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Dubai positions itself as launchpad for next generation of global founders
Tetr’s academic programme will see participants arrive in Dubai after developing their ideas in Shanghai, China and testing their businesses in London
- PUBLISHED: Sun 23 Aug 2026, 7:15 PM
Dubai is increasingly positioning itself as a launchpad for entrepreneurs looking to take businesses beyond their home markets, with a new graduate programme set to bring aspiring founders to the emirate at the final stage of a year-long venture-building journey spanning Shanghai, London and Dubai.
The programme will see participants arrive in Dubai after developing their ideas in Shanghai and testing their businesses in London, putting them in the city’s fast-moving investment, business and startup ecosystem as they prepare to take their ventures to global markets.
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The initiative, the Graduate Program in Entrepreneurial Leadership (GPEL) by Tetr College of Business, is designed around a simple premise: students should not just learn how businesses are built, but actually build one. The one-year programme will combine venture creation with management, artificial intelligence, technology and entrepreneurship, with academic partnerships involving Fudan School of Management in Shanghai and Imperial College London.
Dubai will serve as the final leg of the programme, where participants will focus on taking their ventures into the global arena, with exposure to investors, businesses and international networks. The city will also form part of a broader learning experience that combines industry immersions, cultural experiences and projects based on real-world business challenges.
The Shanghai stage will focus on AI-led venture building, product development and supply chain execution, while London will put the businesses through branding, finance and market strategy. By the time students reach Dubai, the aim is for them to have moved from an initial idea towards an investment-ready venture.
Tarun Gangwar, Co-founder, Tetr College of Business said, “The world does not need more people who understand entrepreneurship in theory; it needs more people who can build, adapt and execute in rapidly changing environments. GPEL is our response to that need. The ability to navigate uncertainty, respond to changing market realities and build across different contexts is increasingly what defines successful founders and these are the capabilities we hope to develop through this programme.”
The academic component is anchored by Fudan University’s School of Management and Imperial College London. Fudan brings expertise in business, technology and research, as well as access to China’s rapidly evolving entrepreneurial ecosystem, while Imperial adds its strengths in science, technology, innovation and links to industry.
The programme is aimed at a broad group of aspiring entrepreneurs — from founders who have yet to launch their first business and creators looking to turn an idea into a company, to family-business successors and young professionals seeking an alternative to a conventional graduate education.
Tetr said the programme will also include a ‘Founder Reboot’ track focused on resilience, decision-making and personal growth, alongside ‘Perspective Projects’ that will see students work with local industries and communities on real-world problems and opportunities.
The graduate programme builds on Tetr College’s existing focus on venture creation. Its undergraduate students have built ventures including Fluma, an AI-powered influencer marketing platform; BluSpru, an AI optimisation SaaS company; ServeClub, a pickleball equipment brand; Meridian, a consumer hardware startup; Jhatak, an Indonesian healthy snacks venture; and Nothing But, a clean-label food company.
According to Tetr, ventures built by its students have collectively generated more than $1 million in revenue and raised more than $500,000 from global venture capital firms and founders.
Students have also had opportunities to present their ventures to senior executives and founders across companies and institutions, while the college says its wider ecosystem includes collaborations with organisations such as Emaar, Emirates, Tesla, Alibaba, Google, the Louvre and the Prado Museum. The inaugural cohort is scheduled to begin in March 2027.
