nabd-alhadath – Ahmed Bin Abdulqader
Aspiring future AI unicorns were in the spotlight as the Ai Everything Global Supernova Challenge, the world’s ultimate AI startup pitch competition, concluded on the final day of the event, in Dubai.
In front of hundreds of attendees, including experts and investors from around the world, 30 start-ups from 15 countries, that developed impactful AI solutions for different sectors including robotics, fintech, e-commerce, and healthcare sectors, took to the stage on Thursday’s final to pitch to top-tier global investor judges on why their innovative AI-powered products and business models can boost the growth of the AI market.
With Ai Everything Global bringing together more than 150 of the world’s influential and top-tier investors and over USD $50 billion of AUM represented from 20 countries, the Supernova Challenge, which had a prize pool of USD $60,000, provided a platform for startup owners to compete against visionary entrepreneurs to scale their operations and secure significant funding.
A Thrilling Showdown in Grand Finale
Following two rounds (semi-final and final) of outstanding innovation presentations, Pulsar.ml outshone a strong and competitive global field, including startups from Indonesia, Germany, Poland, USA and UAE, to be named the winner of the 2025 AI Supernova Challenge and claim the coveted USD $30,000 prize.
The Canadian-based start-up, spearheaded by its founder Mohamed Sabri, showcased its product which empowers organisations with cutting-edge tools that can manage analytical assets and enable seamless AI governance. Through its systems, it provides a robust framework for managing the lifecycle of AI and machine learning models, ensuring transparency, compliance, and efficiency in deploying AI solutions.
In his pitch, Sabri highlighted powerful statistics that showed 60 per cent of organisations do not track data governance and emphasised that Pulsar.ml can be a ground-breaking solution that will enable businesses to improve their ML models, optimise their resources, comply with regulations and protect their reputation.
Governance in AI has been a key topic during Ai Everything Global with global leaders, experts, and decision-makers having their say on how this can be monitored.
“The Middle East Is a Thriving Destination to Fuel the Rise of AI”
Sabri, founder of Pulsar.ml, agrees it is a topic that cannot be ignored and believes his company can play a central role in addressing this issue.
He said: “AI governance is a critical challenge that needs to be solved sooner rather than later. Without the frameworks in place and visibility, we are at risk. This is why Pulsar.ml is stepping forward with a solution that other organisations can embrace by monitoring their AI systems to ensure they are transparent and optimised for success.”
Speaking of what’s next, Sabri is keen to expand his operations and tap into the Middle East market. He said: “We are already generating revenues in Canada and USA but now we want to have a presence in the Middle East and with this prize money, it is another step forward to realising this ambition. The way I see this is more of an engagement which shows we’re in a good position and on track for success in this market.”
The Supernova Challenge also saw ADspsective from Poland finish runners-up with a prize of USD 20,000, after impressing the judges with their cutting-edge platform that revolutionises video advertising through AI-powered dynamic virtual product placement. German-based Cre[ai]tion, which specialises in training custom AI models, was awarded third place and USD 10,000 prize money.
The Supernova Challenge, a staple of GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star, continues to provide startups a global platform to get noticed and display their game-changing innovations in front of the world, paving the way for the next generation of AI leaders. The latest competition at Ai Everything Global comes at a time where a report from PWC predicts AI could contribute up to $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030.
The UAE is already accelerating its efforts to lead in AI adoption, with AI expected to account for close to 14 per cent of the country’s GDP over the next five years, and Ai Everything Global is firmly supporting the government’s commitment in making the country a global hub for AI.