Organizer GITEX
info@aribrics.ru
8 912 2895296
Contacts for participants:
Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Dubai, UAE, ExpoCity
Event format and venue
Exhibition and forum
Expand North Star is the world's largest startup-and-investor event, held in Dubai as part of GITEX GLOBAL. It brings together thousands of high-growth startups and more than a thousand global investors, creating one of the richest platforms for funding, partnerships, and innovation. Spanning 100+ countries, the event showcases breakthrough technologies across AI, climate tech, fintech, deep tech, Web3 and more.
Having just concluded the 10th anniversary in 2025, Expand North Star continues to cement Dubai's position as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and digital transformation.
Key Highlights from 2025 edition which was held at the Dubai Harbour:
Having just concluded the 10th anniversary in 2025, Expand North Star continues to cement Dubai's position as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and digital transformation.
Key Highlights from 2025 edition which was held at the Dubai Harbour:
- Over 1850 startups and 1,200+ investors (with more than US $1.1 trillion in combined assets under management) participated in the 2025 edition.
- The event drew global representation — investors, founders and startups from roughly 180 countries
- The 2025 show featured its largest-ever "unicorn showcase", showcasing 40+ unicorns from around the world including major names in quantum tech, e-commerce, fintech and more
- New zones and programmes debuted — including a dedicated "Green Impact" / climate-tech and sustainability zone, and a curated investor-first experience designed to accelerate funding, co-investments and global scale-ups
- The event also spotlighted social-impact, inclusive AI, digital health, fintech, deep tech and climate-tech startups, emphasising the role of innovation in sustainable development and future economic growth
More about the event
Move to Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) in 2026 – 8-10 December
Beginning 2026, Expand North Star will relocate to the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) to accommodate the event's rapid expansion and increasingly global footprint.
What's New in 2026 at DEC:
Beginning 2026, Expand North Star will relocate to the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) to accommodate the event's rapid expansion and increasingly global footprint.
What's New in 2026 at DEC:
- New venue: Expo City Dubai — In 2026, Expand North Star moves along with GITEX GLOBAL from its traditional locations to the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai.
- Tech-cation" vibe: a fusion of tech, business & lifestyle — The 2026 edition aims to combine the strengths of a global tech showcase with new elements of tourism, leisure, and immersive experiences — a shift toward mixing business and lifestyle in a more holistic "technology + experience" environment.
- Even larger scale & global reach — With the move to Expo City Dubai, the infrastructure and venue capacity are expected to support even more startups, investors, and attendees — potentially increasing global participation and raising the bar for networking, scaleups, and partnerships.
- Enhanced investor-first design — More curated programmes tailored to VCs, LPs, family offices, and global funds.
- Stronger sector focus — Expected emphasis on AI, climate tech, deep tech, Web3, digital health, and frontier technology.
Developers
Educational institutions
For whom?
Agro-industrial complex companies
Investors and venture funds
Tech companies and startups
Development of joint projects
Investment opportunities
Networking – B2B meetings with partners
Access to new markets – entry into the rapidly growing IT ecosystems of the Middle East
Why participate?
Event sections December 8-10, 2026
01
National Pavilions & AI-Agri Expo — National pavilions and our exposition
Official country representations and industry clusters.
Special curated exposition: AI-Global, organized by our Association for Russian and partner startups.
For you: Enhanced positioning within the thematic cluster, support from the national representative, and focused traffic from relevant partners.
Official country representations and industry clusters.
Special curated exposition: AI-Global, organized by our Association for Russian and partner startups.
For you: Enhanced positioning within the thematic cluster, support from the national representative, and focused traffic from relevant partners.
02
Supernova Challenge: Test of strength and chance for world fame
Supernova Challenge is the main competitive track of Expand North Star, where only the strongest startups compete for the title of the best, large investments, and undivided attention from the global community.
Supernova Challenge is the main competitive track of Expand North Star, where only the strongest startups compete for the title of the best, large investments, and undivided attention from the global community.
03
Global Startup Showcase: Our global showcase
This is the central exhibition zone where over 2000 selected startups from around the world present their solutions.
What it gives participants: personal interaction with thousands of visitors - investors, corporate partners, distributors, and international media, focused networking.
This is the central exhibition zone where over 2000 selected startups from around the world present their solutions.
What it gives participants: personal interaction with thousands of visitors - investors, corporate partners, distributors, and international media, focused networking.