Shanghai : Startup Contest China-UAE

Middle Bridge joined innovators and ecosystem leaders at Shanghai's China-UAE Expand North Star Startup Pitch Competition. The event, co-organised by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy (DCDE), Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and S-Tron China (S创中国), brought together startups, investors and partners to foster deeper tech ties between China and the Middle East.

Hosted with the support of Caohejing Hi-Tech Park and i-lab (云赛空间), the event featured startup pitches across frontier sectors, including robotics, quantum computing and AI-driven architecture.

RoboCT, specialising in exoskeleton robotics, was selected as one of the winners and will present to investors in Dubai. 

Flash Dx, focused on drug discovery and scientific research, also secured a winning spot and will travel to GITEX GLOBAL later this year.

Other startups included:

Songchen Dynamics – Intelligent electric drive systems

Blucap Moto – AR glasses for motorcyclists

Anthap – Haptic interface innovation

HeFei MiQro Era Digital Technology – Quantum computing software

Carbon Xiao Energy – Sustainable aviation fuel

Arch Inspire – AI-powered architecture platform

Shanghai GCevolution – Energy router production

The jury panel included notable figures such as Will Wang (BAI Capital), Andrew Chang (New Energy Nexus), Oscar Ramos (Orbit Startups) and Zain Anwer Pirani (Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy), who offered sharp insights and support to participating founders.

The event reinforced Middle Bridge’s focus on linking Asian and Gulf ecosystems to unlock shared innovation opportunities.

Photo credits: Expand North Star and Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.