Khaleejtimes: DIFC's Accelerator Programme received tremendous responses from companies worldwide as the emirate has become a magnet for metaverse

Ten companies have graduated as part of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Metaverse Accelerator Programme, which will shape the metaverse industry in the UAE and globally.

Launched in February 2023, Mohammad Al Blooshi, CEO of the DIFC Innovation Hub, said they received tremendous responses for the programme from different start-ups across the globe from various sectors.

He added that 64 start-ups were from the UAE, 18 from the UK, 15 from the US, 12 from India and five from France.

The Metaverse Accelerator Programme was designed to attract leading start-ups from all over the world and to work on the next step of blockchain technology, the Metaverse. It also aligns with the UAE’s strategy to be a global leader as a Metaverse economy, outlining the future for the region and the world.

The companies that successfully graduated under the programme include Artichoke Labs, Cognitive Technologies, GoPal, Daoversal, DoDocs, Duverse, Flan, Intelligent Assist, Evometa and ShopDoc.

Artichoke Labs operates in augmented reality and creates city-scale applications based on a proprietary 3D Maps pipeline and Visual Positioning System (VPS).

Another start-up, Daoversal, offers a virtual world where creators and players can build, own, and monetise their social gaming experiences in the blockchain.

Intelligent Assist aims to revolutionise the healthcare landscape by providing clinicians with just-in-time, highly relevant, data-driven insights.

Evometa helps developers and hotels sell properties online by creating high-quality digital products on the web and in virtual reality.

Born in India, ShopDoc is building the largest platform for smart clinics, almost entirely operated by women micro-entrepreneurs.

“Dubai is a magnet for metaverse, and the world has looked at what is happening in Dubai regarding its growth. Metaverse is an evolving space, and it is at a nascent stage. A lot of companies are at the early stage, and people have just started,” said Al Balooshi.