Jackie’s Kitchen
Founded by Jacqueline Jacob, Jackie’s Kitchen serves up authentic Southern-style soul food in an urban chic setup that celebrates the work of local Emirati artists.
Make an Impact Where It Matters
Become the changing face of retail in the Middle East. Lead your industry and forge your own path, whether it’s in the innovative concept you have or the technology you’re building.
The Manassah incubator by Aldar in partnership with startAD accelerates the region’s most ambitious retail entrepreneurs to turn homegrown concepts into viable businesses & overcome scalability challenges.
Apply Now
The Manassah incubator by Aldar in partnership with startAD accelerates the region’s most ambitious retail entrepreneurs to turn homegrown concepts into viable businesses & overcome scalability challenges.
Apply Now
Manassah in 60 Seconds
Retail innovation is an idea whose time has come.
Zip through the highlights to watch what the future holds.
The Manassah 2.0 Cohort
Applications are closed and the finalists have been selected. Read on to learn about the next generation of retail entrepreneurs and retail tech innovators from the region.
Spotlight On: Retail SMEs
Tart Art
Brainchild of a pilot and an engineer, Aisha AlMansoori’s Tart Art serves up baked deliciousness alongside artsy goodness with a dedicated space for art workshops all year round.
Miva
Home-based and UAE-grown, Tanaz Shariari’s gelateria makes gourmet flavors crafted locally from the best ingredients for a treat as wholesome as it is accessible.
Bound No.82
Inspired by Emirati women’s weaving traditions preserved over centuries, Amanda Gush’s Bound No.82 sources traditionally crafted decor made of sustainable materials by artisans from around the world.
El’Botik
Edgy & avant-garde, El’Botik is a concept store created by Samia Alawi to surface underground Arab art & design for new audiences and provide a community hub for local artists.
Ateliers Céline
Merging art tech with DIY culture, Philippe Viola’s company keeps traditions alive through premium boxes complete with tools & locally-made artisan materials for use in eco-friendly digital workshops led by artists.
Playcation
Gamified learning, teamwork, and technology-free social interaction are at the heart of this edutainment space by Early Childhood Education specialist Anisa Ismail, perfect for children ages 6-17 years.
Padel Box
Padel Box is created by players for players. It offers premium quality Padel courts and experiences for adults and children including: Padel lessons, Tournaments, Social Match Play, Food & Beverages. Maximum fun in a box!
Spotlight On: Retail Tech
VenueX
15 years of Proptech & Retail tech experience went in Kursad Arman’s VenueX platform, which brings brick & mortar stores online and digitalizes shopping experiences with indoor mapping and analytics.
DesignHubz
Nadim Habr’s DesignHubz powers 3D and Virtual Try-On Augmented Reality experiences for online & offline stores through an AI engine that also enables size detection, fit, and product recommendations.
Footprints
Dan Marculescu’s AI-based marketing platform enables behavioral profiling in physical stores, allowing targeted promotions and helping brands reach shoppers at any point via location intelligence.
I Hear You
With text/audio to sign language translations and 3D character animations, Mohamed Aboelazm and Eman Khamis co-founded the app to make communication with the hearing-impaired seamless and simple.
iModah
Ulugbek Makhmudov and co-founder Ibrahim Al Rashid built the cloud-based AI solution to personalize the physical purchase journey through data analysis for intelligent product recommendations.
Situm
Delivering high-precision indoor positioning technology globally, Victor Alvarez Santos’s Situm provides accurate positioning in the most crowded venues even with zero infrastructure.
Our Partners
Vision Come True: Manassah 1.0
After successfully graduating from the Manassah Incubator in 2021, 3 startups secured equity-free investments worth up to AED 1 Million. You can visit them at Aldar's Mamsha Al Saadiyat, a prime location adjacent to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the pristine Saadiyat Island beachfront.
Manassah 1.0: a Journey
From over 150 applicants, 5 startups proved their mettle. 2 of them advanced into discussions with Aldar Leasing. 3 of them secured equity-free investments worth up to AED 1 Million.
With a turnover rent deal, they launched at Aldar's Mamsha Al Saadiyat building - located next to the Louvre Abu Dhabi & the pristine Saadiyat Island beachfront.
These are their stories.
Straight from the Startups
>Alumni Stories
Coffee Architecture
Founded by the first female Emirati certified Q grader, Coffee Architecture won an equity-free investment, fit-out contribution, and location space - while sharing a love of minimalism, art, and gourmet coffee along the way.
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Alkalime
Alkalime’s menu tastes as good as it looks and it looks as good as it feels. Proving eco-friendly wholesome eating is an idea whose time has come, it won an equity-free investment, fit-out contribution, and location space.
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Wake n’ Bake
Wake ‘n’ Bake started life as a digital-only gourmet bakeshop that lovingly handcrafted delicious goodies from natural and unprocessed ingredients. It won an equity-free investment, fit-out contribution, and location space.
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Mr Draper
Merging haute couture & high tech, Mr Draper is a shopping experience unlike any. Its idea to easily curate personalized outfits using a proprietary algorithm and in-house stylists saw it engage with Aldar Leasing.
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Maharat
Pioneering innovation in special education, Maharat offers specialized programs for children with unique needs & developmental support. Its mission to shape a better future saw Maharat engage with Aldar Leasing.
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