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Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator (SAIA)

Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator (SAIA)

A scale-up program designed to fast-track advanced tech startups through mentorship, industry access, and investment opportunities at SPark.

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Why Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator (SAIA)?

SAIA connects global tech innovators with industry, research, and investment to help them scale. Our platform bridges the gap between research, technology, and commercial success — all within the dynamic ecosystem of SPark.

  • Invested by ecosystem partners in SPark $100m+
  • Accelerated startups 50+

Focus Areas

  • Sustainability & Environmental Technology

    Sustainability Cohort

    • Waste Management

      01

      Waste Collection and Processing

      02

      Circular Economy Solutions

      03

      Data Analytics and Al

      04

      Waste-to-Energy

      05

      Waste Reduction and Education.

    • Precision Agriculture

      01

      Irrigation and Automation

      02

      Sensors and Data Platforms

      03

      Biotechnology and Crop Optimization

      04

      Al and Predictive Analytics

      05

      Blockchain and Traceability

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  • Healthcare

    Healthcare Cohort

    • Healthcare Technology

      01

      Medical Devices & Wearables

      02

      Wearable Technology Companies

      03

      Healthcare IT and Software Companies

      04

      Remote Patient Monitoring Providers

      05

      Biotechnology Companies

      06

      Regulatory and Compliance Consultancies

      07

      Contract Manufacturers

    • Hospital Automation

      01

      Diagnostic Devices

      02

      Therapeutic Devices

      03

      Personal Health Wearables

      04

      Medical VR and AR

      05

      Telehealth and Remote Monitoring

      06

      Hospital Management Software

      07

      Medical Robotics

      08

      Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

      09

      Hospital Connectivity and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

    • Insure Tech

      01

      Digital Health Insurance Platforms

      02

      Wearable-based Insurance Models

      03

      Al-powered Risk Assessment and Underwriting

      04

      Telehealth Integration and Claims Management

      05

      Blockchain-based Healthcare Data Security

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Cohort Timeline

Sustainability
Healthcare
Register Interest +
  • 01
    Application and Recruitment

    International and regional startup call and scouting in the entrepreneur ecosystem.

  • 02
    Selection Interviews

    Selection of the participating startups for the Acceleration Program

  • 03
    Finalists Announcement

    Announcement of the finalist selected to go through the Acceleration Program.

  • 04
    Acceleration

    2-weeks acceleration program on SRTIP Campus

  • 05
    Demo & Investor Day

    Startups pitch presentations to investors and results of the Program.

  • 01
    Application and Recruitment

    International and regional startup call and scouting in the entrepreneur ecosystem.

  • 02
    Selection Interviews

    Selection of the participating startups for the Acceleration Program

  • 03
    Finalists Announcement

    Announcement of the finalist selected to go through the Acceleration Program.

  • 04
    Acceleration

    2-weeks acceleration program on SRTIP Campus

  • 05
    Demo & Investor Day

    Startups pitch presentations to investors and results of the Program.

What SAIA Offers

Scale-up acceleration for growth-stage tech ventures

  • 01

    Free access to the accelerator programme

  • 02

    Up to 10 startups selected per cohort

  • 03

    Discounted coworking and office space at SPark

  • 04

    Direct connections to potential clients + marketing visibility

  • 05

    Demo day and public launch opportunity

  • 06

    Access to local networking and innovation events

  • 07

    Advisory and mentorship from 200+ industry partners

  • 08

    Access to the region’s largest additive manufacturing & rapid prototyping hub

  • 09

    One-on-one matchmaking with corporates and government

  • 10

    Academic collaboration with top regional universities

  • 11

    Introductions to Business Angel networks

Get Notified +

FAQ

  • 01

    How many companies are selected for each SAIA cohort?

    + -

    We shortlist around 25–30 applicants for virtual interviews and ultimately accept up to 10 growth-stage scale-ups per cohort. Limiting the cohort size lets us give each company dedicated mentors, 1-on-1 matchmaking sessions, and tailored pilot opportunities inside SRTI Park.

  • 02

    Which sectors qualify for the accelerator?

    + -

    SAIA targets technology-driven companies in six high-impact domains:
    Waste Management & Circularity (collection, recycling, waste-to-energy)
    Precision Agriculture (IoT irrigation, ag-biotech, AI analytics)
    Healthcare Technology (digital health, med-devices, biotech)
    Hospital Automation (AI diagnostics, robotics, IoMT)
    InsurTech (digital health-insurance, AI underwriting, blockchain security)
    Smart Materials & Advanced Manufacturing supporting the above verticals.

  • 03

    What practical training and resources are provided during the two-week on-campus program?

    + -

    Finalists work from SRTI Park’s prototyping labs and co-working hub, receiving:
    • Intensive workshops on market entry, compliance, and fundraising
    • Technical sessions in additive manufacturing, IoT, and data analytics
    • Daily office-hours with 200+ ecosystem mentors, corporate partners, and VCs
    • Piloting support to validate solutions with regional industry players.

Last Editions

2022
/
2023
  • +1625

    Startups from 45 different countries applied

  • 49

    Countries

  • 35

    Startups invited to the Selection Days

  • 6

    Focus Areas

  • 7

    Finalist Startups

  • +4200

    Startups from 79 different countries applied

  • 75

    Countries

  • 35

    Startups invited to the Selection Days

  • 6

    Focus Areas

  • 10

    Finalist Startups

Solumar, a female-led startup, stands out as the winning team in the 4th Edition SAIA Accelerator program.

Recognized for developing cost-efficient technologies to combat emissions and air pollutants, Solumar exemplifies the program’s commitment to environmental sustainability. The recent feature on CNN International further highlights the innovative technologies that have earned Solumar this prestigious recognition.

Our mission is to continuously support UAE to quickly and cost efficiently become the first MENA nation to reach its Net-Zero objectives. Thanks to our successful participation in Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator, we are one step closer to achieving this mission.

Rennie PopchevaCEO – Solumar.

Stay Informed +

At SAIA We Put Our Startups' Interests First!

Imed Allal meets Khalid Alhosni during SAIA 2023 networking

CEO Ahmed Almehairbi presents Sukoon’s smart-farming solution

Daniele Cesano and Filipe Nazario share additive-manufacturing demos

Khalid Alhosni advises startups on data-driven growth.

SAIA cohort showcases prototypes to industry visitors.

SRTIP CEO Hussain Al Mahmoudi welcomes the 2023 cohort.

Sponsors

Mentor Partners

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