Crimson Founders Brings 19 Startups with MIT & Harvard-affiliated Founders to UAE’s Entrepreneurship and Investment Powerhouses: Investopia, Future 100, DMCC, and Dubai Future Foundation
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Anoosheh Kalantari
Founder, CEO, and Managing Partner, Crimson Founders
anoosheh@crimsonfounders.com
Crimson Founders, a curated and impact-driven global platform connecting MIT and Harvard-affiliated startups with investors, strategic partners, and market-expanding opportunities, has successfully concluded The Crimson Collective Week 1.0 in the United Arab Emirates. Held from February 24-28, 2025, this high-impact initiative integrated 19 cutting-edge startups selected from a highly competitive pool of 52 applicants, each with a founder who is a student, graduate, professor, or researcher of a degree program at MIT and/or Harvard, into the UAE’s investment and innovation ecosystem. For this week-long program, Crimson Founders collaborated with leading UAE entities, including Investopia, Future 100, DMCC, Dubai Future Foundation, and Al Tamimi & Company, to deliver demo sessions, networking events, private investor meetings, and exclusive briefings.
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Anoosheh Kalantari, Founder and Managing Partner of Crimson Founders, speaking at the Crimson Founders Demo Session at the Future 100 Forum at Investopia 2025 in Abu Dhabi—where top MIT & Harvard startups in Crimson Founders 2025 Cohort connected with global investors and industry leaders. (Graphic: Business Wire)
As The Crimson Collective debuts in the UAE, Crimson Founders plans to bring this initiative to global hubs like New York, Boston, Silicon Valley, Riyadh, Singapore, and Hong Kong, strengthening international startup ecosystems and bridging innovators with capital and markets.
A Landmark Moment at Investopia 2025
The highlight of the week was the Crimson Founders Startups Demo Session at the Future 100 at Investopia 2025 in Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s flagship global investment platform. In collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Economy’s Future 100 initiative, Crimson Founders showcased six exceptional startups on stage, while 13 more engaged with global investors and industry leaders. Two startups—HexemBio and Spectrohm—emerged as winners at Investopia, securing key investor interest and recognition for their groundbreaking innovations. HexemBio won The Crimson Founders Most Innovative Tech Award, and Spectrohm won The Crimson Founders Most Relevant Tech to the UAE and MENA Region Award. The prizes were presented by one of Crimson Founders' partners in the UAE, DMCC AI Centre.
Crimson Founders Startups that Took Center Stage:
- Amplified Industries – AI-powered optimization for oil & gas operations.
- Applied AI Corporation – Enterprise AI solutions for finance, healthcare, and government sectors.
- Helix Carbon – Developing next-gen electrolyzers to convert CO? into valuable chemicals for carbon-neutral iron production.
- HexemBio – Advanced stem cell therapy for longevity and immune system rejuvenation. (Winner)
- ML Tech – Institutional-grade digital asset investment platform.
- Spectrohm – AI-powered high-speed security inspection technology. (Winner)
Spanning industries such as AI, biotech, healthcare, fintech, blockchain, energy, water treatment, cybersecurity, and logistics, all the 19 startups in Crimson Founders 2025 Cohort captured the interest of UAE sovereign funds, venture capitalists, and leading industry players, reinforcing the region’s commitment to global innovation and economic diversification. Alongside the six presenting startups, the full cohort includes Bolt Insight, Cashflowy, Cytex, E62 Bio, Encore Health, HarvestAi, Kadeya, Kira, MathEarth, Rise, S1LKPAY, Vocadian, and Xtraa.
Beyond Investopia: Strengthening Global Startup Integration
Crimson Founders, in partnership with DMCC, Dubai Future Foundation, Al Tamimi & Company, and a leading sovereign fund’s technology team, hosted demo sessions, exclusive investor networking, and closed-door meetings, creating tangible funding and market entry opportunities for the participating startups. The programs also featured distinguished guest speakers from MIT, including Dr. Manolis Kellis, Dr. Phil Budden, and John D'Agostino.
“Crimson Collective Week proved that the UAE is not just a regional powerhouse but a global innovation hub,” said Anoosheh Kalantari, Founder, CEO, and Managing Partner of Crimson Founders. “We are thrilled by the strong investor interest and strategic partnerships formed, and this is just the beginning of Crimson Founders’ mission to connect top-tier startups affiliated with MIT and Harvard communities with transformative opportunities worldwide.”
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The Crimson Collective Week proved that the UAE is not just a regional powerhouse but a global innovation hub. Crimson Founders is bridging MIT & Harvard startups with transformative opportunities worldwide. #CrimsonFounders
