Europe and UK Lead Record Participation
Expand North Star—the world’s largest start-up event—returns from October 13-16, 2024, to the iconic Dubai Harbour. The 9th edition will be the biggest yet with over 2,000 start-ups joining, including over 400 from Europe and the United Kingdom. Hosted by Dubai Chambers and organised by Dubai World Trade Centre, Expand North Star is a critical part of GITEX GLOBAL—the world’s largest tech event.
PC: Edge Middle East
Diverse Exhibitions and European Leadership
The event will have start-ups working on sectors such as Agritech, Artificial Intelligence, Climate Tech, Fintech, Health Tech, Hr Tech, and Mobility. Germany will be leading the new country pavilions in Europe that will make their debut with 40 start-ups. Other strong representations would be Ireland, Poland, Latvia, Austria, and Portugal.
Some of the participants returning with promising start-ups include the United Kingdom, which will return with 50 start-ups—double the number it brought in 2023. Other returning nations include France, Italy, and Turkey, all swelling the list in a clear indication of rising interest in this landmark event.
UK Start-Up Ecosystem and Global Expansion
The UK itself has emerged as the world’s third most valuable start-up ecosystem and will, therefore, be a significant participant at Expand North Star. The boom in the UK’s start-up scene, featuring over $1.1 trillion in market value with in excess of 150 unicorns, sets the tone. Omar Hassan, Managing Director of the Global Growth Hub in the UK, said he is excited to participate in the event, pointing to the opportunity for UK tech companies looking to set up shop in the UAE and other regions.
Investors and Unicorns Set Their Sights on Dubai for Expansion
The conference will continue bringing top investors and VCs. In 2024, funds for European start-ups rose, with Q2 growth at 31%, totaling nearly $16 billion. At the Expand North Star, investors will be part of more than 1,200 global investors and VCs at 30%. Among them will be prominent names like SpeedInvest, H Tree Capital, and Startup Wise Guys, just to mention a few, participating in exclusive meetings and panel discussions, not without the Supernova Challenge holding—the pitch competition with a cash prize of $200,000.
Unicorn Giants and Groundbreaking Innovations
Expand with over 65 global unicorns, growth opportunities at GITEX, including Volocopter from Germany to this August launch, later this year, of the first scalable urban air mobility business in the world. Giant unicorns from the likes of BitPanda from Austria and Climeworks from Switzerland, heralded for their game-changing technological innovation and sustainability, have been confirmed to shape the conference agenda, alongside an array of other unicorn names and equally bold brands.
Conclusion: GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star—Tech Takeover
Expand North Star is part of GITEX GLOBAL. Back for its 44th edition, it will be held this year from the 14th to the 18th of October 2024 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Together the events will attract a combined total of 6,700 companies representing more than 180 countries, further cementing Dubai’s standing as a global tech hub.
