Mastercard Lighthouse UAE Selects First Six AI Startups
Mastercard Lighthouse UAE has selected its inaugural cohort of six artificial intelligence startups. The four-month mentorship programme, run from the Mastercard Center for Advanced AI and Cyber Technology in Dubai with the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence Office, concluded its selection process on August 30.
The six chosen from 14 finalists are Loyyal, NewForm Technologies, NodeShift, Polynome, Valura.Ai and zypl.ai. Financial terms of the accelerator participation were not disclosed.
The programme focuses on Agentic AI, fintech, smart commerce and risk management. Participants receive mentorship from Mastercard’s global experts, access to financial institutions and investors, and pilot collaboration opportunities. A Demo Day will mark the end of the four-month engagement.
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What the startups do
Loyyal is an AI and blockchain-powered investment platform covering the full lifecycle from onboarding to portfolio rebalancing. It is licensed in both the UAE and India. Additional details on the specific focus areas of NewForm Technologies, NodeShift, Polynome, Valura.Ai and zypl.ai were not provided in the announcement.
Why it matters
For international investors and partners, the cohort offers an early look at the AI ventures Dubai’s state-backed ecosystem is betting on. Two of the six are already licensed in both India and the Gulf corridor, signalling a built-in cross-border growth path a practical differentiator for firms looking at scale across the India–Gulf axis.
The accelerator is part of a wider UAE push to host and scale AI startups. Globally, Mastercard Lighthouse has run since 2018 and claims over 300 collaborations, more than $1.3 billion in investments, and 228 alumni, several of them unicorns.
“Investing in AI startups is a direct investment in the future economy. Initiatives such as the Mastercard Lighthouse UAE program provide an integrated ecosystem that enables high-potential companies to refine their solutions, accelerate growth, and scale internationally,” said Dr. Abdelrahman Al Mahmoud, Director at the Artificial Intelligence Office.
“Mastercard Lighthouse UAE is proud to welcome its first cohort of founders. Delivered under our Center for Advanced AI and Cyber Technology, the selected startups bring together different strengths, diverse perspectives and a shared ambition to build bold solutions that can shape the future of financial services and AI in the UAE,” a Mastercard statement noted.
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