Most UAE Angel Investors Prioritise Home Markets - Survey

More than half (55 percent) of local angel investors are prioritising the UAE over other global markets according to the latest research from StartAD, the Abu Dhabi-based global accelerator anchored at NYU Abu Dhabi and powered by Tamkeen.

The findings reveal the importance of the UAE for angel investors globally and demonstrates the attractiveness of the region for startups.

For investors, FinTech startups were their most significant priority, receiving 29 percent of investments, the report said.

However, it added that artificial intelligence is continuing to emerge in the UAE as a key source of interest for startup investors, with 18 percent of investors watching its development, signifying the future emergence of entrepreneurism in the UAE centered on machine learning.

The research profiled the typical angel investor in the UAE, whose average age is 42, which demonstrates that the UAE has a significantly younger angel investment circle compared to other nations, such as the US (58), the UK (57), and France (60+).

StartAD is an Abu Dhabi-based global accelerator steering seed-stage technology startups to launch, develop, and scale their ventures.

The accelerator equips startups to pilot solutions with industry leaders, while enabling corporates to innovate with startups disrupting their core businesses.