During ADYC, you will learn how to think, work and build like a startup in 54 thrilling hours. This immersive experience will connect you with top founders, mentors and partners. Over three action-packed days, participants will form teams, nurture ideas, develop prototypes and present them to judges.
This program is focused on creating solutions to benefit young children (0-8 years) and their families. The top three winners will win a fantastic array of prizes and receive post-program support to further develop their ideas. Select participants will also be able to grow personally and professionally through paid internships opportunities with leading startups.
The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority is calling all local innovators with an interest to tackle challenges in early childhood development.
Who is this event for?
Connect with other creators: ADYC Weekend is a great place to connect with passionate people driven to build something new. There is no better place to meet new potential founders, friends, colleagues, mentors and more.
Start something great: Knowing you’re not alone can make all the difference. ADYC provides many opportunities to engage and connect with like-minded individuals — and truly start something amazing.
Learn from the best: Learn what it really takes to innovate, disrupt and start a company from people who’ve been there. ADYC Weekend features deep experiential learning guided by an experienced hand.
Improve your knowledge: You need more sector-specific skills and knowledge to take things to the next level. ADYC also offers participants (18-26 years) an internship opportunity with the startups at the Anjal Z Program!
- An open mind, curiosity and creativity. You do not need a startup idea to attend the event – you can either ideate from scratch with your team or join forces with another participant.
- You may need your laptop or any technological device to work effectively throughout the weekend.
- Motivation! This will be an incredible experience.
You are invited to create innovative solutions that address one of the following four themes to benefit young children (0-8 years) and families in Abu Dhabi. You may address the challenges using any solution you have in mind with a preference to those that leverage AI.
How might we develop engaging solutions that enable children to explore and celebrate UAE culture, fostering a strong sense of community and belonging?
With globalization diluting traditional Emirati culture, children need help balancing their heritage with modern influences. We seek innovative approaches, such as interactive storytelling, virtual festivals, and digital art, to make cultural education engaging and meaningful. These solutions should help children share their cultural experiences, celebrate diversity, and showcase Emirati identity globally.
We invite you to create solutions that transform urban spaces into vibrant, sustainable environments for children. Explore eco-friendly playgrounds, smart infrastructure and community gardens that enhance safety, connectivity and effective use of public parks, supporting healthy development and resilience against environmental challenges.
How might we transform the out-of-school landscape with innovative, engaging activities that foster children’s development?
We seek ideas to transform museums, libraries, community centers, activity clubs and transportation hubs into dynamic play and learning areas with interactive exhibits, play-based learning zones and staff training programs that spark curiosity and creativity.
We invite solutions by offering workshops, family activities, and digital resources to empower parents and community leaders as active partners in children’s education. These innovations should ensure child safety, promote a supportive society and create stimulating environments outside school hours to enhance children’s development and nurture their interests.
- 15:00 Registration and
Networking - 15:15 Welcome Remarks: Early
Childhood Authority - 15:30 ECA Speaker – Cecilia
Vaca Jones, Senior Advisor at
ECA - 16:00 Speaker: Early Childhood
Authority - 16:30 Agenda Overview
- 16:45 Pitches
- 17:30 Team Formation
- 18:00 Workshop 1 – Lean
Business Model Canvas &
Teamwork - 18:30 Dinner and Networking
- 19:00 Close of Day
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8:30 Day 2 Agenda and
Breakfast -
9:00 Workshop 2 – Customer
Discovery -
9:30 Teams begin to work
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10:40 In-Person Customer
Discovery - 12:00 Workshop 3 – MVP
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12:30 Lunch
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13:30 Workshop – MVP and Intro
to Pitching and Judging Criteria -
14:10 Mentor Roundtables
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15:00 Mentor Office Hours
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16:00 Workshop 4 – Pitching &
Judging Criteria -
18:00 Dinner
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18:40 Close of Day
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9:30 Breakfast
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10:30 Day 3 Agenda and
Internship Opportunity -
11:00 Teams working & Tech
Check -
12:30 Internship Announcement
with the Founders Catalyst
Pitches -
13:00 Lunch and Networking
with the Anjal Z Founders -
13:30 Teamwork
- 14:00 Pitch Feedback Sessions
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17:00 Final Presentations
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18:30 Speaker: MBZUAI
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19:00 Judging and Awards
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19:30 Dinner and Celebrations
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20:00 Close of Day
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Eight winners will be announced and invited to join the ADYC Post Program.
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All participants receive a participation certificate.
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The top eight teams join the ADYC Post Program, a month-long incubation initiative designed to help them further develop their startup ideas. The teams will work with a dedicated program manager and best-in-class mentors, industry experts and ecosystem leaders to refine their idea, work on their implementation strategy and build an MVP.
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At the end of the ADYC Post Program, three winning teams among the eight will be eligible to access equity-free grants of up to USD 10,000 per team.
We’re excited to offer an exclusive part-time paid internship opportunity for selected participants to work for the six startups of the
Anjal Z Program! This hands-on experience involves contributing to a growth-stage startup’s proof-of-concept project, providing valuable insights into the dynamic world of startups.
“One can steal ideas, but no one can steal execution or passion.”
However, a “Sunday Presentations Only” registration option is available for those who wish to view only the teams’ final presentations.
Do some research. Market research and background information will help you better understand the problem you’re trying to solve.
As with any startup, the team decides. ADYC+ doesn’t support or participate in signing any legal documents at the events themselves. While Mentors with legal backgrounds are often present and able to give general advice, they are not permitted to give specific legal counsel.
It helps to be clear about your individual expectations from the start.
The judges will use the following criteria to review all pitches:
Validation
- Is the solution faster, cheaper and a better service than what the competition is offering?
- Is the intervention completely new and innovative or is it more effective, efficient and economical than what currently exists?
Team Dynamic
- Does the team complement each other well?
- Do they have a healthy dynamic as well as present and answer questions well together?
Business Model
- How do you plan on making this a successful business?
- Are you solving a problem? (value proposition)
- Is your idea unique?
Execution & Design
- What was the overall level of quality and thought put into the pitch by the team?
- Did the team properly support and present their solution with clear effort?
Impact
- Is the solution creating a positive impact on society, the environment, beyond what the competition is offering?
- Is the intervention introducing new and innovative ways to address existing problems or having a more significant effect than current solutions?
Yes, there will be a morning and evening shuttle (to and from the event) on all three days.
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Get more information about the event on the event landing page or contact Nick Murray, Operations Associate at Techstars (nick.murray@techstarsassociates.com).
The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) is a government entity, based in Abu Dhabi, that supports holistic early childhood development. We do this by developing policies and laws, informing decision-making through research and transforming behavior.
Monday to Thursday:
09:00 am to 04:00 pm
Friday:
08:00 am until 12:30 pm
