The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) 2025 kicked off with a celebration of innovation, as the winners of the SEF x 1Tank Startup Pitch Competition were crowned on the festival’s first day. This year, AED 200,000 in cash prizes and access to up to AED 500,000 in investments were awarded to promising startups from different sectors.

The winners included Solumar in the Sustainability category, sponsored by Emaar; Gam3s.GG in the Creative Industries track, powered by Emarat; Hulexo in the Tech & Industry 4.0 category, backed by du; and Squirrel Education in the EdTech category, sponsored by Crescent Enterprises. These startups stood out for their unique solutions and innovative approaches.

The festival also hosted the SEFFY Awards, which recognised contributions to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Winners included The Waste Lab for Social Impact, Pulse IoT Technologies for Tech Innovation, BEEAH Group as an Ecosystem Enabler, and Remal in the Rising Star category. Dr. Mohamed Al Hemairy was also honoured as an Outstanding Mentor for his guidance to startups.

Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa), the organiser of SEF, played a key role in supporting the UAE’s startup ecosystem. This year, Sheraa received over 400 nominations for the competition, reflecting the UAE’s growing focus on innovation. Abeer Al Amiri, Head of Partnerships & Programs at Sheraa, highlighted their achievements since 2016, including supporting 450 startups, creating over 1,900 jobs, and helping generate over $248 million in revenue.

During the event, Gregg Pearce, Head of SME Segment at du, encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to take the leap, saying, “There has never been a better time to be an entrepreneur, and no better place than the UAE.”

With over 300 speakers from 45 countries and 250 activations, SEF 2025 proved to be the region’s largest and most impactful entrepreneurship event yet, further solidifying its role in shaping the startup ecosystem.