The Museum of the Future

IP and equity remain with the company, other than any specific arrangement made in a contract signed with the Museum of the Future at the end of the accelerator. Those arrangements will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Our cohort starts on July 1^st 2018 and ends on August 9^th 2018. The deadline to submit applications for this cohort is on May 30^th, 11:59pm GMT+4.

While we consider applicants on a case-by-case basis, companies should have already built and launched their core technology, and be able to demonstrate traction and/or substantial use cases. While we encourage companies to approach the program with an open mind and the desire to develop new technologies, the program is not open to early-stage startups that are still at the ideation stage. 

From experience, the program is best suited to technology companies that have raised Seed or Series-A, or employ a number of staff beyond the core founding team.

We need a commitment from 2 to 3 participants to attend full-time for the duration of the 6-week cohort. Business development, project management and the ability to rapidly prototype ideas are key skills required. Furthermore, we require a senior decision maker to be a part of this team as it is an intense program and key decisions will have to be made instantaneously. This ensures that you are in a position to make the best out of the program.

For participants committing to the full program, the Museum of the Future Accelerator will provide an economy return flight to and from your home country, plus accommodation in Dubai for the full 6 weeks. We will also cover the cost of visa applications for each full-time participant. If you’re based in the UAE but not in Dubai, we may be able to cover accommodation for full-time participants, but this is subject to availability.

The Museum of the Future Accelerator is a unique opportunity for technology companies to gain unparalleled access to the staff, resources and expertise behind the Museum of the Future.

This isn’t an accelerator in the traditional sense - we won’t teach you how to write a business plan or build an MVP; what we are accelerating is the creation of technology that solves a challenge the Museum of the Future faces. Instead of taking months to access relevant stakeholders, expect to develop a positive relationship with the government of Dubai in weeks.

The aim of the program is to provide a dynamic environment where companies and entities can explore new opportunities to deliver transformative technologies and services, culminating in companies receiving a MOU (or other commercial agreement) to deliver a funded pilot project after the program ends.

We will not cover the costs of part-time participants; however, they are more than welcome to be a part of the program so as long as your company incurs the costs.

Since participants will likely be working away from their regular place of work, companies should look to cover living expenses and any other travel costs incurred while attending the program.

Companies must arrange comprehensive medical insurance for all participants - this is a strict condition of attendance, and participants may be asked for proof of cover before traveling to the program.

Finally, every participating company will be required to demonstrate its core technologies in the early weeks of the program. This means that a hardware company should bring some form of their hardware with so it can be tested. If your product is software, participants should be able to not only demonstrate it, but explain it in technical detail.