Funding for Startups in Dubai vs Sydney
Fundraising is a crucial process especially for the young companies that target to expand their ventures. The flow financing available to new ventures in Dubai and Sydney is non-homogeneous. Here’s a comparison of the key funding sources available in these two cities:
Dubai
Government Grants and Funds
- Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund: This fund helps various sectors of innovative initial ventures providing cheap funding. It seeks to create awareness for innovation and sustainable development to the UAE.
- Dubai SME: Another one is an initiative of the Department of Economic Development which provide the opportunity for receiving the grants and credits for startups and SMEs. This includes Mohammed Bin Rashid Fund for SMEs which supports the local talents by providing them with capital and guidance.
Venture Capital (VC)
- Wamda Capital is one of the leading VC firms from the Middle East which invests in multiple technology-based firms depending on their development stage.
- BECO Capital: Specializes in seed and early-stage investments in technology-centred companies and offers capital as well as capital to ventures.
Angel Investors and Networks
- Dubai Angel Investors: It is one-sample investment firm where members contribute capital and support novate enterprise with capital and professional guidance. It is to initiate the start-ups within the UAE and across the globe and help them to grow and expand.
- Womena: Angel investment platform for funding women led ventures and to promote women funding investment initiatives.
Crowdfunding Platforms
- Eureeca: Dubai based social equity crowd funding platform to provide equity funding for start up companies from a pool of investors.
- Beehive: A marketplace which matches borrowers and lenders and allow start-ups companies to try to get a funding without relying on the banks.
Accelerators and Incubators
- Dubai Future Accelerators: Provides financial support in form of grants, business advisory services and linkages to various levels of government to ensure startups grow their solutions.
- Astrolabs: It has coworking space and training and funding for Dubai based technology startups.
Sydney
Government Grants and Programs
- Export Market Development Grant (EMDG): This grant assists Australian endeavors including start up by refunding export generation costs. It is used to promote export markets among the business organizations.
- Research and Development (R&D) Tax Incentive: Offers tax credits where certain R&D qualifying activities have been conducted to encourage the development of new innovation to accept less out-of-pocket expenses from start-up companies.
Venture Capital (VC)
- Blackbird Ventures: One of the largest VC firms located in Australia that provides funding to technology venture startups at the initial stage, and later stages as well.
- Square Peg Capital: That is why its goal is to invest in early to mid-market technology-based companies from Australia and Southeast Asia.
Angel Investors and Networks
- Sydney Angels: An organization that gives out money to organically growing initial stage ventures and supports growth by offering contacts and advice. They have a huge pool of investors seeking scalable, high growth ventures to invest in.
- Innovation Bay: A group of angels with additional services in form of training sessions and pitching sessions where start-ups present their business plans for funding.
Crowdfunding Platforms
- Pozible: A crowdfunding site of Australia for the startups and other business enthusiasts to get the needed financing from the crowd.
- Equitise: Startup financing that involves utilization of small portions of stocks which are sold to a large number of investors.
Accelerators and Incubators
- Startmate: A primary startup incubator in Australia offering funding, business guidance and, an accelerated program to grow quickly.
- BlueChilli: Provides funding plus extensive coaching and support to assist a business to bring products to market.
The funding available for startups in Dubai and Sydney are numerous including government grants, venture capital, angel investors, and crowdfunding amongst others. Dubai has a strong governmental backing, multiple free zones with tax incentives and Sydney has an excellent base of governmental funds for providing propositions for small companies, well-developed venture capital market, and a favorable atmosphere for innovation.