Dubai Founders HQ has announced a collaboration with Mastercard, supported by expense management platform Pemo, to launch a new financial initiative designed for startup founders and small and medium-sized enterprises. The initiative aims to help businesses lower costs, strengthen liquidity, and improve the efficiency of their financial and administrative operations.
Eligible business owners can receive benefits worth more than AED 10,000 during the first year. These include a full year of free access to Pemo’s corporate expense management platform, cashback of up to 2% on foreign exchange transactions and advertising expenses paid through Mastercard corporate cards, as well as a range of exclusive offers and benefits.
The initiative can also help participating companies recover hidden costs that typically range between AED 500 and AED 1,200 per month. In addition, automated expense management can save businesses more than 60 hours of administrative work each month. In some cases, the solutions offered can reduce the time needed to close monthly accounts from nine days to just three.
Financial Solutions That Support Growth
Expense management is one of the most significant operational challenges facing startups and small and medium-sized enterprises. Manual processes often consume time and effort that could otherwise be directed toward product development, customer service, and expansion into new markets.
Many entrepreneurs rely on personal cards to cover business expenses, collect receipts manually, track payments across multiple systems, and spend long hours reconciling expenses at the end of each month.
These processes can lead to higher costs, limited visibility into company spending, and the loss of valuable time that could be invested in attracting customers, growing the business, and generating additional revenue.
The initiative addresses these challenges through an integrated solution that combines Mastercard-backed corporate cards, automated expense management through Pemo, real-time expense tracking, and integration with accounting platforms including QuickBooks, Xero, and Zoho.
Founders can also issue cards to team members, set spending limits, establish approval controls, collect receipts automatically, and monitor company expenses in real time through a single platform.
By combining cashback on existing business expenses, exclusive partner incentives, travel benefits, and automated financial controls, the initiative provides immediate value to participating companies from the moment they begin using the service.
These benefits help founders retain more of their available capital, improve spending efficiency, strengthen financial discipline, and focus more fully on growing their businesses.
The initiative is aligned with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the strategic Digital City partnership between the Government of Dubai and Mastercard. It also contributes to strengthening the financial infrastructure available to startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, while giving founders the tools they need to build more resilient businesses and expand with confidence from Dubai.
On this occasion, His Excellency Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, the economic development arm of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said:
“Startups and small and medium-sized enterprises today operate in a rapidly changing business environment, making financial management efficiency and liquidity two essential factors for achieving long-term success. Through Dubai Founders HQ, we are committed to providing founders with a practical solution that addresses the real challenges facing their businesses. This initiative delivers tangible value by reducing costs, strengthening financial management controls, and providing clearer visibility into expenses, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on their core priorities of growing their companies and expanding the scale of their operations. It also reflects our broader commitment to building a resilient and supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurs, enabling them to succeed and contributing to the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.”
Dubai Strengthens Its Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said:
“Dubai Founders HQ aims to enable startup founders to easily access the right support, strategic partners, and necessary tools at the right time. This strategic partnership with Mastercard, supported by Pemo, reflects our commitment to providing practical, high-impact solutions that meet the real operational needs of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises. By supporting these companies in improving cost management efficiency, enhancing financial transparency, and increasing operational efficiency, the program contributes to establishing strong foundations for sustainable growth from Dubai to global markets. This initiative also underscores the importance of public-private partnerships in strengthening Dubai’s position as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and the digital economy.”
The collaboration reflects Dubai’s continued efforts to create an integrated business environment that gives entrepreneurs access to the financial and technological solutions they need throughout the different stages of their companies’ growth.
It also supports startups and small and medium-sized enterprises in building stronger financial and operational foundations, helping them expand into regional and international markets from Dubai.
A More Resilient Business Ecosystem
Mark Elliott, Division President for East Arabia at Mastercard, said:
“At Mastercard, we are committed to a clear mission: powering economies and ensuring that all businesses, regardless of size, keep pace with progress and growth. Over the past 40 years, we have worked side by side with government entities, banks, fintech companies, and the business community in Dubai to contribute to the development of a strong and advanced commercial ecosystem. As part of our regional ‘Start Small, Dream Big’ program to strengthen resilience, our latest collaboration with Dubai Founders HQ and Pemo supports small and medium-sized enterprises and enables them to maintain business continuity while achieving sustainable, long-term growth.”
Through this partnership, Mastercard continues to support small and medium-sized enterprises by providing solutions that help them improve their financial operations and strengthen their ability to remain resilient and grow in a rapidly changing economic environment.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to enhance the resilience of the business sector and make modern financial tools more accessible to companies, helping them improve operational efficiency and compete more effectively.
Partnerships Supporting the New Economy
Ayham Gorani, Co-Founder and CEO of Pemo, said:
“We are proud of our partnership with Dubai Founders HQ and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, which represents an important milestone in our journey as a company that started in Dubai to serve its business community. Startups and small and medium-sized enterprises in the emirate are defined by their strong ambitions and fast pace, and we are pleased to contribute to empowering them through smart and flexible financial solutions that match their aspirations. Through this collaboration, we are providing entrepreneurs with financial tools on par with those used by large institutions, helping them manage their businesses more efficiently, make smarter financial decisions, and grow with confidence and sustainability. We believe that providing the right infrastructure from the early stages helps accelerate company growth in a way that supports Dubai’s vision of building a more resilient and competitive economy.”
The partnership reinforces the role of Dubai Founders HQ as a key platform for collaboration across the entrepreneurship ecosystem. It brings together partners from the public and private sectors to develop solutions that respond to the practical needs of founders.
Through its collaboration with Mastercard and Pemo, Dubai Founders HQ continues to expand the support available to startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them improve business efficiency, achieve sustainable growth, and expand globally from Dubai.
To benefit from the initiative, visit:
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