The 9th Annual Angel Rising Investor Symposium, organized by startAD and VentureSouq, recently concluded at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Held in partnership with the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and supported by Global Climate Finance Center (GCFC), Ethara, and Carta, the event convened over 150 investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and climate innovators under the theme Scaling Climate Resilience in the Global South.
Now in its ninth year, Angel Rising has become a leading regional platform for investor education and early-stage technology investing. The 2025 edition featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, and networking sessions focused on unlocking capital and accelerating ClimateTech innovation.
The program opened with H.E. Shaikha Mohamed Al Mazrouei of EAD, who emphasized closing the innovation gap in climate adaptation. She noted that while the MENA region is highly vulnerable, it receives less than 2 percent of global climate-tech investment, with most funding directed toward mitigation rather than adaptation. Abu Dhabi, she said, is positioning itself as a bridge between global finance and local innovation to channel capital into solutions designed for the Global South.
Nihal Shaikh, Associate Director of startAD, highlighted the economic urgency of ClimateTech investment, citing projected GDP losses of up to 64 percent across the Global South by the end of the century. He stressed that accelerating investment is both an environmental and economic necessity, representing a trillion-dollar growth opportunity.
Sonia Weymuller, Co-Founder of VentureSouq, praised the diversity of thought leadership at the symposium, noting that building resilience requires inclusive investment approaches combining early-stage capital with long-term policy commitment.
Sessions explored topics such as leveraging technology for climate adaptation, de-risking early-stage investment, enabling ecosystems through policy frameworks, and harnessing AI for climate solutions. Networking discussions focused on co-investment, blended finance, and pilot projects to be scaled across MENA and the Global South.
Since 2015, Angel Rising has engaged more than 900 investors and 100 ecosystem leaders, advancing investor education and ClimateTech innovation. As attention turns to COP30 in Brazil, the symposium reinforces the UAE’s role in bridging regional investment with global climate goals, building on the legacy of COP28 to strengthen food, water, and energy resilience across the Global South.
