In conjunction with GITEX Global, Expand North Star, the world’s largest startup event, returns to Dubai Harbour from October 13 to 16, 2024, featuring over 2,000 startups. This year’s event will witness the largest European participation in its history, with more than 400 startups from Europe and the UK joining the four-day event.
Expand North Star is part of GITEX Global, one of the world’s biggest tech events, hosted by the Dubai World Trade Centre in collaboration with the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. Startups will showcase cutting-edge tech solutions across various sectors, including agritech, artificial intelligence, climate tech, fintech, health tech, creative economy, and software as a service (SaaS). Germany will participate for the first time with a national pavilion featuring 40 startups, alongside other nations such as Ireland, Poland, Latvia, Austria, and Portugal.
Returning participants include the United Kingdom, which has doubled its presence from 2023, featuring 50 startups. France, Italy, and Turkey are also key participants. According to Omar Hassan, General Manager of the Global Growth Hub in the UK, the UK delegation includes some of the fastest-growing tech companies in fields like fintech and artificial intelligence.
The UK is one of the world’s largest startup ecosystems, with a market value exceeding $1.1 trillion. According to the global data firm Dealroom, the UK boasts over 150 unicorn companies and approximately 25,000 funded startups, many of which are in the process of global expansion.
Events like Expand North Star facilitate regional growth for these companies, offering opportunities for collaboration and market exploration, particularly in the UAE, Asia, and Africa. According to Crunchbase, European startups secured $16 billion in funding during the second quarter of 2024, a 31% quarterly increase, surpassing Asian startup funding for the first time.
The event will host over 1,200 investors and venture capital firms from around the world, including SpeedInvest, one of the largest early-stage venture capital funds in Europe. Additionally, prominent investment firms such as H Tree Capital, Startup Wise Guys, and Prediction Capital will participate, alongside accelerators and investors engaged in exclusive programs and discussion panels.
Besides the presence of notable investors, attendees will be connected to over 65 global unicorn companies, including Germany’s Volocopter, aiming to launch the world’s first sustainable urban air mobility company. Other major participants include Austria’s BitPanda and Switzerland’s Climeworks, the latter working on carbon removal in partnership with Microsoft.
Expand North Star will take place as part of GITEX Global, which returns for its 44th edition from October 14 to 18, 2024, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
