February 2024: In a vibrant gathering at Dubai Silicon Oasis, the MIT DesignX Dubai Accelerator marked a significant milestone, celebrating the culmination of months of hard work, mentorship, and business development. This event brought together 12 startups from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, each given the platform to pitch their innovative ventures for funding opportunities.

Highlighting the event was Othalo, a startup that has made waves with its groundbreaking initiative on recycled plastic affordable housing. Othalo's remarkable vision and execution secured them an impressive $200,000 in funding, setting a benchmark for sustainability and innovation in the housing sector.

The MIT DesignX Dubai Accelerator provides a unique ecosystem for early-stage startups in the MENA region, focusing on fostering innovation, sustainability, and growth. As we celebrate Othalo's achievement, we extend an invitation to other early-stage startups to join our next cohort this fall. This is an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to shaping the future, leveraging mentorship, funding, and a supportive community to bring your ideas to life.

A heartfelt shoutout goes to all the startups that were part of this transformative journey:

- Othalo: Revolutionizing affordable housing with recycled plastic.
- ActDivate: Pioneering Movement Intelligence™️ for enhanced data connections.
- Airvi: Utilizing AI to reduce traffic congestion.
- FUSE: Driving the future with electrified commercial vehicles.
- Project UltraCool: Innovating for sustainable thermal management in data centers.
- RecIusters: Creating reusable products from medical waste.
- Regeny: Building an integrated EV ecosystem platform.
- Smartzi: Streamlining IoT management.
- Sustainability Kiosk: Bridging sustainability practices in the hospitality industry.
- Suswater: Harnessing technology to produce water from air.
- Tile Green: Transforming plastic waste into over 40 building materials.
- The Surpluss: Advocating for sustainable industrial ecosystems through climate tech.

The MIT DesignX Dubai Accelerator and Dubai Silicon Oasis are proud to support these pioneers as they embark on their journey to reshape the future. We look forward to seeing their continued growth and the positive impact they will have on the world. Join us this fall to be part of the next wave of innovation in the MENA region.