If completed, the acquisition would unite two of the biggest names in digital payments.

Emirates NBD and Techstars announced a strategic partnership to shift from traditional startup mentorship towards a commercially driven “Acceleration-to-Enterprise” model, designed to integrate high-growth AI and Fintech innovations directly into Emirates NBD’s banking ecosystem encompassing multiple markets. This partnership follows Emirates NBD’s recent #1 ranking in the inaugural Evident AI Index for Banks – Middle East and Africa, where it was the only bank to achieve top three performance across Talent, Innovation and Leadership, underscoring the bank’s position as one of the region’s most advanced financial institutions in artificial intelligence maturity.

The partnership unites Techstars with Emirates NBD’s established innovation ecosystem, including its Fintech engagement initiatives, AI-driven transformation programmes, and strategic partnerships with global technology leaders. By combining Techstars’ global pipeline of over 11,000 founders with the bank’s advanced analytics infrastructure, which currently manages over 50 active AI use cases, the alliance will deliver scalable, commercial pathways for agentic Fintech startups, with a focus on compliance, wealth management, SME banking, and capital markets.

This initiative is a core component of Emirates NBD’s commitment to the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to rank Dubai as one of the top four global financial centres by 2033.

Miguel Rio Tinto, Group Chief Digital and Information Officer at Emirates NBD, commented: “With Dubai now home to nearly 60% of GCC FinTech companies, we are pleased to partner with Techstars to tap into and capture Fintech’s new wave of innovation in agentic finance. Leveraging Emirates NBD’s regional footprint and digital capabilities, we are providing selected AI and Fintech startups with a direct pathway into enterprise banking, supporting solutions that can transform how we serve our nine million active customers.”

Neeraj Makin, Group Head of Strategy, Analytics and Venture Capital at Emirates NBD, said: “The partnership with Techstars reflects Emirates NBD’s continued focus on strengthening its innovation ecosystem and deepening engagement with global technology and startup networks. By combining access to emerging founders, market intelligence and new technology trends, we aim to accelerate innovation opportunities that support the Group’s long-term strategic, digital and AI ambitions across the region.”

Unlike standard accelerator programmes, this partnership emphasises enhancing the customer experience through highly personalised, secure, and resilient AI-driven banking services. Startups that solve real use cases and deliver bottom-line impact will gain access to Emirates NBD’s cloud-native infrastructure to pilot solutions that address fast-growing opportunities in the MENAT region and the surging demand for transparent, AI-powered investor intelligence.

David Cohen, CEO of Techstars, stated: “Techstars has always been about helping founders go faster. By partnering with a proactive, AI-first institution like Emirates NBD, we are giving our Fintech and AI founders a front-row seat to one of the most dynamic financial markets in the world. The UAE’s commitment to becoming a global hub for intelligent, data-driven innovation makes it the perfect launchpad for enterprise-grade solutions that will redefine the future of finance.”

In 2025, Emirates NBD advanced its AI-enabled capabilities, strengthened customer journeys, and built a more modern, cloud-native, and modular technology foundation with next-generation capabilities across the Group. The bank’s year-on-year growth is a direct result of its strategic investment in GenAI and digital initiatives, which are now being opened to the Techstars ecosystem to drive the next wave of financial inclusion and growth in the digital economy.

The initiative complements Emirates NBD’s broader innovation agenda, including programmes such as the National Digital Talent Incubator (NDTI), which focuses on developing the next generation of regional FinTech entrepreneurs.

 

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AXON successfully concluded its exclusive Investor Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, bringing together a distinguished group of investors, decision-makers, and leaders from the fintech and investment sectors across the Kingdom and the wider region to discuss the future of financial infrastructure connecting traditional finance with the digital economy.

The event was attended by representatives from some of Saudi Arabia’s leading investment firms and financial institutions, including organizations connected to the Kingdom’s national investment ecosystem and prominent venture capital funds such as the Ministry of Investment, Raed Ventures, Sadu Capital, and Takamol Ventures, alongside representatives from other investment firms, funds, and financial technology companies.

Held under the theme “Connecting Traditional Finance with the Digital Economy: The Future of Financial Infrastructure in the GCC,” the summit showcased AXON’s vision of building a unified financial orchestration layer that seamlessly connects banks, payment networks, stablecoins, and digital asset infrastructure within a fully integrated ecosystem designed to meet the highest standards of regulatory compliance.

During the event, the AXON team presented an overview of the company’s flagship products, including AXON Transfer and AXON Pay, which are designed to simplify and accelerate cross-border payments and settlements. The platform aims to reduce settlement times for international transfers and payments from several days to as little as one hour. The company also presented its product roadmap and expansion plans across Saudi Arabia as well as regional and global markets.

The summit concluded with the signing of a strategic investment agreement between AXON and Maarej Real Estate, under which Maarej committed to invest approximately SAR 4 million (approx. $1 million) in the company. The investment reflects growing confidence in AXON’s vision and its role in developing the next generation of financial infrastructure across the region.

Commenting on the occasion, Malek Alzubi, Co-Founder and CEO of AXON, said: “We are witnessing a fundamental transformation in the way value moves across the global economy. Our mission at AXON is to build the infrastructure that enables institutions to move seamlessly between traditional and digital financial systems within a comprehensive regulatory framework. Maarej’s investment marks an important milestone in our journey and reinforces the market’s confidence in the growth opportunities we are creating.”

For his part, Tamim Al-Juhani, Chairman of Maarej Real Estate, said that the investment reflects the company’s strong belief in AXON’s significant potential and its ability to play a pivotal role in supporting the region’s financial transformation. He added that the investment aligns with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and contributes to strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a global hub for financial innovation. The agreement also marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the two companies to support AXON’s growth and expand its presence in the Saudi market.

AXON continues to advance its regulatory approvals while expanding strategic partnerships with leading global financial and technology institutions. The company’s long-term vision is to establish a unified financial layer connecting traditional banking systems with modern digital infrastructure, helping accelerate cross-border trade and payments across the region and beyond.

 

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