Expand North Star 2025 in Dubai has attracted the founders of 40 unicorn companies with a combined valuation of $900bn, underscoring the event’s growing significance among global investors and entrepreneurs.
Organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the event continues to draw high-profile founders seeking to forge strategic partnerships, explore emerging investment trends, and discuss financing opportunities.
Billed as the world’s largest gathering for startups and investors, Expand North Star serves as a central platform connecting venture capitalists and the digital innovation community.
UAE draws global tech leaders to Dubai
Several unicorn founders highlighted the UAE’s business-friendly environment and its growing role as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Andrew Feldman, CEO and Co-Founder of Cerebras Systems, an AI unicorn valued at $8.1bn, said: “We have a big presence here in the United Arab Emirates. We’re already set up here and will be expanding over the next year. This is an extraordinarily exciting place to be doing business.”
Pablo Zamora, Co-Founder of foodtech unicorn NotCo, valued at about $1.7bn, noted the region’s proactive government support.
He said: “You can see clearly the government support for startups to try to do a correct soft landing and giving the public and environmental support to have big business and scale it up correctly.
“As entrepreneurs, of course, we’re looking for investment and partnerships to open this region.”
The event’s international reach is also helping startups break into new markets and build cross-border collaborations.
Tim Shi, Co-Founder of Cresta, a San Francisco-based generative AI company, described the value of expanding into new regions.
He said: “We are based in San Francisco and meet a lot of US companies, but it’s just eye-opening to meet people from this part of the hemisphere.”
Digital economy
As a key initiative of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, Expand North Star plays a central role in advancing Dubai’s goal of becoming a leading global innovation hub.
The platform enables startups and investors to showcase cutting-edge technologies and foster deeper collaboration across the global tech ecosystem.
