Hub71 and Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority open 2026 Anjal Z startup cohort

Hub71, the Abu Dhabi technology ecosystem, and the Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA) opened applications on February 19, 2026, for the 2026 cohort of Anjal Z, a fellowship for startups building products for young children and their families. Five startups were to be selected, and each was to receive a package worth AED 500,000. Applications closed on February 28, 2026.

According to the Hub71 announcement, the package is split evenly between AED 250,000 in incentives and AED 250,000 invested through a SAFE, or simple agreement for future equity. The 2026 call targeted three areas: child obesity, Arabic literacy and child mental health. The program was open to early and growth-stage startups from around the world working on early childhood challenges, and the five selected companies were to join Hub71's Access Programme. Hub71 leads the selection process, while the ECA takes part in each evaluation stage and has a say in the final choice of companies.

Anjal Z is run as a dedicated ECA track within the Hub71 Access Programme, an arrangement that followed a strategic agreement the two bodies signed the previous year. Beyond the funding, participants gain access to Hub71's network of government entities, corporate partners and investors, and the ECA helps them set up pilots and identify funding routes to test their impact and build traction in the emirate. The two organizations said they would monitor each startup's progress and impact for up to three years after the program ends.

The announcement said Anjal Z has supported more than 45 startups from around the world since it began in 2020. In April 2020, when Hub71 admitted 15 new companies with a focus on health and education technology, Khaleej Times reported that more than half of them had previously attended an accelerator, naming the Techstars Hub71 Accelerator and Anjal Z as examples. The 2026 call was later carried by regional startup outlets, including MENA Startup Digest.