Sheraa says UAE startups are shifting focus from fast fundraising to building stronger, lasting businesses.
Sharjah: In the UAE, startup founders are being encouraged to look beyond fast fundraising and rapid growth, with greater emphasis now on customer retention, sound financials and building businesses that can stand the test of time.
“Startups used to be all about speed — raise quicker, grow faster. That was the measure of success. Now it’s deeper than that. We’ve matured as an ecosystem,” said Tayeb Hassan, Community Growth Manager at Sheraa and co-founder of Nafsi Health.
Hassan said founders are now asking tougher questions about why customers return, how sustainable their unit economics are and what values underpin their businesses. He described the shift as part of the broader maturation of Sharjah’s and the UAE’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
That shift is also changing the kind of support entrepreneurs need.
Too Much Information, Too Little Clarity
Access to information is no longer the constraint it once was. AI tools have made it easier for entrepreneurs to learn new skills and find answers almost instantly. But Hassan said the sheer volume of information available is creating a new challenge: knowing what to focus on and which advice to trust.
Founders increasingly need support in identifying what deserves their attention at each stage of their business journey.
“What is the most important thing I can do for my startup right now? What is the most relevant, highest-leverage task I can do to set myself up for success?” he said.
Hassan said Sheraa’s role is increasingly focused on helping founders answer those questions, while connecting them with the people, expertise and opportunities that can help move their businesses forward.
Hassan described access as one of Sharjah’s key advantages for entrepreneurs, citing the proximity of universities, investors, corporates and fellow founders across the emirate.
“Entrepreneurship is usually an isolating journey. Founders get lonely,” Hassan said. “The biggest thing that Sharjah offers founders is access.”
Connecting Founders with Investors and Customers
Sheraa runs initiatives designed to support entrepreneurs at different stages of their business journey.
Its year-round membership programme offers investor and commercial introductions, along with networking and other support tailored to the needs of founders at different stages.
The Access Sharjah Challenge connects startups with procurement opportunities at larger organisations, giving young businesses another route to potential customers and commercial contracts.
Hassan described Sheraa as the “glue” bringing together investors, universities, corporates and founders who might otherwise have few opportunities to connect.
“Sheraa’s role is to shorten that distance for founders — between where they are today and their next opportunity,” he said.
The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival takes that approach to a larger scale, bringing together founders, investors, speakers and established entrepreneurs.
Sheraa’s membership spans people just beginning to explore entrepreneurship as well as founders who have been running companies for years, giving participants opportunities to learn from businesses at different stages of development.
Support When Businesses Face Disruption
The ecosystem was tested during recent regional disruptions, when some businesses saw revenues disappear while others dealt with products stranded at ports, rising storage costs and broader supply chain challenges.
Hassan said many of the affected companies had otherwise been stable businesses that had done what was expected of them before conditions changed abruptly.
Sheraa responded through its Entrepreneurship Resilience Fund, combining financial grants, marketing support and exposure opportunities to help affected businesses regain stability.
“We thought it was almost a duty for us to step up and provide them with the support they needed at that time, as quickly as we could,” Hassan said.
More than 22 partners joined the initiative.
The disruption also highlighted the role local businesses can play when international connectivity and supply chains are disrupted, with UAE-based founders and manufacturers stepping in to help address emerging gaps.
Where Sharjah Sees Growth
Manufacturing is among the sectors where Hassan sees further opportunities for Sharjah, alongside healthcare, agriculture and sustainability.
Technology and AI are also expected to play an increasingly important role across industries. Hassan said they should be integrated into existing sectors rather than treated solely as standalone areas of opportunity.
The importance of local manufacturing became particularly evident during periods of regional disruption, when businesses in Sharjah helped fill gaps in supply chains.
Agriculture is another area Hassan highlighted, alongside sustainability, which he said has long been a focus for Sheraa.
Sharjah Wants to Shorten the Distance to Opportunity
Hassan said Sharjah’s proposition for founders ultimately comes down to access and community.
Entrepreneurs often make location decisions based on cost and other practical considerations, but he said the longer-term question is where a company can continue to build, grow and scale.
“Community equals continuity, equals feedback, equals growth,” Hassan said.
The support can become particularly valuable when founders face difficult periods and need guidance from people who have already navigated similar challenges.
As part of its 2030 vision, Sheraa aims to support 1,000 entrepreneurs. But Hassan said the goal goes beyond the number itself, with the focus on creating a cycle in which founders who have reached maturity give back to the ecosystem as investors, mentors or supporters of the next generation.
“The number is 1,000 entrepreneurs, but really it’s all about that feedback loop of founders taking and then giving once they’ve reached a state of maturity,” Hassan said.
