News
Hub71’s Startup Ecosystem Now Boasts Over 200 Members
Companies from 6 individual countries have been welcomed by the Abu Dhabi-based tech ecosystem in the latest round of admissions.
Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem that assists creators in tech businesses, has grown its ranks to over 200 members. After a 60% increase in applications, an additional 20 firms were chosen to join the community, helping more startups than ever to maximize opportunities for funding and other business development in the UAE’s capital.
Entrepreneurs joining Hub71 gain access to huge networking potential within the ecosystem, which has now grown into a sizable community of tech entrepreneurs and attracted the attention of leading investors, as well as corporate, governmental, and academic partners.
Startups from six different nations have been welcomed to Hub71 in this latest round of admissions, and another 11 companies have relocated to Abu Dhabi after joining the growing community. The UAE is enjoying something of a tech renaissance of late, as it draws more and more top-flight companies from around the globe.
Also Read: How To Find The Best Remote Work Opportunities In The Middle East
“This success is a testament that Abu Dhabi is becoming a destination for high-quality startups that showcase great potential and impact,” says Badr Al-Olama, acting CEO of Hub71.
Among the companies chosen to join Hub71 is 44.01, an unusually-named business that aims to reduce carbon emissions by converting CO2 into rock. Adding to the community’s green credentials is Finland’s iFarm, which develops agricultural tech solutions to support automated vertical farming, highlighting the importance of cleantech and agribusiness development in the Hub71 portfolio.
News
LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
Also Read: Logitech’s New Folding Mouse Is Designed For Work On The Go
“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
