The programme brings together 100 startups selected from thousands of submissions
The Dubai Future Solutions–Prototypes for Humanity initiative, one of the world’s largest programmes for university innovation and entrepreneurship, is advancing three university ventures from Switzerland, the United States, and Egypt into pilot deployment and commercial expansion in the UAE.
Organised annually in Dubai, the initiative is held under the patronage and supervision of HH Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).
The programme brings together 100 startups selected from thousands of submissions from leading universities around the world. It is organised through a partnership between the Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai International Financial Centre, Art Dubai, and the Hussain Sajwani–DAMAC Foundation.
Operating from the UAE, Oxara, P-Vita, and Virufy are deploying advanced scientific innovations spanning AI-powered disease monitoring, agricultural biotechnology, and high-efficiency construction materials.
“At the Dubai Future Foundation, our role is to support this journey end to end by connecting global talent with local partners and transforming scientific potential into tangible impact across sectors,” observed HE Khalfan Belhoul, CEO, Dubai Future Foundation.
“From research to pilot projects and commercialisation, the programme’s first cohort is translating breakthrough ideas into real-world solutions,” noted HE Arif Amiri, CEO, DIFC Authority.
Oxara – Sustainable Construction Materials
Oxara transforms mineral and construction waste into low-CO₂ building materials using a fraction of the energy and capex required by conventional cement production.
Founded by Dr. Gnanli Landrou and Dr. Thibault Demoulin, the company is now moving into commercial-scale deployment following a successful pilot with one of Dubai’s leading concrete manufacturers.
P-Vita- Agricultural Biotechnology
P-Vita uses proprietary biotechnology and AI-driven production to develop natural, cost-effective raw materials for the agriculture, food, and pharmaceutical industries.
Founded by environmental engineer Mohamed Tarek Abdelzaher and Naglaa Mohamed, Chief Science Officer specialising in Biomedical Science and Molecular Biology, both graduates of Zewail City of Science and Technology, the company produces fertilisers designed to help address global shortages caused by international supply chain disruptions.
Virufy–AI-Powered Respiratory Health Screening
Leveraging proprietary datasets, advanced algorithms, and specialised expertise, Virufy is enhancing its smartphone app to detect multiple respiratory diseases through cough sound pattern analysis.
Virufy was founded and is led by Amil Khanzada, Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at the Headquarters for Regional Revitalization at the University of Fukui, where he teaches in the Management of Technology (MOT) programme.
New ventures
For its upcoming cycle, the programme is working with a highly curated group of new ventures from leading global academic institutions, such as Harvard University, Imperial College London, Petronas Technology University and Duke University.
“The ventures we are advancing are proof that when the right methodology, partners and environment come together, that gap can be crossed, creating real value for organisations, society and markets,” concluded Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, Managing Director, Prototypes for Humanity.
