DIFC ‘Launchpad’ aims to boost 200 fintech and crypto startups

DIFC, has launched what it claims is the world’s first venture studio platform. Shutterstock
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Updated 07 April 2022
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DIFC ‘Launchpad’ aims to boost 200 fintech and crypto startups

  • It is designed to attract and engage a consortium of leading starup and corporate venture studios

Dubai International Financial Center, also known as DIFC, has launched what it claims is the world’s first venture studio platform exclusively focused on ubiquitous finance and digital asset technologies. 

Over the next 5 years, over 20 studios will be set up in the DIFC, aiming to launch over 200 new ventures, of which over 100 will be scale-ups and 10 will gain unicorn status.

The platform, named the Studio Launchpad, will be supported by an international group of venture building experts, digital asset pioneers and emerging technology strategists.

It is designed to attract and engage a consortium of leading starup and corporate venture studios.

“The first global Venture Studio Launchpad is a core pillar of our vision to put DIFC at the center of the digital transformation of the financial sector in the UAE and globally,” said Essa Kazim, governor of DIFC.

He added: “DIFC is building an ecosystem from the ground-up that will support studios and founders with everything they need to be successful, and reimagine virtually every aspect of the financial services value chain, to help realize Dubai’s ambitions for the digital era.” 


Qatar lists first green sukuk as Al Rayan raises $137m 

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Qatar lists first green sukuk as Al Rayan raises $137m 

RIYADH: Qatar Stock Exchange listed its first green sukuk after Al Rayan Bank raised 500 million Qatari riyals ($137 million), expanding the range of sustainable Islamic finance instruments in the market. 

The three-year sukuk carries an annual profit rate of 4.25 percent and is listed on QSE’s debt market, according to Qatar News Agency. The issuance is the first green sukuk in Qatar’s financial market and the first by an entity registered with the Qatar Financial Centre to be locally listed, cleared and settled. 

The listing reflects efforts to deepen Qatar’s debt market and broaden access to Shariah-compliant instruments aligned with environmental, social and governance standards as investor demand for sustainable assets grows globally. 

Abdullah Mohammed Al-Ansari, CEO of QSE, said: “The listing of the first green sukuk in QSE’s history represents a significant milestone in the development of Qatar’s capital market. It reflects our commitment to expanding the range of sustainable, Shariah-compliant financing instruments and enhancing the depth and diversity of the debt market in line with global best practices.”  

He added: “This achievement also underscores QSE’s role as an integrated platform capable of supporting innovative financing solutions that align with national development priorities and long-term sustainability goals.” 

Al Rayan Bank CEO Fahad Abdullah Al-Khalifa said the issuance underscores the lender’s ambition to lead in ESG-linked Islamic finance while strengthening the domestic capital markets infrastructure. 

“By offering the first green sukuk to be listed, cleared, and settled in Qatar, we are not only reinforcing our role as a forward-looking institution but also contributing to the development of the local capital markets infrastructure,” he added.  

Al Rayan Bank said the issuance reflects its ambition to play a leading role in advancing Qatar’s sustainable finance ecosystem by aligning Islamic banking principles with financing structures designed to deliver long-term value. 

The listing comes amid continued development of QSE’s debt market, which has recently introduced inaugural corporate bonds, Islamic sukuk and sustainable bonds. 

The green sukuk provides investors with a tradable Shariah-compliant asset that combines financial returns with environmental objectives, supporting portfolio diversification while reinforcing sustainability standards in the local market.