Sheraa highlights Sharjah's purpose-driven innovation at VivaTech 2025
With a data-backed showcase of high-performing startups, the emirate demonstrated its blueprint for sustainable entrepreneurship.
UAE delegation to VivaTech 2025 led by H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy.
Startup Genome's Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025 reaffirmed Sharjah's position as a resilient and globally competitive startup ecosystem.
Sheraa presented its impactful startups driving sustainable innovation and founder empowerment at VivaTech.
Najla Al Midfa: Sharjah's strength lies in its unwavering, collaborative approach to building an ecosystem that empowers founders and fuels lasting impact.
Sara Al Nuaimi: We've built a resilient, connected ecosystem rooted in a deep understanding of market shifts and the real needs of founders.
Paris, Highlighting Sharjah's emergence as a global entrepreneurship hub, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) brings a curated selection of startups to VivaTech 2025 in Paris, held from 11–14 June, as part of the UAE's official delegation led by H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy. Spanning sustainability, manufacturing, EdTech, and the creative economy, these ventures exemplify Sheraa's founder-centre model and its mission to cultivate a resilient, globally connected ecosystem anchored in Sharjah.
The event brings together 165,000 attendees, including 13,500 startups, 3,500 exhibitors and 3,200 investors. VivaTech 2025 stands as the largest startup and technology event in Europe.
Sharjah's Resilience
The Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2025, a comprehensive study of startup ecosystems worldwide published by Startup Genome in collaboration with the Global Entrepreneurship Network, is unveiled at VivaTech. Despite intensifying regional competition and a rapidly evolving landscape, Sharjah retains its #7 ranking in MENA, underscoring the emirate's resilience and strategic clarity. This performance is driven by Sheraa's founder-first approach to venture building, which continues to deliver practical, lasting outcomes and elevate Sharjah's standing on the global innovation map.
H.E. Najla Al Midfa, Vice Chairperson of Sheraa said: 'Maintaining Sharjah's position in the GSER rankings reflects the strength of an ecosystem built on clear vision, strategic alignment, and an unwavering drive to empower founders. At Sheraa, we believe in building an ecosystem where every founder feels supported, not just at the start but throughout their entire journey. By aligning government, academia, the private sector, and capital, we create purposeful pathways that fuel progress. True impact comes from steady, thoughtful investment in people and ideas, and from nurturing a culture where innovation can take root and grow.'
H.E. Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa said: 'Sheraa's participation at VivaTech is a strategic step in connecting Sharjah's entrepreneurial ecosystem with global innovation networks. As one of the world's leading tech events, VivaTech provides a unique platform to spotlight the UAE-based startups we support and open new pathways for cross-border collaboration. We are showcasing a model rooted in market insight, founder needs, and long-term value creation. By focusing on high-impact sectors such as EdTech, sustainability, manufacturing, and creative industries, we continue to drive economic diversification and sustainable development. This participation reflects the UAE's national vision to embed entrepreneurship and innovation into every stage of growth, and at Sheraa, we are proud to contribute by enabling founders to scale purposeful ventures that create real-world impact.'
Centers of Excellence
Sheraa showcases a curated lineup of its high-impact startups aligned with its four strategic Centers of Excellence: Sustainability, EdTech, Manufacturing, and Creative Industries. Highlights include Creams Botanics ' zero-waste skincare using UAE-grown date seed oil; Squirrel Education 's AI-driven platform for financial literacy; Loyyal's blockchain-based enterprise loyalty system; and AR Engineering's immersive mixed-reality tech. Also featured are Eshara, an AI-powered Arabic sign-language platform supporting the hearing-impaired community; Responsive Drip Irrigation's smart irrigation system optimizing water use at the root level; and Esaal Solutions, delivers smart digital receipts, data analytics, and loyalty integration to boost post-purchase engagement and retail performance. Together, these ventures reflect Sheraa's founder-first ethos and global ambition.
These startups are engaging with global investors, partners, and innovators, expanding their reach and contributing to the UAE's global entrepreneurship narrative.
Sustainable Farming Partnership
Responsive Drip Irrigation (RDI), a Sheraa's incubator startup and HYVEGEO, a climate tech startup, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative framework focused on advancing agricultural innovation and sustainability. The partnership aims to develop joint solutions in climate-smart irrigation, field testing, improved water-use efficiency, soil health enhancement, and carbon sequestration, driving forward sustainable farming practices that address pressing environmental challenges.
As part of their agenda at VivaTech 2025, the UAE delegation engages in several enriching activities to foster cross-border collaboration and entrepreneurial growth.
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