The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) has successfully concluded its participation at Expand North Star 2024, one of the preeminent global startup events, demonstrating its dedicated mission to supporting the entrepreneurial journey of startups and nurturing the next generation of progressive founders. Over the four-day international exhibition, Sheraa prominently featured 22 startups across a multitude of sectors, including creative industries, edtech, advanced manufacturing, and sustainability, aligned with its newly formed Centers of Excellence (CoE).

As an integral component of GITEX Global, Expand North Star 2024 provided an ideal platform for Sheraa to assert itself as a driving force in cultivating a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem within Sharjah by convening a diverse cohort of startups, investors, and industry leaders to promote innovation, knowledge exchange, and strategic collaboration.

Leadership and engagement

Commenting on their presence at this year’s global event, HE Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa stated, “Our participation at Expand North Star 2024 reaffirms Sheraa’s core mission of cultivating a supportive, growth-oriented community for startups to flourish in an evolving and progressive global market. By developing an ecosystem that prioritizes collaboration and innovation, we simultaneously help to build impactful businesses while establishing a foundation for sustainable economic growth in the region.”

Showcasing innovative startups within the Sheraa ecosystem

Providing an exclusive platform for startups and founders during Expand North Star, Sheraa was able to showcase the UAE’s thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem to a global audience, giving entrepreneurs a prime opportunity to forge new connections and expand their customer base.

Eight of these startups, spearheaded by emerging young entrepreneurs, were showcased at the Sheraa Booth, with two startups rotating daily to maximize visibility and engagement over the four days. Ten established startups, including Alfredo Books, which offers interactive educational solutions; YHH, a leading product design and software development studio; and Jalebi, the world’s only inventory-first Restaurant Operating System; also received dedicated exposure throughout the event at the Sheraa Startup Booths allowing them to connect with investors and stakeholders while showcasing their innovative solutions. Additionally, in collaboration with Du, four standout ventures showcased at their pavilion, and were selected based on their alignment with Sheraa’s CoEs and their potential for scalability and impact.

Workshops and knowledge sharing

To promote knowledge exchange within stakeholders and upskilling attending founders, Sheraa curated a series of 12 workshops aligned with its Centers of Excellence, with each of the four days having a dedicated focus on the key sectors of sustainability, advanced manufacturing, edtech, and the creative industries. Experts and founders from Sheraa’s ecosystem provided insights on topics such as brand identity and scaling technology-driven enterprises as well as imparting essential knowledge and frameworks to tackle challenges and seize opportunities, fostering a collaborative learning environment that equipped them with actionable growth strategies.

Strategic partnerships

A key highlight was the signing of an MoU with Homegrown CPG, enhancing Sheraa’s Center of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing and supporting regional startups in the consumer products sector. Additionally, an LoI with StartupTN from India was signed at GITEX Global, strengthening inter-regional collaboration and focusing on promoting the S3 program and Access Sharjah Challenge and collaboration in events like the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival and the Global Startup Summit 2025.

Through its proactive engagement, Sheraa is effectively enhancing in the entrepreneurial landscape by fostering synergies among innovators, thought leaders, and investors, thus solidifying Sharjah’s position as an emerging hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.