DIFC Innovation Hub and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) have announced significant progress in the Geospatial Accelerator, the first programme under the Space for Earth Labs platform, with ten international scale-ups now selected.
The platform was established with Relm Insurance to connect space and Earth Observation (EO) technologies with artificial intelligence, commercial expertise and industry demand. Based at the DIFC Innovation Hub, it supports the National Space Strategy 2030 and offers a single point of entry for companies applying space-derived data to commercial and public-sector challenges.
Launched at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, the programme drew 73 applications from 24 countries. Of these, 63 were assessed as valid and 45 progressed to interview. The selected firms are AtlasAI, FlyPix AI, Geospatial Insight, GHGSat, Latitudo40, Little Place Labs, SatSure, SparkGeo, Stellaria and V-Nova.
They will be matched with three UAE public sector bodies, FADA (part of EDGE Group), the Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure’s National Maritime Centre and the Dubai Civil Defence General Command, along with private firms Buro Happold and Liva Insurance. Together they will develop proof-of-concept pilots across maritime and infrastructure, insurance and risk, the built environment, public safety and geospatial intelligence.
The initiative arrives as EO contributes an estimated US$440 billion to global GDP, while the AI-in-geospatial market is forecast to grow 19.5 percent annually through 2028.
Mohammad Alblooshi, CEO of the DIFC Innovation Hub, said the programme shows how Dubai can turn frontier technology into economic opportunity. Saeed AlMansoori, Director of the Remote Sensing Department at MBRSC, said it creates a direct pathway from EO data to actionable insights. Joseph Ziolkowski, CEO and Founder of Relm Insurance, said insurance can help build trust as these technologies move into deployment.
The scale-ups will present their solutions at the Dubai AI Festival in October 2026, before investors, enterprises and government agencies. The programme also advances the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
