01
FinTech of the Year
Payments, lending, wealth, insurtech and the infrastructure underneath them.
MESA · December 2026 · Dubai
Middle East Startup Awards.
Nine categories, one night, the whole ecosystem in one room. Judged by investors and operators who see the region's dealflow every week.
The categories
Nine awards spanning the sectors defining the region's next decade.
02
FoodTech of the Year
Restaurant technology, delivery, cloud kitchens, agritech and food supply chain.
03
HealthTech of the Year
Care delivery, diagnostics, insurance technology and patient experience.
04
AI & Data
Applied artificial intelligence solving a specific, commercial regional problem.
05
Sustainability
Climate, circular economy, energy and waste — with measurable impact, not slogans.
06
Female Founder of the Year
Outstanding companies founded or co-founded by women across any sector.
07
Scale-up of the Year
Post-Series A companies demonstrating exceptional growth and discipline.
08
Emerging Startup
Pre-seed and seed companies showing the clearest early signal.
09
Ecosystem Contribution
The investor, operator or institution who did most for the region's founders this year.
How to enter
- 01
Check eligibility
Operating in the Middle East, with at least six months of trading or demonstrable product traction.
- 02
Submit your entry
A short form, your deck, and the numbers you're comfortable sharing under NDA.
- 03
Shortlist review
Scored against the same five criteria we use at the Idea Challenge. Shortlists published in Q3.
- 04
Judging & gala
Panel deliberation, then the winners announced on the night in December.
Sponsorship tiers
Scroll horizontally to view all columns.
| Tier | Indicative | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Title / Presenting | AED 250K+ | Naming rights, keynote slot, judging seat, year-round presence |
| Platinum | AED 150K | Category naming, stage time, VIP tables, logo across all assets |
| Gold | AED 75K | Category sponsor, tables, branding, dealflow access |
| Silver / Ecosystem | AED 25–40K | Branding, tickets, community access |
Ticketing, exhibitor booths and the annual ecosystem report are available as separate packages.
MESA questions
Does it cost anything to enter?
Entry is free for companies listed in our startup directory. There is no pay-to-win tier — sponsors fund the event, and sponsorship has no bearing on judging.
Who judges?
A panel drawn from our investor network and expert panel, with no judge scoring a category where they hold a conflict. The panel is published before shortlisting.
Do I need to be a UAE company?
No. MESA is regional — companies operating anywhere in the Middle East are eligible.
What do winners actually get?
The trophy and the night, obviously. More usefully: alumni status, a permanent directory feature, introductions to the investors on the panel, and a place on the following year's stage.