Startup event Expand North Star is set to return from October 13 to 16 at the iconic Dubai Harbour, featuring its biggest European and British participation ever seen.
The 9th edition of the startup show will bring together over 2,000 startups, with more than 400 from Europe and the United Kingdom joining the four-day exhibition.
Hosted by Dubai Chambers and organized by Dubai World Trade Centre, Expand North Star is part of Gitex Global. Exhibiting startups will be showcasing their solutions and real applications in agritech, artificial intelligence, climate tech, fintech, health tech, HR tech, mobility, creative economy, Software as a Service, and more. Germany is leading among the new country pavilions from the region, with 40 startups debuting at the show this year, followed by Ireland, Poland, Latvia, Austria and Portugal.
Returning participants include the United Kingdom, with 50 startups on their flagship stand, a twofold growth compared to their participation in 2023. Close behind are France, Italy and Turkey.
Omar Hassan, managing director of Global Growth Hub in the UK said: “We are thrilled to have the fastest-growing technology companies joining this year’s delegation, spanning across fintech, AI, sustainability and edtech.”
“Expand North Star as a global platform provides UK tech with a great path and connectivity both into local markets in the region and beyond, particularly in Asia and Africa,” said Hassan. The delegation is ready to explore expansion into the UAE, and that will be a key takeaway for many participants, he added.
Unmatched opportunities
According to Crunchbase, European startups saw a 31 percent increase in funding only in Q2 2024, reaching nearly $16 billion compared to the previous quarter. This represents a 17 percent rise year over year, with significant growth in both early and late-stage funding and surpassing Asian startups’ funding for the first time on a quarterly basis.
The region’s most visionary investors will be present at Expand North Star 2024, representing 30 percent of the more than 1,200 investors and VCs from around the world gathering in Dubai. Visitors can have the chance to see SpeedInvest, one of Europe’s most active early-stage investors with over €1 billion assets under management (AUM) and offices in Berlin, London, Munich, Paris and Vienna.
The premier lineup of investors also includes the deep biotech fund H Tree Capital from the UK, the Estonian accelerator and fund Startup Wise Guys, the consumer tech and fintech investment company Prediction Capital from Switzerland, the Portuguese R&D-focused venture capital M4 Ventures, among many others. VCs, accelerators, and investors will join an exclusive program of meetings, eagerly anticipated panel discussions on stage, and the Supernova Challenge, the world’s largest pitch competition with a $200,000 cash prize.
Connecting with unicorns
Beyond the unparalleled investors, Expand North Star will connect the audience with over 65 global unicorns, with extensive participation from Europe and the UK’s most influential companies, such as Volocopter, the German aircraft manufacturer launching the world’s first sustainable and scalable urban air mobility business later this year.
The conference agenda will feature unicorn giants BitPanda from Austria, with over $4 billion valuation and nearly three million customers, and Climeworks, Swiss unicorn backed by Microsoft Climate Fund and the technology provider holding a 10-year carbon removal offtake agreement to support Microsoft’s commitment to become carbon negative by 2030.
Expand North Star is inspired by Gitex Global, returning for its 44th edition from October 14 to 18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Together, the shows spearhead the world’s biggest tech takeover in Dubai, presenting 6,700 exhibiting companies from 180-plus countries across 41 halls.
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