Abu dhabi: Emirati startup founders showcased AI-powered and advanced technology solutions during Hub71's Impact 2026 event at Manarat Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi, underscoring the role of the emirate's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in accelerating business growth and supporting regional and global expansion.
According to Emirates News Agency, the founders said Abu Dhabi's startup support programmes, led by Hub71 and Hub71+ Digital Assets, have created an integrated ecosystem for growth through mentorship, funding opportunities, and strategic partnerships. This support has enabled their companies to develop innovative solutions across sectors including digital marketing, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing.
Maryam Alabbar, Co-Founder at ReachLLM, detailed the company's focus on improving brand visibility in AI-powered search results across global platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. ReachLLM is developing products built entirely on AI to help brands maintain a sustainable presence across large language models and measure growth impact. Alabbar emphasized the company's goal to strengthen its presence within Abu Dhabi's innovation ecosystem and expand globally, focusing on the Middle East and North Africa markets. She noted that AI-powered answer engine optimisation, or AEO, is viewed as the next generation of traditional SEO, with ReachLLM aiming to lead this digital transformation from Abu Dhabi.
Shamma Al Saadi, founder of LiMb, spoke about the development of an AI-powered smart platform to support physiotherapists by designing therapeutic exercises and managing patient follow-up outside clinics. LiMb is showcasing its latest innovations at Impact 2026, with plans for an official launch at the end of this month. Al Saadi highlighted the development of an advanced AI model for therapeutic exercises and pain management, providing instant voice feedback to correct movement posture and supporting patient commitment and motivation during recovery.
Afra Alahbabi, Founder and CEO of Nabdh Technologies, introduced the first Emirati platform specializing in Arabic-language operational intelligence for clinical workflows. This platform is designed to reduce the burden of medical documentation and improve operational efficiency in healthcare environments. Al Ahbabi emphasized the platform's seamless integration with existing healthcare systems, ensuring no disruption to daily operations or clinical risks. The platform, built in Arabic and hosted within the UAE, prioritizes security and privacy.
Abdallah Alawadi, Founder of The AM Lab, described the company's position as the first digital manufacturing platform in the Middle East and North Africa dedicated to simplifying industrial procurement. The platform consolidates companies' spare parts requirements online, processes, and fulfills requests within weeks, or sometimes just a few days. Alawadi noted the company's specialization in manufacturing spare parts for the oil and gas sector, with capabilities to produce customized components for the aviation and defense sectors. The company aligns with the UAE's National In-Country Value programme and the priorities of the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology through a network of partners and suppliers.
