Hub71 and New Jersey Forge First US Tie-up for Startups

Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global technology ecosystem, has inked its first partnership in the US with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, opening pathways for startups to scale across continents. The memorandum of understanding was signed at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum in New York, signalling the start of reciprocal support between the two innovation hubs.

The agreement enables joint programming, market visits and curated introductions to investors, corporates, and regulators, helping founders gain soft-landing support in both regions. Startups from either side will be able to leverage access to new markets, capital sources and ecosystem expertise. The deal places emphasis on high-impact sectors such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, fintech and healthtech.

Hub71 says the partnership strengthens its cross-border expansion strategy, complementing existing alliances in Asia and Europe. In its statement, it noted that technology “transcends borders” and that innovation ecosystems must proactively forge ties to support global founders.

NJEDA will collaborate by promoting Hub71’s programmes to US startups, helping them access Abu Dhabi’s investment and regulatory frameworks. The authority also plans to deploy its own capabilities—such as supply of incentives, regulatory facilitation and local infrastructure—to assist incoming ventures. Under the MoU, NJEDA and Hub71 will jointly support eligible firms on setup, regulatory engagement and capital access.

The move follows Governor Phil Murphy’s economic mission to the UAE earlier this year, during which he visited Hub71’s headquarters at Abu Dhabi Global Market — part of a broader push to expand New Jersey’s international innovation reach. Governed under Murphy’s administration, New Jersey has been cultivating foreign partnerships to diversify its economy.

Hub71, launched in 2019, operates under the UAE’s Ghadan 21 accelerator and is supported by Mubadala. It has onboarded over 290 startups in its programmes, collectively raising more than US$2.4 billion in funding, numbers that underscore its rising influence in global innovation. One of its recent cohorts comprised three AI startups founded by Indian entrepreneurs, benefiting from a USD 222.7 million support fund.

Some industry observers view this agreement as part of a trend in which tech ecosystems across the Gulf and US deepen ties. Analysts note that besides capital flows, such pacts allow knowledge transfer, regulatory learning, and talent mobility between mature and nascent markets. In particular, US interest in the Gulf region’s sovereign capital and policy backing acts as an incentive for cross-border ecosystem building.

Challenges remain. Differences in regulatory regimes, cultural norms, and risk appetites may slow some startup transitions. Questions of how intellectual property, data protection and taxation will be handled in cross-jurisdictional operations continue to stir debate. Yet both parties appear committed to ironing out those complexities through the mechanisms outlined in the MoU.