The Intelak Aviation and Travel Incubator has recently celebrated the graduation of its second cohort from the three-month accelerator program. The Intelak Incubator, founded by the Emirates Group, GE, and Etisalat Digital, gives innovators, entrepreneurs, and students from across the UAE the opportunity to submit business concepts and receive capital funding and ecosystem support.

The four winning teams - which demonstrated their solutions at the final Intelak demo day on December 13 - were LiFi Tech, which is working to deliver a solution to bring high-speed LED-based Wi-Fi technology to the UAE; SweepTEQ, whose objective is to support in the detection and clearing of runway debris through a specialized scanning bot; Airborne, which developed a mobile application to assist passengers with visual, mobility, and hearing impairments move more seamlessly through the airport; and Deliver2mum, which created a solution that gives families who book a stay in Dubai the option of renting strollers, car seats, and/or carriers for their children to make their stay more convenient. The second cohort presented their final work to the Emirates Group, GE, and Etisalat Digital leadership and the wider investor community, showcasing how they have evolved their ideas from concept to tangible business solutions.

Upon being announced as winners in October, each team received AED 50,000 (around US $13,000 dollars) as well as coworking office space at the Dubai Technology Entrepreneurship Centre (DTEC), to develop their ideas. They were also assigned mentors from the local startup ecosystem and attended tailored sessions that focused on key developmental areas – such as technology, market sizing and competition analysis – as well as foundational business skills such as financing, budgeting and presentation skills, among others.

The Intelak Incubator commenced in September 2016, and has since continued to work closely with the entrepreneurial community to develop businesses with solutions that make travel simpler, better or more exciting. The incubator finds its home in Dubai, one of the world’s largest travel hubs, and a city that constantly seeks to drive innovation and an exceptional travel experience.

The graduation of the second cohort marks another milestone on the Intelak journey. The incubator had graduated four startups in May 2017, and also held the Intelak Idea Lab, a shorter four-week training program focused on young Emirati entrepreneurs. LiFi Tech, one of the winners of the second cohort, participated in the Intelak Idea Lab prior to submitting their application and the team was eventually chosen as the front-runner of the second cohort.  

For serious entrepreneurs and innovators, submissions are now being accepted for the third cohort. Applications will be accepted until January 9, 2018 via this link.