UAE investment vehicles and startup scalability explained: Highlights from Seed Group webinar

• Seed Group’s online roundtable discussion concluded on a high note.
• Its expert panel provided key insights on family office investment strategies and regulatory ease for scaling across priority sectors.
• The session also explored the UAE-India corridor and long-term incentives supporting Dubai SMEs and institutional partnerships.

On April 29, 2025, global investors, startup founders, and senior decision-makers came together for Seed Group’s highly anticipated online roundtable discussion, ‘Mapping UAE Investment in 2025: Family Offices, Startups, and Growth Opportunities.’ Hosted by Seed Group — a company of The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum — this webinar delivered practical insights on scaling startups, accessing funding, and understanding international investment corridors. Notably, the session attracted a strong group of participants from various sectors and regions.

The event featured distinguished speakers Priyanka Vijayan (Managing Director of Seed Ventures), Luciano Vital (Group CEO of Vital Holding), and Prakash Ramaseshan (Advisor to The Private Office of Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum and Director of Pragya Consulting). The panel’s expert viewpoints were reinforced by solid data and real-world strategy; thus, offering a valuable roadmap for entrepreneurs looking to do business in the UAE.

UAE family offices and VCs driving startups to scaleups

Priyanka Vijayan opened the discussion by highlighting the global recovery of venture capital markets, with $1.9 billion in VC funding recorded in 2024 following a period of economic downturns. She attributed this resurgence to several key factors, including the strategic prioritisation of AI by regional governments — an initiative particularly evident in the UAE.

Building on this momentum, the UAE’s National AI Strategy 2031 has been greatly pivotal in enabling a conducive environment for global startups and SMBs. Within this developing landscape, UAE-based family offices and venture capital firms have emerged as key enablers, actively supporting their transition into scaleups.

Vijayan noted that the UAE’s competitive edge lies in a combination of investor-friendly regulations, ease of doing business, and access to sovereign-backed capital. These factors are undeniably amplified by the patient, long-term capital approach of local family offices. Truly, these entities are increasingly channelling strategic investments into high-potential sectors such as AI, fintech, and climate tech, aligned with the nation’s forward-looking innovation agenda. The result: $613 million raised across 188 deals.

The opportunities and challenges of doing business in the UAE

Luciano Vital followed with a pragmatic explanation of what startups and investors must understand when starting a business in the UAE. Drawing on over three decades of expert knowledge, he presented the country as a strategic launching point for international scaleups. He cited key advantages such as enterprise-friendly regulations, zero income tax, and world-class facilities, all of which enrich the nation’s standing as a global magnet for innovation-driven companies.

For entrepreneurs assessing how to set up a business, Vital also outlines both the advantages and the practical hurdles. He explained how Dubai and the larger UAE’s regulatory transparency and streamlined licensing processes remain competitive by global standards. With this, Vital Holding’s Group CEO noted the value of choosing the right local partners and culturally aligning teams to overcome initial market entry challenges.

The growth potential, Vital underscored, lies in strategic and emerging sectors like tech, finance, healthcare, real estate, and logistics. Vital further emphasised that the country offers one of the most supportive ecosystems globally, thereby benefiting entrepreneurs seeking to start a business in the UAE as a foreigner.

Cross-border investment pipeline between the UAE and India

Prakash Ramaseshan concluded the discussion with a detailed analysis of the developing UAE-India investment corridor. With decades of trade, talent, and capital exchange between the two nations, he pointed out the vast, yet untapped, potential in technology, engineering services, and media. He stressed how the pipeline brings dual opportunities: enabling Indian entrepreneurs to launch and scale in the UAE while offering local investors (including family offices and sovereign-backed investors) direct access to high-growth Indian ventures.

In addition, Ramaseshan shared some compelling figures, specifically stressing that the UAE’s GDP stands at $514 billion, with 75% of that coming from non-oil sectors. He noted that the real estate sector contributes $116 billion and that the UAE saw record-high foreign direct investment inflows of $32 billion in 2024.

In comparison, India has a $3.6 trillion economy strengthened by strong digital capabilities. Ramaseshan, drawing parallels, outlined how the Indian tech corporate and enterprise sector stands to benefit the UAE by bringing capital gains and new technologies to the region. He also noted key geoeconomic players, including the sovereign ecosystem, large family offices across the UAE and the Middle East, and Non-Resident Indian (NRI) families.

Ramaseshan further reiterated the value of strategic relationships, adequate capitalisation, and clear corporate development plans. Truly, mirroring company strategies with the UAE’s digital, AI, and innovation aspirations can yield transformative outcomes for individuals considering starting a business in the UAE, specifically Dubai.

Final points

For over two decades, Seed Group has actively facilitated the internationalisation pursuit of global businesses in the Middle East and North Africa, and most particularly in Dubai. With strategic associations and deep-rooted regional knowledge in its arsenal, the Group continuously streamlines market entry pathways and supports long-term growth for its partners. The successfully concluded webinar is part of this comprehensive and ongoing commitment.

The Seed Group online roundtable discussion laid out a clear and data-led investment map, which analysed the key trends and practical insights for international firms and enterprises. For investors, startup founders, and professionals exploring business opportunities in the UAE, the session reinforced the country’s role as a stable and innovative corporate hub.