Inside Expand North Star 2025: 80+ Founder Stories, Global Finals, and the Future of Innovation in Dubai
Celebrating 10 years of Expand North Star, UpNext Global captured 80+ founder stories in Dubai — from the Supernova Challenge 2.0 Grand Finale to The Firehood Women in Tech Stage and Japan’s Web3 Founder Challenge — spotlighting the innovators shaping what’s next.
The UpNext Global team was on the ground in Dubai for the 10th Anniversary of Expand North Star 2025, part of GITEX GLOBAL, the world’s largest startup and investor gathering, to spotlight the founders shaping what’s UpNext.
The milestone event drew 2,000+ startups and 1,200+ investors managing more than US$1.1 trillion AUM, cementing Dubai’s position as a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.
The Supernova Challenge 2.0, with its US$300,000 prize pool, showcased ten groundbreaking startups from around the world, while a special “10 Years, 6 Winners, 1 Stage” session brought back past champions to share how winning transformed their journeys.
Across four packed days, we captured more than 80 founder stories — innovators, risk-takers, and category creators pitching on one of the biggest stages in the world.
Grand Prize Winner — AIM Intelligence Inc. (Republic of Korea)
In a thrilling display of innovation, AIM Intelligence clinched first place, taking home the $100 000 grand prize.
This groundbreaking AI security company is focused on making generative AI safe and reliable — setting the global standard for AI reliability and Physical AI Safety by securing both digital models and embodied AI systems.
Recognized by Meta, Anthropic, and global accelerators, AIM’s mission is to ensure that as AI evolves, it remains secure and trustworthy.
“As an AI security and safety company, we’re solving a frontier challenge. We have clients in Korea, but now we’re expanding globally — and through the Supernova Challenge 2.0, we’ll enter the Middle Eastern region. This prize helps us grow our talent and resources to make that vision real, ” says Haon Park, Co-Founder of AIM Intelligence.
2nd Place — Chucao Technology Consultants Spa (Chile)
Chucao secured second place and a $50 000 prize for its patented nanometal injector that boosts mineral recovery in leaching and flotation processes.
Their innovation has achieved up to 7.3 % higher gold recovery in pilot tests with top mining companies — a real game changer for sustainable mining and resource efficiency.
3rd Place — Aerialoop (Ecuador)
Aerialoop earned the third-place prize of $25 000 for its pioneering unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) solutions.
They’re building Latin America’s largest drone logistics network, proving that innovation in transport and delivery truly has no borders.
The Top 10 Finalists of the Supernova Challenge 2.0
- Hubee Design – Brazil | AdTech / MarTech
- Social Convert – United Kingdom | AdTech / MarTech
- Aerialoop – Ecuador | UAV / Drones
- AIM Intelligence Inc. – Republic of Korea | Artificial Intelligence
- Carret – Singapore | Blockchain
- Phaseshift Technologies – Canada | Artificial Intelligence
- Pixonal – United Arab Emirates | Artificial Intelligence
- Neuron X Inc. – Japan | Blockchain
- Atomo Innovation Pvt Ltd – India | Artificial Intelligence
- Chucao Technology Consultants Spa – Chile | AgriTech & FoodTech
The Firehood Women in Tech Stage: Powering Inclusive Innovation
This year also marked the launch of The Firehood Women in Tech Stage, powered by The Firehood and supported by Expand North Star, championing female founders from around the world.
The stage brought together leading women innovators, investors, and ecosystem builders — celebrating not just startups, but the resilience and brilliance of women driving the next wave of tech.
Anurias Das, founder of Genovation, was awarded the $100K investment prize by The Firehood Angels, following an inspiring lineup of women-led pitches across healthtech, sustainability, and AI.
The event also featured Hon. Mary Ng, P.C., Canada’s Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, who reminded attendees of the $12 trillion global opportunity tied to inclusive innovation and trade — a message that resonated across the entire event.
Spotlight on Canadian Innovation
We were proud to travel as part of the Canadian Startup Association delegation, showcasing founders who are pushing boundaries beyond borders.
Several Canadian startups advanced to the Supernova Challenge semifinals, including:
- RideAlike
- Phaseshift Technologies
- Bidblox
- Dia Labs Canada
- Yocale
One of those semifinalists, Phaseshift Technologies, went on to become a Top 10 finalist, representing Canada on the Supernova Stage. Their work in AI-driven material science and energy efficiency highlights the depth of innovation being built right here at home and scaled to the world.
Moments like these remind me why global storytelling matters — when you give founders visibility, you give their ecosystems a voice.
Japan Web3 Founder Challenge at Founders Space
We also covered the Japan Web3 Founder Challenge, hosted at Founders Space inside Hall 7 — one of the most dynamic stages of Expand North Star’s 10th-anniversary edition.
Seven founders from Japan’s Web3 ecosystem pitched their innovations live, showcasing the next generation of decentralized applications and digital-asset infrastructure.
Presenting founders included:
- Yusuke Hirota, Founder & CEO – Neuron X Inc.
- Cyril Bizieau, COO – CREATANT
- Yuma Tanimoto, Co-Founder & CSO – Xenea
- Goki Kato, CEO – ANDLAW FZCO
- Shuhei Mise, CEO – Aniark FZCO
- Takumi Takahashi, CEO – Kyuzan
- William Metcalfe, Co-Founder – Curvegrid
Their pitches highlighted Japan’s growing influence in blockchain, digital assets, and immersive tech — bridging traditional enterprise culture with the emerging global Web3 economy.
Beyond the Stage: Global Energy, Local Impact
From São Paulo to Seoul, Toronto to Tokyo, the Supernova finalists and Firehood founders reflect a world where innovation knows no borders.
Each story captured in Dubai represents a bold step forward — tackling real problems, building global bridges, and redefining what’s possible in their industries.
As UpNext Global continues its world tour, we’ll be rolling out our PopUp Interviews — featuring all the founders we met from both the Supernova Challenge and The Firehood Women in Tech Stage — across our social feeds at @upnext.worldwide on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.
These stories are just the beginning. They’re the pulse of what’s next — and we can’t wait to share them with you.
What’s UpNext
Stay tuned for our remote and on-site coverage as we continue to uncover the world’s most promising startups.
Follow us on @upnext.worldwide or subscribe at UpNext.world for exclusive founder spotlights, partner stories, and behind-the-scenes coverage.
