubai’s GDP.

The program received over 160 applicants worldwide and has chosen ten regional and global startups focusing on metaverse, AI, web3, AR/VR, or blockchain sectors. The aim is to support 40,000 virtual jobs by 2030 and attract 1,000 companies specialized in blockchain and metaverse technologies.

In this regard, the DIFC Innovation Hub CEO Mohammad Alblooshi said: “Earlier this year, Dubai’s Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy endorsed the DIFC Metaverse Platform. It positioned DIFC as the first government entity globally to champion an integrated metaverse hub.”

He added that it is encouraging to witness the successful launch of the DIFC Metaverse Accelerator Programme, which received over 160 international applications and has established a network of 60 ecosystem partners. The ten talented startups that graduated from the program are sure to inspire others to join DIFC to pursue growth opportunities.

The DIFC Metaverse Accelerator Programme was made possible thanks to the support of Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC), DP World, and Daoverse Capital. These partners collaborated to onboard ten promising startups in June 2023, who underwent three months of intensive training at boot camp workshops. The program also benefits from the support of over 60 DIFC Innovation Hub ecosystem partners, who contribute to its success.

The first batch of the graduates were Artichoke Labs, Cognitive Technologies, Daoversal, DoDocs, Duverse, Evometa, Flan, Intelligent Assist, ShopDoc, and GoPal.

The DIFC Metaverse Accelerator Programme is seeking metaverse, Web3, AI, and AR/VR start-ups worldwide, along with potential Web3 investors and organizations.