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SC Ventures partners with DIFC Innovation Hub to launch National Venture Studio

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SC Ventures partners with DIFC Innovation Hub to launch National Venture Studio
  • SC Ventures, the innovation and venture arm of Standard Chartered, has partnered with DIFC Innovation Hub to launch the National Venture Studio in Dubai.
  • The initiative aims to accelerate innovation and venture creation in the region by leveraging SC Ventures’ Venture Building as a Service (VBaaS) model, which provides frameworks, tools, and global expertise to support end-to-end startup development.
  • Through this collaboration, participants will benefit from venture ideation, prototyping, founder matching, and scaling support, along with opportunities for co-hosted events, research, and ecosystem-building programs in DIFC’s innovative environment.

Press release:

SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s innovation, FinTech investment and ventures arm, has signed a strategic partnership with DIFC Innovation Hub to launch the National Venture Studio, a new initiative aimed at accelerating innovation and supporting venture creation across the region.

As part of the collaboration, SC Ventures is providing its Venture Building as a Service (VBaaS) model to equip DIFC Innovation Hub with the tools, expertise, and frameworks required to operate and scale the National Venture Studio. This strategic service offering brings SC Ventures’ global venture-building experience to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) leading innovation ecosystem.

VBaaS supports the entire venture creation lifecycle, from identifying market gaps and validating ideas to prototyping, founder recruitment, and scaling. Through this collaboration, SC Ventures and DIFC Innovation Hub aim to enable government entities, corporates, and entrepreneurs to build bold, tech-enabled solutions addressing regional and global challenges.

“DIFC has a 20-year legacy of supporting innovation in the UAE, and this partnership reflects our commitment to shaping the future of entrepreneurship in the region,” said Gautam Jain, Operating Member, SC Ventures. “Through our VBaaS model, we’re proud to empower DIFC Innovation Hub in launching the National Venture Studio, bringing our proven frameworks and capabilities to local innovators.”

The National Venture Studio will target a broad set of stakeholders, including individuals, corporates, and public sector entities, with the flexibility to source clients either through DIFC Innovation Hub referrals or joint outreach. The partnership also enables opportunities for co-hosted events, research, and capability-building programmes to advance the region’s innovation agenda.

"This partnership reinforces DIFC Innovation Hub's commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation in the UAE. By launching the National Venture Studio with SC Ventures’ proven VBaaS model, we are equipping local innovators with the tools and expertise needed to create impactful, tech-enabled solutions." said Mohammad Alblooshi, Chief Executive Officer of DIFC Innovation Hub.

As the UAE continues to position itself as a global centre for innovation and digital transformation, the launch of the National Venture Studio represents a significant step in nurturing homegrown ventures, supporting economic diversification, and attracting world-class talent to the region.

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