United Arab Emirates

24 - 31 January
Abu Dhabi
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Objectives of the Mission 
Understand the UAE’s business culture and commercial environment
Strengthen relationships with industry partners, buyers, and innovation leaders
Explore opportunities across Abu Dhabi’s health, climate, energy, and financial innovation sectors
Shape a clear and credible strategy for UAE market expansion
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Pre-Departure Activity 
1-1 self-scheduled sessions:
15-minute call with either Hannah Mercer or Andrew McGinley (Entrepreneurs in Residence, CodeBase)
The UAE Ecosystem Mentorship Session with Techscaler mentor, either Moe Hanafy or Nadeem Shakoor (UAE-experienced mentor)

Cohort Group Sessions:
7 Jan, 12pm-2pm: Online cohort mixer (online)
14 Jan, 12pm-2pm: Pre-departure workshop (online)

On-Location Agenda
- 26 Jan - Founder-led structure, supplemented with a small number of additional activities:
Cohort welcome workshop
- 26 Jan - Lunch with Mishcon de Reya LLP
- 28 Jan - The Scottish Government Activation day event: Roundtable event with Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and local UAE ecosystem partners at the UAE Ministry of Investment
- 30 Jan - Dubai Investor and Industry Mixer


Invitation, Application and Eligibility Process
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Invitation Process
- Anyone could register their interest for the programmes on the programme’s landing page on the Techscaler website.
If they were a Techscaler member at that time, they were directed to the international programme application. 
If they were not a Techscaler member at that time, they were signposted to the membership application, before being directed to the international programmes application.
- Existing Techscaler members were invited to apply to the programme by email. Invitations were sent to all registered Techscaler members listed on our CRM as a founder (or where this field was empty, in the interest of completeness).
- New Techscaler members in the midst of their onboarding who were likely to be eligible (Early and Growth stage) received updated onboarding communications with a link to the international programmes application form to ensure they didn’t miss the opportunity to apply. 

The workflow also incorporated an opportunity for members to update their information at the point of application, to ensure our CRM held the most up-to-date details possible. 

Eligibility and Criteria
- Techscaler membership
- Being a founder / co-founder
- Availability for pre-departure workshop
- Availability for all trip dates (with a small number of exceptions made on a case by case basis as part of a commitment to accessibility - based on founder feedback)
- is healthtech or energytech or fintech
- Product in market and generative revenue over £1,000 a month 
- Has started engaging with potential customers or partners in the UAE and is able to prove significant traction

Assessment and Review
- Applicants who matched all essential criteria were reviewed by the CodeBase team. They were assessed based on a combination of their application answers and wider information held by Techscaler in their curation/mentorship notes, as well as members highlighted by Entrepreneurs in Residence and Regional Community Managers as particularly suitable.

Attending Businesses
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- Rigrun Ltd
- ScotAI Ltd
- Fennex
- Intelligent Plant Ltd
- Zumo
- Simple Online Healthcare

In numbers:
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- Participants attending: 6
- CodeBase colleagues attending: 2
- NPS +100 - based on all 6  participants completing a survey within 1 week post-trip
- Average costs per flight: £584.52
- Average cost per hotel room per night: £123.81 (incl. Tax and Fees)


Testimonials
"As a female founder, taking part in the Techscaler UAE Market Engagement Mission gave me the confidence to step into a new global region as part of a trusted delegation. Being supported by Techscaler allowed me to learn quickly, build meaningful relationships, and understand how to navigate the UAE market in a culturally respectful and effective way. It’s an opportunity I may not have pursued alone, and the experience has genuinely accelerated both my confidence and our international ambitions. I would absolutely recommend it to other Scotland-based founders looking to scale globally." - Louise Martin, Rigrun

"Techscaler is an opportunity to join with like-minded tech founders, and to meet current and potential clients.  The UAE is a forward looking and dynamic market where they seem to value and encourage tech startups like ours. The networking opportunities provided by Techscaler are excellent.  We have come back with much a better understanding of the market, and with several opportunities any of which which could transform our business.  If you're a Scotland-based tech founder, get involved.  You won't regret it for a second." Moray Melhuish - ScotAi

"I gained deeper understanding of the opportunities for Zumo in the UAE and a clear direction of travel to enable growth in the region. Yes I would recommend." - Nick Jones, Zumo

"Great trip, very organized and structured, would appreciate a follow up if invited." - Nassima Brown, Fennex

"This was an invaluable impeccably organised trip that had a much larger impact than I expected and has lead to connections with the others on the programme to which will likely be connections for life." - Steve Aitken, Intelligent Plant

"The Techscaler UAE Market Engagement Mission accelerated our market understanding in a way that would have taken months to achieve independently. The combination of structured access, manufacturer conversations and genuine in market exposure gave us clarity on licensing, commercial partnerships and real world competitive dynamics. The on the ground support was excellent and the programme was professionally delivered throughout. I would absolutely recommend it to other Scotland based founders who are serious about exploring the region in a structured and credible way." - Scott Lawrie, Simple Online Healthcare

Lessons Learned‍

As a pilot programme mobilised quickly in close proximity to the festive break, this feedback is in line with what we would expect to receive.

‍Going forward, we will aim to:
- Provide earlier confirmation and clearer pre-departure information where possible.
- Coordinate more closely with parallel missions and partners to maximise networking and commercial opportunities.
- Build structured follow-up pathways with key organisations and decision-makers.
- Increase links to local ecosystem events and targeted introductions to relevant stakeholders.