A former police officer who spent 14 years tackling corruption in sport pitched to investors in Abu Dhabi last week. So did a personal trainer who built a calendar of the UAE’s fitness events, and the founders of an app that turns EA Sports FC matches into ranked competition.
They were among seven start-ups in the third cohort of the Ethara 1TW Innovation Hub (E1H). The incubator held its third E1H Pitch at Yas Conference Centre, at Yas Marina Circuit, on Thursday, 5 November.
Two companies run E1H together. Ethara manages venues including Yas Marina Circuit, Etihad Arena and Etihad Park, and ONETOWATCH is a sports investment firm based in Abu Dhabi Global Market. E1H has now worked with 20 start-ups since it launched in 2025.
Before pitch day, each founder had mentoring from industry experts, workshops and Q&A sessions with founders, chief executives and investors. They were also introduced to contacts in the Ethara and ONETOWATCH networks. City Football Group, the Creative Media Authority, OVG Middle East and IMI ran mentoring sessions for the group.
“Cohort 3 shows the breadth of ambition now coming through E1H, from fitness to sports gaming, women’s sports media and immersive entertainment,” said Guillaume Dufond, strategic development executive director at Ethara.
“These founders are creating new experiences for fans and new solutions for the industry, and that is exactly what we set out to support at Ethara.”
The seven start-ups
MintaMark: Norbert Rubicsek founded the company after 14 years as a police officer fighting corruption and manipulation in sport. He left as a lieutenant colonel. His AI-assisted platform uses tracking data to flag unusual on-field behaviour, which experts then review.
FitCalendar: Mariaucris Pirela Figueroa is a UX designer and certified personal trainer. Her app lists fitness sessions, competitions, trips and festivals across the UAE in one calendar.
The Stadium Gaming: Ahmad Hilal and Ahmad Al-Ashqar’s Stad app runs verified, ranked EA Sports FC competitions with rewards and real-world football prizes. It reached 60,000 downloads in Jordan within six months and is now expanding across the Middle East and North Africa.
Fanzword: Amr El-Beheiry’s platform connects brands with young sports fans through competitions and consumer surveys. It has more than one million registered users.
ShePlayz: Bubs Felix has worked in sports rights law and in sports media, with organisations including Fifa and ITV. Her women’s sports media brand has more than 111,000 YouTube subscribers.
DIME Consulting: Business psychologist and executive coach Tanya Gordon has worked with clients including HSBC, PwC, Arsenal and the England and Wales Cricket Board. Her firm uses psychology and elite-performance science to coach leaders and sales teams for high-pressure moments.
Arkub: Hind Sergieh’s Athar Sports and Entertainment Company designs immersive attractions to keep venues busy all year. In 2018 it worked with Emaar Entertainment to open VR Sports at The Dubai Mall, which it describes as the UAE’s first all-sports virtual reality arcade.
Broadcaster Katie Overy hosted the morning. Dufond and E1H incubator director Alexandre Caperonis gave an overview of the programme, and Brett Lashbrook was introduced as E1H’s new programme director. A panel on sports and entertainment investment came before the pitches.
Where earlier founders are now
Founders from the first two cohorts also gave progress updates.
Robox (formerly Icosium), from Cohort 1, has joined Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s tech start-up hub. Athlyn, also from Cohort 1, has run a proof-of-concept partnership with Ethara. VIAI Technologies, from Cohort 2, has signed a partnership with Abu Dhabi health group M42.
The Mettleset, a women’s sports media platform from Cohort 1, has started a production arm called Mettleset Studios. It makes E1H’s own show, The Sports & Entertainment Entrepreneurs Podcast, which E1H co-founder Jamie Cunningham hosts. The idea came out of the first cohort.
The podcast launched in October and has already reached No 2 in the entrepreneurship category of the UAE Apple Podcasts chart. Guests so far include Two Circles founder Gareth Balch, Hyrox co-founder Moritz Fürste, Coventry City owner Doug King and PFL founder Donn Davis.
Cunningham, who also founded ONETOWATCH, said the people who stay involved after their cohort ends are what make the programme work.
“Cohort 3 is our most diverse group yet, from leadership performance to sports gaming, women’s sports media and immersive entertainment,” he said.
“What makes E1H special is the community that keeps growing around it: 20 start-ups, alumni who come back to support new founders, and new ideas, concepts and businesses being developed in partnership with Ethara.”
