in5 highlights start-up’s global expansion pathways

DUBAI /WAM

in5, the region’s leading start-up and entrepreneurship incubator and a uniting platform for innovators to unlock global growth, showcased the successes of its start-ups that have started 2025 with vital funding rounds to propel new market expansion at Step Dubai.
Founded by TECOM Group PJSC in 2013, in5 highlighted the growing maturity of Dubai’s entrepreneurial ecosystem at Step Dubai, the city’s largest tech festival, to showcase breakout stars from its community of tech, media, design, and science start-ups. Among the entrepreneurial champions nurtured within in5’s community is Sharia-compliant micro-lending platform Namara Fintech, which has graduated from in5 following its full acquisition.
“Entrepreneurship is a stepping stone to industry leadership, and Dubai rivals global cities as an attractive and supportive hub for innovators and enterprises,” said Majed Al Suwaidi, Senior Vice President at TECOM Group PJSC, on behalf of in5. “In addition to its pro-innovation regulatory frameworks, Dubai’s entrepreneurial spirit and partnership-driven approach are cementing entrepreneur and investor confidence in the city.
in5’s success stories reflect Dubai’s position as a launchpad for sustainable growth, new market entry, and business expansion. in5 will continue to play a central role in nurturing tomorrow’s innovators and contribute to the vision of Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’.”
Start-ups under in5’s umbrella have unlocked key business milestones in the past year. Halo AI, which leverages AI to streamline brand-influencer collaborations for the creative sector, secured AED 22 million in investments at the ‘1 Billion Pitches’ competition in January 2025. The investment will propel Halo AI’s accelerated scaling in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and North America.
in5 alumni Derq was also recognised in January 2025 by the US Department of Transportation as the winner of the Intersection Safety Challenge, securing AED 2.7 million for its real-time AI-powered intelligent transportation system solutions. This builds on investments secured in the fourth quarter of 2024 to expand Derq’s foothold in the US, GCC, and beyond.
These success stories build on in5’s legacy of supporting more than 1,000 start-ups, which have attracted more than AED 7.8 billion in funding since its inception in 2013. It includes noteworthy alumni such as Tabby, a buy-now-pay-later platform active in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and Detectiome, a health-tech start-up behind the first multi-cancer detection test tailored for Middle Eastern populations.
in5’s start-up community continues to grow into 2025, with several new joiners leveraging the incubator’s growth roadmap. Framsys Technologies has developed a cloud-based, AI-enabled project management toolchain, while Neurazon Tech provides at-home diagnostic tests for rare and neurodegenerative diseases. Participation at Step Dubai, held on 19-20 February at Dubai Internet City, reflected the incubator’s commitment to spotlighting its expansive start-up ecosystem and facilitating gateways for strategic partnerships and investments.