How Is MBZUAI Transforming AI Research into Startups?

Artificial Intelligence

Mokshita P.
Artificial Intelligence
Published:

How Is MBZUAI Transforming AI Research into Startups?

LibrAI, Audiomatic, and more are AI-driven ventures led by MBZUAI researchers, turning innovation into real-world solutions in healthcare, content creation, and beyond, fueling Abu Dhabi’s economic growth.

The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence is doing more than just leading the way in AI research; it’s turning innovative AI-driven ideas into real-world startups. The Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center, launched in November 2023, has quickly become a major player in the UAE's AI scene. In less than a year, it's already helped launch some incredible startups that are making real impacts across industries and communities. Let's talk about five standout ventures, all led by MBZUAI researchers, students, and alumni, that are using AI to solve real-world problems.

LibrAI is one of these startups. It's an AI safety monitoring platform that helps developers ensure their AI solutions are ethical, responsible, and meet international compliance standards. Xudong Han, a postdoc at MBZUAI, founded the company, and the university has provided significant support, including mentorship from Professor Timothy Baldwin. LibrAI’s platform is already being used by universities and AI companies to ensure AI safety from development to implementation.

Next is Audiomatic, a game-changer for content creators. Two MBZUAI machine learning students, Muhammad Taimoor Haseeb and Ahmad Hammoudeh, developed it to automate audio production for video content. It makes producing music, sound effects, and narration for videos easier and more accessible. Audiomatic even won the 'Idea Stage Startups' category at the 2024 Entrepreneurship World Cup in Dubai.

Then, there's Limb, founded by MBZUAI graduate Shamma Alsaedi. Limb is an AI-powered physiotherapy tool that helps patients correctly perform their exercises while providing real-time feedback. Shamma’s personal experience inspired her to build a platform that helps ensure physiotherapy is both effective and accessible. Limb even took home first place at the 2024 Entrepreneurship Challenge.

Another interesting venture is Cradle AI, led by a team of MBZUAI researchers including Prof. Kun Zhang. They created LetBabyTalk, a tool that decodes baby cries to help parents better understand their babies' needs—whether they’re hungry, uncomfortable, or in need of care. It’s already available for parents on both iOS and Android.

Finally, there’s Nutrigenics Care, co-founded by Ph.D. students Wafa Al Ghallabi and Omkar Thawakar. Their platform provides personalised meal tracking and dietary solutions to improve health outcomes. It’s been a huge hit, even winning first place at MIEC's Pitch Day and gaining support from the Microsoft Startups Founders Hub.

MIEC's work is a prime example of how AI is being transformed into real-world applications, impacting industries like healthcare, content creation, and more. These startups aren’t just exciting innovations; they’re playing a big role in contributing to Abu Dhabi’s economic development and diversification efforts.