Three university-born startups from Switzerland, the United States, and Egypt are moving into pilot deployment and commercial expansion in the UAE under the Dubai Future Solutions: Prototypes for Humanity initiative, one of the world's largest university innovation programmes.
Organised annually in Dubai under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the programme is a partnership between the Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai International Financial Centre, Art Dubai, and the Hussain Sajwani DAMAC Foundation. It selects 100 startups from thousands of global university submissions each year.
The three ventures now operating in the UAE are Oxara, P-Vita, and Virufy, each tackling distinct global challenges through advanced science.
Oxara, founded in Switzerland, converts mineral and construction waste into low-carbon building materials and is scaling commercially following a successful pilot with a leading Dubai concrete manufacturer. P-Vita, from Egypt's Zewail City of Science and Technology, uses biotechnology and AI to produce natural fertilisers addressing global supply chain shortfalls, with UAE crop trials launching this month across operations that already support over 4,800 smallholder farmers. Virufy, a US-based venture, is running a clinical study with Dubai Health to develop a smartphone app that screens for respiratory diseases through cough sound analysis, with nearly 200 patients enrolled so far.
Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, said the initiative creates a clear pathway from laboratory research to real-world deployment, with Dubai's ecosystem of government, industry, and capital enabling rapid scaling.
Looking ahead, the programme is in advanced discussions with new ventures from Harvard University, Imperial College London, Duke University, and Petronas Technology University, with activity expected to begin in the second half of 2026.
Applications for the November summit in Dubai are now open to graduates, students, and researchers across all disciplines.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
