ADGM Tech Startup license

This license enables tech companies to establish operations in the UAE quickly and easily.

What is an ADGM Tech Startup
license?

The ADGM Tech Startup license encourages entrepreneurship in the MENA region by removing cost as a barrier to entry for technology-driven startups. Eligible businesses will benefit from the discounted licensing fee structure for up to 5 years of operations in ADGM. Successful applicants will receive an operational license through which they can set up their bank account, commence invoicing activities and apply for employee visas.

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Benefits

Learn more about the benefits of an ADGM Tech Startup license

Quick online
registration process
Ability to apply for
employment visas
Low annual
fees
Access to entrepreneurship support program
ADGM Tech license

Considerations of an ADGM Tech
Startup license 

   

Eligibility

Not all startups are eligible for an ADGM Tech Startup license. An application must include a  detailed business plan  demonstrating that the company is a technology-driven startup with an innovative business concept that has the potential to scale, promotes innovation, can be deployed in the UAE, and contributes to the development of the local economy.

Permitted activities

This type of license does not cover regulated financial services, consumer retail or manufacturing.

Types of licenses

There are two types of ADGM Tech Startup licenses available: Seed and Emergent. The license available to a startup will depend on its stage of maturity. The licensing fee payable to ADGM varies depending on the type of license applicable to the startup.

Flexible ownership

There is no minimum share capital and no maximum number of shares or shareholders for an ADGM Tech Startup license. Entrepreneurs from any country can apply for a license, but they will need to appoint at least one signatory who is a UAE Resident or GCC National. Clara can provide nominee signatory services.

Ease of incorporation and administration

The incorporation application, renewal filings and ongoing administration of an ADGM Tech Startup license are entirely digital and documents can be signed online. There are minimal annual obligations with no requirement of an annual shareholder meeting.

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amal-dokhan Amal Dokhan General Partner MENA, 500 Global
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Clara is a one-stop shop for everything equity related. All our data is safe and securely stored and accurately recorded. And our investors love having direct access. It has saved us countless hours and kept our cap table mistake free.

jessica-anuna Jessica Anuna CEO & Founder, Klasha
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vijay-tirathrai Vijay Tirathrai Managing Director, Techstars

You can’t beat Clara’s ESOP functionality. It allows us to grant options to our team in a few clicks while automatically updating our cap table. Truly next level.

michael-hunter Michael Hunter Co-Founder & CEO, Holo
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Founders often struggle with managing their legal function due to lack of expertise and resources. And we’ve seen poor legal structures create hurdles to our investing in otherwise healthy startups. Investors like ourselves love that Clara gives founders the tools they need to establish, grow and scale their startups from day one on a best-practice basis.

shane-shin Shane Shin Founding Partner, Shorooq
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US cap table solutions aren’t tailored to the differentiated needs of international startups. Clara is the only cap table provider we found that had emerging market startups in mind. Add to that all the other things you can do on the Clara platform, from building your ESOP to data room management, and switching was a no brainer.

omar-rifai Omar Rifai Co-founder, GrubTech
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From company formation to maintaining the cap-table, by using Clara founders can digitally form their companies in a range of jurisdictions, create and manage their cap-tables and generate legal documents. Clara is quickly becoming an integral part of the startup software stack.

daniel-dos-reis Daniel Dos Reis Investment Director, Wamda Capital

Clara is a must-have for founders. Not only does it provide all the legal tools you need in a single platform, using Clara also signals to investors that you are a serious startup.

mazen-aldarrab Mazen AlDarrab Founder & CGO, Zid
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IP Assignments, what? I didn’t even know they existed before Clara. For startups, setting up governance, corporate structures, data rooms and fundraising are all hard to get right. Clara’s legalOS is premium. It pays for itself.

zohare-haider Zohare Haider Co-Founder & CEO, Jalebi

Binance uses Clara to incorporate and manage ADGM entities. The team at Clara are extremely efficient and go the extra mile to ensure we always have a smooth experience and meet our deadlines. Top-notch service!

Vishal Sacheendran Head of Strategy and Operations, Binance

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