Eng. Muammar Al Katheeri,\u00a0Executive Vice President of Engineering and Smart City at DSOA, said: “Through DSCA, we seek to fulfill our commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, driving innovation, and implementing solutions that contribute to realizing the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city on earth.”<\/p>\n
He added: “The first two rounds of DSCA have received more than 1,700 applications, accelerating and investing in 20 startups from across the world. The influx of global smart city startups is testament to the success of the targeted program. We are delighted to launch its third edition, and look forward to enabling 10 more startups to benefit from Dubai’s experience in smart city transformation, as well as from Startupbootcamp’s network.”<\/p>\n
For his part, Ibrahim Seksek, Managing Director of DSCA, said: “We are looking for startups that seek to operate in Dubai and the wider MENA region. With a focus on smart cities, our program provides unprecedented access to government and corporate partners, driving forward Dubai’s vision to become the leading smart city in the world.”<\/p>\n
The third cohort of\u00a0the intensive three-month accelerator program\u00a0will\u00a0run from late September 2019\u00a0to\u00a0early January 2020. The\u00a0DSCA team will handpick\u00a0ten\u00a0startups from the applicant pool to participate in the program and\u00a0receive\u00a0a host of\u00a0exclusive acceleration package benefits. These include \u20ac15,000\u00a0in cash per team to cover living expenses during the program, office space in\u00a0Dtec,\u00a0mentorship\u00a0opportunities\u00a0from over 100 industry experts, consultation and advisory support, as well as access to\u00a0Startupbootcamp’s\u00a0partner organizations and seed funding.<\/p>\n
Once\u00a0they complete the program, the startups will join Startupbootcamp’s global alumni network,\u00a0consisting of\u00a0more than\u00a0700\u00a0companies that\u00a0have\u00a0cumulatively\u00a0raised\u00a0\u20ac500 million\u00a0in investment\u00a0from\u00a0over 200 corporate partners and\u00a0created\u00a0almost 3,000 jobs.<\/p>\n
This year, scouts are particularly on the lookout for startups that specialize\u00a0in\u00a05G applications, connected stadiums, smart retail, smart airports, and smart payments. However, the program is open to applicants\u00a0from across the\u00a0spectrum of smart city solutions, including internet of things and connectivity, urban automation and mobility, artificial intelligence, blockchain, open city data, sustainable cities and living, and smart government.<\/p>\n
startupbootcamp is also kicking off FastTracks, a series of one-day events held by Startupbootcamp during the recruitment period that bring together high-potential startups with mentors to forge valuable business connections before entering the program. In addition, DSCA will hold Office Hours, dedicated sessions that allow startups to learn more about the accelerator program and explore mutual synergies. FastTracks and Office Hours will take place across several cities in North America, Europe, MENA, and Asia.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the advantages of DSCA, Srinath Kandala, CEO of ScaleVR Technologies \u2013 one of the alumni of the program, said:\u00a0“Being selected as one of the ten teams to join thesecond cohort of DSCA empowered\u00a0us to achieve our vision of\u00a0entering\u00a0the UAE\u00a0market. The accelerator program helped us kickstart our business\u00a0through\u00a0connecting us with a network of industry leaders. We will leverage\u00a0the knowledge we gained from the mentors, partners, and trainers\u00a0to scale our business in the UAE and expand within the MENA region.”<\/p>\n
The deadline for applications is\u00a0June 30, 2019. Interested startups can apply via\u00a0https:\/\/www.f6s.com\/dubaismartcity2019<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n
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