Egyptian Biotech Startup P-Vita Chosen by Dubai for UAE Expansion

Dubai's "Innovations for Humanity" initiative has chosen three university startups from Egypt, Switzerland, and the United States to begin expanding their operations in the UAE. This program aims to turn promising academic innovations into high-growth companies. The program was organized through a partnership between Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Dubai Art Fair, and Hussain Sajwani-DAMAC Foundation. Out of thousands of applications from leading universities worldwide, 100 startups were initially selected. Among the chosen companies was Egypt's P-Vita, a biotechnology specialist that originated from Zewail City of Science and Technology. P-Vita combines biotechnology and artificial intelligence to develop low-cost natural raw materials. These materials are used in agriculture, food production, and pharmaceutical applications. According to the program, the technology developed by P-Vita has the potential to help address the global shortage of fertilizers caused by disruptions in international supply chains. The list also included Oxara from Switzerland, affiliated with ETH Zurich, which focuses on transforming construction waste into low-carbon building materials. Additionally, Ferrovi.AI from the US, affiliated with Stanford University, specializes in developing AI-powered tools to detect respiratory diseases by analyzing coughs. Khalfan Juma Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, stated that the program aims to build a comprehensive ecosystem. This ecosystem helps turn innovative academic ideas into fast-growing companies by connecting founders with investors, government entities, and local business partners. For his part, Arif Amiri, CEO of the DIFC Authority, emphasized that this initiative is part of Dubai's strategy to boost its global competitiveness in innovation, entrepreneurship, and advanced technologies.