Abu Dhabi is accelerating its goal of becoming a global deep tech hub. at the center of these efforts is VentureOnea government-backed venture capital firm that turns cutting-edge research into market-ready startups.
Four deep technology companies have been created in just 18 months, a pace that underscores how the UAE's coordinated approach to innovation is moving the needle from laboratory breakthroughs to commercial success.
This pace is not accidental. VentureOne is part of the Advanced Technologies Research Council (ATRC), along with Aspire, which identifies real-world problems, and the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), which develops technologies to solve them. VentureOne then takes these achievements and turns them into commercial ventures.
“Our momentum is driven by a fully integrated innovation ecosystem led by ATRC,” says Reda Nidaku, CEO of VentureOne.
“This pipeline minimizes fragmentation and speeds the journey from lab to market. Early internal funding gives each startup the opportunity to validate its technology and hire as needed, ensuring both speed and quality.”
This approach reflects the broader national goal of making The UAE is not only a consumer of global technologies, but also their creator. By bringing research, innovation and commercialization under one roof, Abu Dhabi has created a model designed to create homegrown, high-impact startups at scale.
Unlike traditional incubators, VentureOne does not chase trends, but rather focuses on solving critical problems. “We don’t choose industries, we choose problems,” says Nidaku. This has led to projects in artificial intelligence, autonomous robotics, post-quantum cybersecurity, and climate technology—areas that often require significant R&D and long-term vision, but deliver transformational value once commercialized.
The process begins with Aspire, which partners with government agencies, industry leaders and end users to select problems worth solving. TII researchers then develop prototypes or proofs of concept, and VentureOne intervenes to evaluate scalability, pilot with customers, and develop viable business models.
“This demand- and data-driven model replaces speculation with verification,” says Nidaku. “This greatly increases our chances of achieving measurable, real-world impact.”
The main difference between the Abu Dhabi model is talent. VentureOne is successful attracted researchers and engineers from global technology giants such as Google, DeepMind, Meta and Microsoft. It's not just about competitive salaries or quality of life, Nidaku says: “At ATRC, people can create something of value from start to finish. They work on high-impact problems and see their innovations implemented. That sense of purpose is deeply motivating.”
This ecosystem is supported by the UAE's flexible regulatory framework and unified innovation program. Government-backed funding reduces early-stage risk, and clear paths to licensing and market entry make it easier for startups to grow.
“The government wants to export deep technology,” says Nidaku. “They create an environment where technologies can be quickly developed, validated and scaled.”
Of course, turning research into viable products is not without its challenges. The hardest part, Nidaku admits, is crossing the “last mile” between technical readiness and market entry. Many prototypes fail because they are not designed to integrate or meet requirements. VentureOne solves this problem by bringing engineering and consulting teams together with clients to co-develop scalable, go-to-market solutions.
The results are already visible. Four startups have been launched in different sectors, each solving real-world problems through cutting-edge technology and strategic market validation, with plans to follow suit next year.
“We’ve seen a lot of success locally and internationally,” says Nidaku. “VentureOne is helping to position the UAE as a global hub for bold, high-impact deep technology businesses. Our goal now is to maintain momentum and build a strong ecosystem of successful homegrown companies.”
