23 October 2026
DIFC Innovation Hub and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) have selected ten international scale-ups for the Geospatial Accelerator, a programme that pairs satellite data and AI companies with real operational tasks from UAE organisations. The programme received 73 applications from 24 countries: 63 were assessed as valid, 45 companies reached the interview stage and ten were selected, including GHGSat, SatSure and AtlasAI. They will build proof-of-concept pilots for three public sector clients, FADA (part of EDGE Group), the National Maritime Centre of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Dubai Civil Defence General Command, and two private ones, Buro Happold and Liva Insurance. The selection was announced on Friday, 23 October 2026, and the companies are due to present their pilots at the Dubai AI Festival on 26-27 October 2026.
What the Geospatial Accelerator is
The Geospatial Accelerator is the first programme of Space for Earth Labs, a platform based at the DIFC Innovation Hub. DIFC Innovation Hub and MBRSC signed a memorandum to create Space for Earth Labs at the Dubai Airshow on 19 November 2025, and the accelerator was developed with Relm Insurance, a specialty insurer for the space economy, AI and other emerging sectors. Applications opened at the same airshow.
The platform is meant to be a single point of entry for companies that want to apply space-derived data to commercial and public sector problems. In practice, this means Earth Observation (EO) imagery and data processed with artificial intelligence: monitoring of coastlines, assets, buildings, emissions and risks from orbit.
When the accelerator was launched in November 2025, the partners listed what selected companies would receive: soft-landing support and licensing facilitation in the UAE, access to satellite imagery and data resources, mentorship from industry and policy experts, and direct work with UAE government entities on the design and implementation of proof-of-concept projects.
How the ten companies were selected
| Stage | Companies |
|---|---|
| Applications received | 73 from 24 countries |
| Assessed as valid | 63 |
| Invited to interview | 45 |
| Selected | 10 |
The ten selected scale-ups are:
- AtlasAI
- FlyPix AI
- Geospatial Insight
- GHGSat
- Latitudo40
- Little Place Labs
- SatSure
- SparkGeo
- Stellaria
- V-Nova
The organisers did not publish the countries of the selected companies. The pool of applicants came from 24 countries.
Who sets the tasks: five UAE organisations
Each use case pairs one scale-up with a real operational challenge of a UAE organisation. The clients are:
- FADA, part of EDGE Group;
- National Maritime Centre (NMC) of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure;
- Dubai Civil Defence General Command;
- Buro Happold, an engineering and professional services firm;
- Liva Insurance, part of Liva Group.
The pilots cover maritime and infrastructure, insurance and risk, the built environment, public safety and geospatial intelligence. Buro Happold has published the details of its two projects, run together with the design studio SOUR and the scale-ups Latitudo40 and SparkGeo:
- a hyper-localised early warning system for extreme climate events built on satellite data and AI algorithms;
- a model that predicts shoreline and habitat change along UAE coastlines by combining Earth Observation data with environmental datasets.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 19 November 2025 | MoU on Space for Earth Labs signed at the Dubai Airshow, applications open |
| 23 October 2026 | Ten selected scale-ups and five UAE clients announced |
| 26-27 October 2026 | Pilots presented at the Dubai AI Festival, Dubai World Trade Centre |
The Dubai AI Festival is organised by the Dubai AI Campus at DIFC with the Office of the UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications. According to the organisers, the pilots will be shown to venture capital investors, corporations, government agencies and ministries.
Why Dubai is building a space data marketplace
The partners link the programme to two state documents: the UAE National Space Strategy 2030 and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy over the next decade. Mohammad Alblooshi, Chief Executive Officer of the DIFC Innovation Hub, said that DIFC’s role goes beyond financial services and that the centre is building platforms and an investment ecosystem that take technologies from proof of concept to commercial scale.
Saeed AlMansoori, Director of the Remote Sensing Department at MBRSC, described the accelerator as a direct pathway that turns Earth Observation data into practical insights for operational priorities across the UAE.
The release also cites market estimates: Earth Observation contributes about USD 440 billion to global GDP, and the market for AI in geospatial analytics is expected to grow by 19.5% a year through 2028. The accelerator continues a series of UAE space projects that we have covered, from the launch of Altair-1, the first commercial satellite built in the UAE, to the new licensing regime for the sector.
What this means for technology companies in the UAE
The accelerator does not change licensing rules, fees or procedures, and the selection round for this cohort is closed. For space and geospatial companies that plan to work in the UAE, the practical points are elsewhere:
- Space sector licence. Under Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2023, activities in the space sector, including work with space data, require permits from the UAE Space Agency. The agency gave existing and planned operators a 90-day grace period to regularise their status, which runs from 27 July to 25 October 2026. Details are in our article on the UAE space sector licensing deadline.
- Legal entity. Regular work with UAE clients after a pilot usually means setting up a local company. The choice between a financial free zone such as DIFC, another free zone and the mainland depends on who the clients are and what activity the company will carry out.
- Banking and visas. A local corporate account and residence visas for the team are needed before a pilot can turn into a paid contract.
How Atlant Capital can help
We help technology companies enter the UAE: choosing the jurisdiction and activity, preparing documents and registering the legal entity. Our company setup service covers free zones, including DIFC, and the mainland, and the UAE company formation guide explains the steps, timelines and documents. After registration we support opening a corporate account through our bank account opening service and residence visas for founders and staff.
Checklist for a geospatial or space data company planning to enter the UAE:
- check whether the activity falls under the space sector law and requires a UAE Space Agency permit;
- choose a jurisdiction based on clients: government, financial sector or private companies;
- prepare corporate documents of the parent company for legalisation;
- plan the corporate bank account and team visas before signing the first contract.
Conclusion
The Geospatial Accelerator selected ten international scale-ups out of 73 applications from 24 countries and matched them with five UAE organisations: FADA, the National Maritime Centre, Dubai Civil Defence, Buro Happold and Liva Insurance. The pilots cover maritime safety, insurance, the built environment and public safety, and the results are due to be shown at the Dubai AI Festival on 26-27 October 2026.
Source: Economy Middle East, Buro Happold.
FAQ
What is the DIFC and MBRSC Geospatial Accelerator?
It is the first programme of Space for Earth Labs, a platform at the DIFC Innovation Hub created by DIFC Innovation Hub and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre with Relm Insurance. It pairs satellite data and AI companies with real operational tasks from UAE organisations and runs proof-of-concept pilots. The platform was launched at the Dubai Airshow on 19 November 2025.
Which companies were selected for the Geospatial Accelerator?
Ten scale-ups were selected on 23 October 2026: AtlasAI, FlyPix AI, Geospatial Insight, GHGSat, Latitudo40, Little Place Labs, SatSure, SparkGeo, Stellaria and V-Nova. The programme received 73 applications from 24 countries, 63 were valid and 45 companies were interviewed.
Which UAE organisations take part in the pilots?
Three public sector clients, FADA (part of EDGE Group), the National Maritime Centre of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Dubai Civil Defence General Command, and two private ones, Buro Happold and Liva Insurance. The pilots cover maritime and infrastructure, insurance and risk, the built environment, public safety and geospatial intelligence.
Do space data companies need a licence in the UAE?
Under Federal Decree-Law No. 46 of 2023, space sector activities, including work with space data, require permits from the UAE Space Agency. The agency set a 90-day grace period for existing and planned operators from 27 July to 25 October 2026. Whether a specific activity is covered should be checked against the law before starting work.
