Editor’s note: African-Startups is a sister publication of EU-Startups, bringing trusted coverage of startups, venture capital, and innovation across Africa.
Dar Ventures, Dar’s venture capital arm, has launched a new chapter of DarE, its accelerator for startups shaping the future of the built environment, now powered by Plug and Play.
The 12-week, equity-free programme builds on four previous cohorts and 32 startups supported to date, combining Dar’s industry expertise with Plug and Play’s global innovation network to connect founders with industry leaders, corporates, investors and innovators worldwide.
The programme is open to Pre-Seed to Pre-Series A startups that have a working MVP or market-ready product, address a clear industry challenge, show early market validation and have a strong, committed founding team.
Dar Ventures and Plug and Play are looking for technologies spanning design and engineering, construction technology, AI, smart infrastructure, sustainability, and anything that can change how the world is designed, built, and operated. Applications are open to startups across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as international applicants, and close on 24 October 2026.
Delivered as a 12-week hybrid journey, DarE opens with an in-person kick-off, followed by virtual programming and dedicated in-person investor weeks, before concluding with an expo that brings together startups, investors, corporate leaders and ecosystem stakeholders for showcasing and networking.
Participants get access to Dar’s AEC experts and industry leaders, tailored mentorship, curated investor introductions matched to their sector and stage, and Plug and Play’s global perks platform, with more than 100 offers across cloud infrastructure, CRM, productivity and other tools. Support continues beyond the formal programme through alumni engagement and ongoing ecosystem introductions.
Dar Ventures is the venture capital arm of Dar, an international design firm and founding member of Sidara, a privately held engineering and consulting group with more than 55,000 employees across 70 countries and 450 offices. Dar Ventures invests in and supports technology companies transforming architecture, engineering, construction, real estate and the wider built environment.
Plug and Play is a global innovation platform connecting startups, corporations and investors. Founded in 2006, it now runs more than 60 offices worldwide, working with over 550 corporate and government partners across more than 25 industry verticals, and says it has accelerated over 10,000 startups since 2012.
In Africa, its portfolio spans more than 75 startups across 13 countries, including an early bet on Flutterwave before it became a unicorn, with active accelerator programmes in Morocco and Egypt.
In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, it works directly with government entities, corporates, and universities to connect startups to pilot opportunities, investment, and regulatory pathways.
