Majid Al-Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, announced the winners of the second edition of its Launchpad Accelerator Program in collaboration with AstroLabs, DIFC Launchpad and Microsoft. Supporting the UAE’s vision to become the most entrepreneurial nation by 2031, Majid Al-Futtaim welcomed seven startups to its ecosystem from the climate tech, homegrown brands, and retail tech sectors.

At a dynamic and competitive three-day pitch event hosted at Majid Al-Futtaim’s corporate headquarters, budding entrepreneurs were invited to pitch their business plans to senior leadership and subject matter experts from around the business. The judging panel then deliberated collectively to select winners across the three categories.

New for the 2023 program was the introduction of a climate tech category, identified as a focus area for Majid Al-Futtaim as part of the company’s long-term ESG strategy. Two winners, SeaB Energy and Partanna, were selected in this category. The winning businesses address sustainability challenges including food waste management and decarbonization. Majid Al-Futtaim will help UK-based SeaB Energy establish a presence in the region by piloting its waste-to-energy technology across the company’s portfolio of shopping malls. Similarly, Partanna, who has pioneered the world’s first zero-emission material, which naturally removes carbon from the atmosphere, will work with program partners to build a sustainable business.

In the homegrown brands category, four winners including Co-Chocolat, Majama, Saanté and SALAD (a spin-off brand from FabricAID) were selected. Chosen for their inspiring brand stories and the innovative proposition they will bring to Majid Al-Futtaim customers, the brands will be offered access to prime retail space within Majid Al-Futtaim’s malls, including THAT Concept store in Mall of the Emirates and the company’s newly launched concept store, Launchpad X, located at City Centre Mirdif.

The Floorr, an outfit recommendation platform that connects clients with fashion stylists, was also announced as a winner in the retail tech category.

The winning startups will receive access to mentorship and business growth incentives from Majid Al-Futtaim and program partners to help strengthen their commercial viability across the region.