Dar Ventures expands DarE to back Africa’s built-environment tech startups

Dar Ventures, the venture capital arm of design and engineering firm Dar, has partnered with Plug and Play, a global open innovation and early-stage venture platform, to expand its startup programme for technology companies working across architecture, engineering, construction and the wider built environment across Africa and other markets.

The partnership will give the programme, DarE, access to Plug and Play’s global network of startups, investors and corporate partners. Its 12-week hybrid programme will target pre-seed to pre-Series A companies with a minimum viable product (MVP) or market-ready product, primarily across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while remaining open to companies globally.

Africa’s tech ecosystem raised $1.44 billion across 174 deals in the first half of 2026, while early-stage startups received just $9 million, down from $25 million a year earlier, according to TechCabal Insights. For startups building technology for specialised industries such as construction and infrastructure, access to industry expertise, customers, capital and international markets can offer another route to growth.

DarE will support technologies across the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) and wider built-environment value chain, including construction, infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities and sustainability.

The programme will target companies with early market validation and strong potential for commercial adoption and international growth, with selected startups receiving expert support, one-on-one mentorship, direct industry engagement and curated access to investors, corporate partners and international markets.

Dar Ventures said DarE will also build a global alumni community to keep participating companies connected beyond individual cohorts, creating continued opportunities for commercial partnerships, knowledge exchange, investment and cross-market expansion.

“DarE has always been about providing the right platform for entrepreneurs to thrive,” Nader Aboushadi, co-founder of Dar Ventures, said in a statement. “Partnering with Plug and Play allows us to take that ambition to the next level, identifying exceptional founders and giving them access to the expertise and markets, coupled with Dar Ventures projects and capital they need to grow.”

Since launching the programme in 2023 as an incubator, Dar Ventures says DarE has supported 32 startups across four cohorts, connecting founders with industry expertise, commercial opportunities and an investment network. The programme was originally a six-month incubator for AEC technology startups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with selected startups eligible for up to $50,000 in equity-free funding.

Dar Ventures said Plug and Play will bring its global network of more than 60 offices, 550 corporate and government partners across more than 25 industries, and more than 10,000 startups accelerated since 2012 to DarE’s next phase. The partnership will expand the programme beyond its original MENA focus.

“Dar is a global industry leader with deep expertise across the built environment, and we are proud to support the next chapter of DarE,” Karima El Hakim, Partner, Africa at Plug and Play, said. “By bringing Plug and Play’s global innovation, venture, and corporate ecosystem to the platform, we aim to connect founders with industry, accelerate commercial adoption, and support technologies shaping how the world is built.”

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