Social impact entrepreneurship, sustainable AI infrastructure, and multi-million dollar investment agreements dominated the third day of Expand North Star, the world’s largest startup and investor event, held at Dubai Harbour.
The tenth edition of the event, which runs until 15 October as part of GITEX GLOBAL 2025, has attracted 2,000 exhibiting startups and over 1,200 investors managing more than US$1.1 trillion in assets.
Social impact initiatives took center stage, with His Excellency Salem Ali Al Shami, Executive Director of Social Incubation & Contracting at Ma’an, in attendance. He presented awards to two winners of a joint competition between Ma’an and Expand North Star that challenged young entrepreneurs to develop solutions for pressing social challenges.
In the AI sustainability sector, Taavi Madiberk, CEO of Skeleton Technologies, presented a graphene-based battery solution designed to reduce energy waste in AI data centers. The company’s ultracapacitors, which contain no lithium, cobalt, or manganese, help smooth power demand peaks that account for approximately 40% of energy waste in AI infrastructure.
The discussion around AI’s future evolution featured Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, who highlighted large quantitative models (LQMs) as the next frontier beyond large-language models. The US$5.7 billion company is exploring how LQMs could transform sectors such as energy, biopharma, and space.
Global AI governance and inclusion emerged as key themes during a session with Under-Secretary-General Amandeep Singh Gill, who emphasized the need for greater representation of Global South perspectives in AI development. He urged founders to address complex societal challenges rather than pursue low-hanging fruit.
Day three also featured significant investment announcements, including a US$2 million investment by AHOY Technology into Mobility Fintech Group (MFG). Additional partnerships were forged with Mawarid Finance for Sharia-compliant automotive financing and with Mazeed to provide AI accounting solutions for SMEs in the mobility sector.
Expand North Star 2025 continues through Wednesday at Dubai Harbour, maintaining its position as the world’s premier startup and investor connector event.
