Expand North Star, the world’s largest event for startups and investors, will mark its 10th edition from 12 – 15 October 2025 at Dubai Harbour. Organised by Dubai World Trade Centre and hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the event celebrates a decade of advancing Dubai’s position as a global capital of the digital economy and a leading destination for innovators, investors, and pioneering tech enterprises, in line with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33).
A Global Platform
This year’s edition of Expand North Star marks the culmination of a remarkable journey since the event’s launch in 2016. What began as a local initiative has achieved continuous growth to evolve into a leading international platform. The number of countries represented by exhibiting companies and participating investors rose from 39 in 2016 to over 100 in the 2024 edition, underlining the event’s status as a hub for global innovation.
In line with Expand North Star’s growing role as a gateway to promising investment opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors worldwide, the number of participating digital startups increased from 350 in 2016 to 1,800 in the 2024 edition, representing growth of 414%. Similarly, the number of investors rose from 150 to 1,200 during the same period, marking a 700% increase.
Reflecting the expanding scale of its activities, the number of speakers participating in the event surged from 25 in 2016 to 650 in last year’s edition.
A Pivotal Role
Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, stated:
“Since its inception in 2016, Expand North Star has played a pivotal role in supporting Dubai’s vision of becoming a global centre for innovation and entrepreneurship in advanced technologies. Over the last years, this event has transformed into a strategic platform that empowers entrepreneurs and investors from around the world to explore growth opportunities in Dubai and contributes to shaping the global digital economy.”
Al Gergawi added: “Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy is committed to building on the success of Expand North Star as it enters its tenth edition. We remain focused on continuing to attract the global tech community and showcasing Dubai’s competitive advantages as a leading destination for digital companies, as well as an ideal platform for connecting innovators, founders, startups, and global investors.”
Unlocking Investment Opportunities
Expand North Star plays a key role in shaping the future of investment and entrepreneurship across the digital industries. With startups operating in every area of technology alongside venture capitalists and fund managers seeking high-potential opportunities, the event serves as a platform for showcasing ideas and early-stage ventures and securing the funding required for success, from launch through to initial funding rounds.
Expand North Star also creates an opportunity to discover Dubai’s unique value proposition as a global hub for digital transformation. Participants gain in-depth exposure to the emirate’s supportive ecosystem, advanced infrastructure, and forward-thinking policies, which position Dubai as an ideal environment to launch, scale, and invest in digital ventures.
The event offers a rare chance to hear first-hand from the founders of companies that have grown from startups to become billion-dollar enterprises. Learning from these stories and experiences provides aspiring entrepreneurs with valuable insights to develop their own innovative businesses and elevate them to unicorn status (startups with valuations of over US$ 1 billion).
Specialised Knowledge and Support
For innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs, Expand North Star provides access to the tools, guidance, and networks needed to transform ideas into successful digital ventures. It also offers a clear roadmap to help turn ambition into reality. During the event, entrepreneurs can connect with a wide range of accelerators and strategic partners ready to provide advice, resources, and mentorship to support their journey towards growth and success.
The event equips entrepreneurs with specialised knowledge to scale their businesses internationally and unlock rapid expansion. It also offers insights into the strategies behind some of the world’s most successful digital ventures, while providing an exceptional opportunity to network with top global minds in technology and innovation, as well as build connections with industry giants, trailblazing founders, and visionary leaders shaping the digital future.
A Magnet for Global Talent
The importance of Expand North Star is highlighted by the participation of 65 unicorn companies in last year’s edition, with a combined market value exceeding US$ 400 billion. The event also hosted the ‘YouthX Unipreneur’ programme, the UAE’s largest youth-focused initiative in the startup and innovation space.
Several countries participated in the event for the first time in 2024, further reinforcing Dubai’s position as a supportive hub for talent and a magnet for startups. These included Austria, Australia, Canada, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Malaysia, and Singapore. New investor participation also came from countries such as Azerbaijan, Mauritius, Denmark, Peru, Malta, and Cyprus.
In addition, the 2024 edition recorded the highest-ever level of participation from European startups, with more than 350 early-stage companies representing a diverse range of sectors. Brazil also featured prominently, with 50 Brazilian digital startups showcased in a dedicated pavilion, many of which have chosen Dubai as their base for global expansion.
Driving Innovation
Expand North Star’s continued appeal is driven by the quality of its activations, which enrich the agenda year after year and offer participants insights into the technologies shaping tomorrow. Last year’s edition featured several standout platforms, including the Corporate Arena, Technology Transfer 3.0, The Future of Media and Creativity, NS Scaleups: 2024 Cohort, Sonar+D, and the Startup Genome Ecosystem Leadership Forum. These new features provided invaluable insights into future tech trends, stimulating innovation and startup growth.
The exhibition program also featured pioneering experiences across various tech sectors, enriching visitors’ knowledge in areas such as blockchain, fintech, marketing, deep tech, climate tech, artificial intelligence, and Web 3 technologies.
This year, entrepreneurs will once again have the opportunity to compete for funding of up to US$ 200,000 by participating in the Supernova Challenge, which provides the tools, guidance, and networks needed to transform innovative business ideas into thriving digital ventures.
