Expand North Star 2024, the world’s largest event for startups and investors, concluded on Wednesday amid unprecedented levels of participation.
The event’s success was reflected in the increased numbers of visitors and exhibitors, the innovations presented, and the rise in the number of participating countries.
Organized by Dubai World Trade Center and hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy from October 13 to 16 at Dubai Harbour, the event attracted extensive international participation, reinforcing Dubai’s status as a global destination for digital innovation and a leading capital of the digital economy.
Largest in history
This year’s edition was the largest in the event’s history, attracting more than 1,800 startups and over 1,200 investors from 100 countries, with assets under management exceeding $1 trillion.
The high levels of participation have cemented the exhibition’s position on the global digital economy map and strengthened its role as a platform for advancing international cooperation and technology-driven transformation.
The number of new startups participating for the first time reached 1,584, representing around 88 percent of the total startups taking part in Expand North Star.
65 unicorns
The event featured the participation of 65 unicorn companies with a combined market value exceeding $400 billion, as well as the YouthX Unipreneur exhibition, the largest youth startup and innovation event in the UAE.
A number of new countries participated in the event for the first time, further strengthening Dubai’s position as leading destination for global talent and startups. These included Austria, Australia, Canada, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Malaysia, and Singapore. The event also attracted the participation of major investment funds and investors from new countries such as Azerbaijan, Mauritius, Denmark, Peru, Malta, and Cyprus.
The event saw the largest participation of European startups in its history, with over 350 European startups from diverse sectors. It also featured significant participation from Brazilian startups, with the Brazilian pavilion including 50 digital companies that have selected Dubai as their hub for global expansion.
New exhibitions
Offering visitors a glimpse into the future of technological development, Expand North Star enhanced its appeal with a dynamic lineup of new exhibitions. Key highlights include the Corporate Arena, Technology Transfer 3.0, The Future of Media and Creativity, NS Scaleups: 2024 Cohort, Sonar+D, and the Startup Genome Ecosystem Leadership Forum. These new features provided invaluable insights into future tech trends, stimulating innovation and startup growth.
The pavilion of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, which hosted Expand North Star, welcomed more than 3,200 visitors. The chamber’s ‘Launchpad Dubai’ initiative at the pavilion attracted more than 800 attendees eager to leverage the integrated platform to establish and grow their businesses in the emirate.
The exhibition program also featured pioneering experiences across various tech sectors, enriching visitors’ knowledge in areas such as blockchain, fintech, marketing, deep tech, climate tech, artificial intelligence, and Web 3 technologies.
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