Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival: dates, who attends, and how founders get in
The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival is the region’s largest gathering of entrepreneurial minds.
Verified ·8 official sources·Organised by Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa)
The essentials from the organiser's own pages: when, where, how big, and how founders get in. Speakers, investor lists and past editions are on the official site.
- Next edition
- Jan 30–31, 2027 · Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2027 source
- Where
- SPARK (Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
- Format
- in-person
- Tickets
- Free–AED 1,999 (SEF 2026 published pass prices) source
- Startup pass
- Apply to the SEF Startup Showcase; selected exhibitors receive a showcase pod, exhibitor pass, curated investor meetings, and fast-track consideration for the pitch competition. The 2026 showcase page lists AED 2,499 and an additional AED 1,000; no 2027 startup package price is published. source
- SEF Pitch Competition
- AED 200,000 in grants (2026; four grants of AED 50,000 each) source
- Cadence
- Annual, late January
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Next edition
| Dates | Jan 30–31, 2027 source |
|---|---|
| Edition | Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2027 |
| Venue | SPARK (Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates |
| Tickets | sharjahef.com source |
How founders get in
| Startup programme | Apply to the SEF Startup Showcase; selected exhibitors receive a showcase pod, exhibitor pass, curated investor meetings, and fast-track consideration for the pitch competition. The 2026 showcase page lists AED 2,499 and an additional AED 1,000; no 2027 startup package price is published. source |
|---|
SEF Pitch Competition
| Prize | AED 200,000 in grants (2026; four grants of AED 50,000 each) source |
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Meeting investors there
At SEF’26, founders could meet investors through curated matchmaking and 10-minute power meetings in the Investor Lounge and Startup Showcase. source
| Investors attending | 500+ VCs are joining (2027) source |
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Before you go: the hub's cold email to VCs playbook covers the pre-event outreach that fills a meeting calendar, and Causo matches your stage and thesis to the funds in its database so you know who to ask for a meeting.
Official links and socials
Apply
Prepare for it
- How to cold email VCs — book the meetings before you land.
- The 12-slide seed deck — what to have ready when a partner says "send me the deck".
- Pitch Deck Roaster — a slide-by-slide pass before you submit to SEF Pitch Competition.
- Accelerator deadlines — the application windows that open around the event.
Sources
Every fact above was read from one of these official pages on Oct 26, 2026:
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival: frequently asked
When is Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2027?
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2027 runs Jan 30–31, 2027 at SPARK (Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park), Sharjah, according to the organiser's published dates.
How much does Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival cost?
Published ticket prices run Free–AED 1,999 (SEF 2026 published pass prices). Startups: Apply to the SEF Startup Showcase; selected exhibitors receive a showcase pod, exhibitor pass, curated investor meetings, and fast-track consideration for the pitch competition. The 2026 showcase page lists AED 2,499 and an additional AED 1,000; no 2027 startup package price is published..
How do startups get into Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival?
Apply to the SEF Startup Showcase; selected exhibitors receive a showcase pod, exhibitor pass, curated investor meetings, and fast-track consideration for the pitch competition. The 2026 showcase page lists AED 2,499 and an additional AED 1,000; no 2027 startup package price is published.
How many investors attend Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival?
The organiser reports 500+ VCs are joining investors for the 2027 edition. At SEF’26, founders could meet investors through curated matchmaking and 10-minute power meetings in the Investor Lounge and Startup Showcase.
What is SEF Pitch Competition?
Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival's pitch competition. Prize as published: AED 200,000 in grants (2026; four grants of AED 50,000 each).
How big is Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival?
Over 14,000 attendees attendees (2026), per the organiser.