Sharjah: The National Agriculture Centre, in collaboration with the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa), is calling on innovators, founders, and forward-thinking agri-tech startups to be part of a new chapter in the UAE’s agricultural transformation through the launch of the Agriboost Programme 2026.
According to Emirates News Agency, the programme is a targeted early-stage incubation initiative designed to empower innovative agri-tech startups addressing priority challenges across the agricultural sector. Applications will be open from January 15 to February 20, 2026, via the official website: www.agriboost.sheraa.ae.
The programme represents a strategic effort to embed innovation at the heart of the national agriculture agenda, advancing sustainable food systems while enabling the next generation of agri-tech solutions to grow with clarity and purpose. Agriboost reflects a shared commitment to strengthening the role of entrepreneurship in addressing national priorities across agriculture, sustainability, and food security.
As part of the programme, five seed-stage, UAE-based agri-tech startups will be selected to participate, with each receiving a participation cost valued at AED 15,000 over the programme duration. Participating teams will also gain access to industry experts, customers, partners, and investors, alongside software perks provided through Sheraa’s ecosystem partnerships, as well as marketing exposure and free co-working space. Delivered in a hybrid format, AgriBoost combines investment opportunities with hands-on guidance to help founders focus on go-to-market execution and revenue generation through business model innovation.
Sultan Salem Al Shamsi, Director of the National Agriculture Centre, emphasized AgriBoost’s role in advancing agricultural innovation that directly responds to sector needs, aligning with national priorities for agricultural sustainability. The collaboration with Sheraa provides an integrated platform that enables startups to test, refine, and deploy their solutions in real-world settings, supporting enhanced agricultural productivity and the development of innovative, climate-smart solutions.
Sara Abdelaziz Al Nuaimi, CEO of Sheraa, highlighted the programme’s focus on strengthening the link between innovation and national agricultural priorities by providing early-stage founders with the structure, support, and access needed to test and refine their solutions in real market conditions. Agriboost reflects Sheraa’s commitment to enabling founders to build practical, scalable technologies that contribute to sustainable food systems in the UAE.
Agriboost is designed as an intensive six-week, sprint-based programme supporting agri-tech startups developing solutions aligned with nationally prioritised agricultural challenges. Developed in collaboration with the National Agriculture Centre, the programme focuses on solution validation and practical market alignment, ensuring startups are equipped to respond directly to real agricultural needs while contributing to the UAE’s sustainability objectives and the goals of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
The programme begins with a two-day sprint bootcamp that immerses founders in agile and lean methodologies, equipping teams with the mindset and tools needed to operate in rapid execution mode. Through hands-on workshops and team-building challenges, startups strengthen internal collaboration, refine communication and conflict-resolution skills, and develop their first structured product roadmap.
Following the bootcamp, startups enter a six-week incubator structured around six consecutive sprints designed to move teams beyond early validation and into real-world application. Throughout the incubator, founders work on setting clear strategic goals, conducting customer discovery, integrating sector-specific insights, iterating on product development, designing pilots, and shaping effective go-to-market approaches informed by direct customer engagement.
Agriboost places strong emphasis on practical learning outcomes, enabling participating teams to develop and refine their products under real market conditions. The programme culminates in a Demo Day, where founders present their progress to ecosystem stakeholders, supported by one-to-one mentoring and strategic advisory sessions.
Through this initiative, the National Agriculture Centre and Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) reaffirm their shared commitment to embedding innovation within agriculture, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and empowering founders to build solutions that strengthen food systems locally and globally. Agriboost Programme 2026 is a call to action for agri-tech entrepreneurs ready to validate their ideas, build with intent, and contribute to the future of agriculture in the UAE and scaling globally.