42 Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital’s innovative and disruptive coding academy, concluded its inaugural Techpreneur Summit, bringing together learners, partners, and industry stakeholders to advance entrepreneurship, foster cross-sector innovation, and empower emerging talent to develop technology-driven solutions with meaningful societal impact.
Aligned with Abu Dhabi’s vision to nurture a dynamic innovation ecosystem, the Summit created a platform for learners to engage with investors, industry leaders, and entrepreneurship enablers, while showcasing early-stage ventures designed to address real challenges across healthcare, education, sustainability, digital services, and the wider community.
The event also featured HACK4IMPACT, the social-impact hackathon organised in partnership with Athar+, Abu Dhabi’s purpose-driven hub for accelerating social innovation. Held under the spirit of the UAE’s Year of Community, the hackathon mobilised talent to build actionable digital solutions and strengthened pathways for participants to move from concept to validated prototypes.
Dr Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Acting CEO of 42 Abu Dhabi, said: “Entrepreneurship has become an essential extension of the learning journey at 42 Abu Dhabi. By combining peer-to-peer education with entrepreneurial exposure, we enable learners to transform practical skills into real ventures that address national priorities. The Techpreneur Summit provides an environment where ideas are challenged, supported, and strengthened by the wider ecosystem.”
10 learner-led start-ups were showcased through dedicated innovation pods, highlighting the academy’s growing pipeline of tech-enabled ventures. Rather than focusing on the technology alone, the showcase emphasised the real-world impact of each solution, from improving patient flow in hospitals, to supporting SMEs with AI-driven productivity, advancing marine conservation, transforming peer learning, and simplifying access to information in public spaces.
Collectively, the projects demonstrated how 42 Abu Dhabi learners are addressing challenges across vital sectors, including healthcare triage, SME competitiveness, sustainability and environmental protection, education, cybersecurity compliance, and visitor experience enhancement.
In addition to the innovation showcases, the Summit featured three signing ceremonies with key partners, including the Abu Dhabi School of Management (ADSM), Khalifa Innovation Centre (KIC), and Infinia, reinforcing 42 Abu Dhabi’s commitment to expanding collaborative pathways for talent development, research exchange, and entrepreneurial growth.
Participants also benefitted from one-to-one consultation booths hosted by the Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, AB Consultancy, Visionaries, and Infinia, offering tailored insights on business development, funding readiness, market positioning, and venture acceleration.
The Summit forms part of 42 Abu Dhabi’s broader mission to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among learners and equip them to contribute to the UAE’s knowledge-based, innovation-led economy. Through strategic collaborations, technical coaching, and opportunities to build ventures that address real-world problems, the academy continues to nurture a new generation of techpreneurs ready to drive the future of innovation in the UAE.
