We do not have cohorts; we accept applications on a rolling basis.
The next starting date will be early January – we will announce the precise date shortly.
The program is located in Dtec, Dubai. The workshops, networking & community events, VC meetings are all happening onsite. The 1-1s can be arranged at your convenience with our experts, either online or in Dtec.
We are looking for exceptional & ambitious founders, working full time on their startup. We welcome tech startups from MVP to Seed stage. The team must be UAE-based as the program takes place in Dubai. Your business model must be scalable.
Step 1 - Submit your application form via the "Apply Now" button below
Step 2 - If shortlisted, you will be invited for a call with the Dtec Ventures team
Step 3 - If you make it to the final stage, you will be invited to pitch to our SANDBOX selection committee in-person
Yes we only invite MVP-stage and seed-stage tech companies (we are sector agnostic!).
Yes, we require the main founders to be based in the UAE since the program is taking place in Dubai.
We will look at international applications on a case-by-case basis, since the founders will have to relocate to Dubai before their official enrollment.
We require minimum of 1 founder (CEO) to be working full time but we have a strong preference for having at least 2 founders fully committed to their ventures and the program.
Yes, you are of course free to join another startup program accelerator, such as Techstars, YComibinator etc. We invite you to consider the real value of being part of multiple programs consecutively as the content may overlap, and time commitments may mean you spread yourself too thinly.
First, congratulations! Of course, you can join SANDBOX. This program is dedicated to early stages startups and some of them have already raised from friends & family, angel investors and early-stage VCs. If your team is larger than 4 people, and you want your full team to be relocated to Dtec, please kindly get in touch with us: programs@dtec.ae
We will schedule a video call with our Dtec Ventures team, so you can pitch your startup. This call should take approximately 30 minutes, so please have your presentation ready as we will kindly ask you to share your screen.
If we see your startup as a fit for our program, we will first schedule a screening call. Once that is done and you are approved for next step, we will ask you to come in person to present your startup in front of a selection committee. If admitted, you will receive an official invitation by email from our team inviting you to join Sandbox.
After accepting the offer through email, you will go through the business setup process which includes getting a new service license at DTEC or transferring your existing one. Once your license is issued, you will then be invited to the next introduction week and will officially be part of SANDBOX!
This first week is essential to get you started. We will present an overview of the program and all workshops you can attend. This will be an opportunity to chat directly with our mentors and practitioners who will accompany you for the next 12 months. We will also guide you through the various tools we put in place to help you.
We will introduce you to the other participants, to the Dtec community and of course to our team so we really get to know each other!
In addition, we will run workshops 101 on our 6 key pillars and schedule the first 360 assessment of your ventures. This is an opportunity your set your KPIs and milestones for your next sprint!
The joining fee is AED 9,500 + AED 1,000 deposit. This covers the cost of your new license (or the transfer fee of your existing license) + access for up to 4 people to the program space and Dtec space in general.
Yes! We have a dedicated team at Dtec that will guide you with the process for your license & visas.
Yes, it is mandatory that your register your license at Dtec or transfer your existing one. Our team will help you with the process.
You can avail up to 4 visas with this setup. Should you need more visas, you will be required to pay an additional charge to the joining fees to cover for extra flexi desks. Each flexi desk (AED 7,500 AED per year) grants you up to 2 additional visas.
The visa fees are not included in the joining fee.
If you already have a valid residency visa, you can indeed transfer it under your new Dtec license.
SANDBOX provides 100+ practical workshops, 100 hours per startup of 1:1 mentoring, financial diagnostics, legal support, $150,000+ worth of credits from our partners, many community events and access to renown keynote speakers.
We organize in average 10 workshops per months, covering 6 key pillars:
You can avail up to 8x 1:1 credits per month with our pre-selected list of practitioners from any of the 6 key pillars, for a tailored session to your needs.
For example, if one specific workshop got your attention and you would require assistance with implementation, you will be able to use your credits and ask for a 1:1 with the practitioner to help you directly.
Upon joining Sandbox, you get USD 3,000 worth of credit with our partner startup law firm to help you with any legal matters: draft of term sheet or convertible notes, shareholders agreement, employee contracts, IP assignment agreement, and many more.
Our legal partner will also host regular workshops on key topics and office hours to address your questions.
You will also access a range of templates that you can also customize by yourself or with the help of our legal partner using your legal credits.
We strongly encourage you to attend as many workshops as you see fit. We have not overloaded your weekly agenda so you can focus on building your startups. As such, we expect you to attend at least 40 workshops throughout the 12-month period.
Your presence is mandatory during your induction week and your 3 intermediary review sessions.
Upon joining Sandbox you will sign an Equity Warrant with Dtec Ventures that grants Dtec a right to invest in your company in the future. In summary, Dtec will have the right to invest $50,000 and take a 2.5% stake in your company during either your Seed or Series-A round.
In addition, the investment team will monitor your progress and potentially participate to your next funding round(s). We traditionally invest between $100K and $500K at Seed/Series-A.
We will decide to exercise or not our warrant during any qualifying round before it expires. This means we will most likely exercise during your next qualifying equity round.
Nothing! Dtec Ventures has the right but not the obligation to exercise the warrant. If we don’t exercise before the maturity date for whatever reason, then we won’t take any equity in your company.
You can email us your questions to programs@dtec.ae
Upon joining SANDBOX, you naturally become part of our deal flow. We will work closely with you over the course of the program, and assess a potential investment opportunity when you start fundraising, whether you are still a participant or an alumni of SANDBOX.
It is unlikely that we will invest in every startup. We will closely monitor your progress, and invest in the ventures that fit our mandate and clearly demonstrate a capacity to execute and scale. Your commitment and discipline throughout the program is particularly important to our investment team.
Dtec Ventures invest from $100K to $500K at Seed stage.
To help you connect with local investors, we have scheduled multiple events: