Dubai Founders HQ has partnered with Mastercard and business-spending platform Pemo to introduce a finance solution aimed at startups and small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Dubai.
The initiative combines corporate payment cards, expense-management software, accounting integrations and spending controls in a single offering. Eligible businesses may receive benefits worth more than $2,723 (AED 10,000) during their first year.
The partners said the package is intended to reduce the time founders and finance teams spend tracking receipts, reconciling transactions and reviewing expenses across separate systems. The launch forms part of Dubai’s broader effort to expand the operational infrastructure available to early-stage companies, rather than functioning as a direct funding or lending program.
A Combined Card and Expense Platform
Participating companies will receive access to Mastercard-powered corporate cards and Pemo’s expense-management platform. Businesses can issue cards to employees, establish individual spending limits, apply approval rules and monitor transactions as they occur.
Receipt collection and expense reporting can also be automated through the platform. Accounting integrations include QuickBooks, Xero and Zoho, allowing transaction information to move into systems already used by many small businesses instead of requiring finance teams to manually re-enter each payment.
The package offers up to 2% cash back on eligible foreign-exchange and advertising expenses, alongside business offers and travel-related benefits. The precise return available to each company will therefore depend on its spending patterns, the eligibility rules applied to individual transactions and the terms attached to the available incentives.
Dubai Founders HQ, Mastercard and Pemo said businesses using the system can typically identify between approximately $136 and $327 (AED 500–1,200) a month in expenditure that had not previously been tracked. They also said automated expense management could remove more than 60 hours of administrative work each month and, in some cases, reduce the month-end closing process from nine days to three.
Targeting Everyday Financial Administration
Startup finance discussions often focus on fundraising, access to credit and investor connections. Daily financial administration, however, can also place pressure on young companies whose founders may be handling sales, hiring, product development and bookkeeping at the same time.
A founder using a personal payment card for company purchases may need to separate business and private transactions later, locate receipts and transfer details into an accounting system. Similar complications arise when several employees make purchases through different accounts or submit expense claims using emails, spreadsheets and paper records.
The newly announced solution is designed to bring those activities into one system. Real-time transaction data may give managers a clearer picture of how money is being spent, while card controls allow businesses to restrict payments before they occur rather than identifying an unauthorized or unnecessary purchase during a later review.
Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, said: “Startups and SMEs are operating in an increasingly dynamic business environment where efficient cash management and financial discipline are critical to long-term success. Through Dubai Founders HQ, we are committed to providing founders with practical solutions that solve real business challenges. This initiative delivers tangible value through cost savings, stronger financial controls, and greater visibility over company spending, helping founders focus on what matters most: building and scaling their businesses.”
Saeed Al Gergawi, vice president of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, added: “Dubai Founders HQ was created to make it easier for founders to access the right support, partners, and tools at the right time. This strategic partnership with Mastercard, supported by Pemo, reflects our commitment to delivering practical, high-impact solutions that address the real operational needs of startups and SMEs.”
Part of Dubai’s Wider Startup Strategy
The launch sits within the framework of the Dubai Economic Agenda, known as D33. Dubai Founders HQ was launched in October 2025 as a combined physical and digital platform connecting founders with investors, companies, mentors and other organizations involved in the startup ecosystem.
D33 includes objectives related to expanding Dubai’s economy and developing high-growth businesses, including an ambition to support the scaling of 30 companies into unicorns. Dubai Founders HQ has subsequently introduced or hosted accelerator, incubation and corporate-partnership programs intended to provide founders with market access and business-development support.
Mastercard’s participation also builds on its existing relationship with the Dubai government. In 2023, the payments company and DET announced a Digital City Partnership covering digital payments, support for SMEs, tourism development and the use of data to inform economic planning.
Mark Elliott, Mastercard’s division president for East Arabia, said: “At Mastercard, we are on a mission to power a prosperous economy while ensuring that no business, no matter how small, gets left behind. For the past 40 years, we have worked side by side with the government, banks, fintech companies, and businesses in Dubai to help develop a robust commerce ecosystem. As part of Mastercard’s Built Small. Moving Strong regional resilience programme, our latest collaboration with Dubai Founders HQ and Pemo helps SMEs to maintain business continuity and unlock enduring growth.”
Pemo will provide the expense-management layer supporting the card program. The Dubai-based company offers corporate cards, transaction monitoring, receipt collection and accounting automation for businesses in the UAE.
Ayham Gorani, Pemo’s co-founder and CEO, said: “Partnering with Dubai Founders HQ and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism is a proud milestone for us as a company built in Dubai, to serve its business community. SMEs and startups in this city are ambitious, fast-moving, and we are pleased to contribute to empowering them through smart, flexible financial solutions that support their growth ambitions.”
The offering reflects a growing focus on the less visible parts of startup operations: payments, receipts, approvals and bookkeeping. These functions rarely attract the attention given to investment rounds or new product launches, but weak controls can leave young companies with inaccurate records and limited visibility over their available cash.
By placing cards, transaction data and expense administration within a single system, Dubai Founders HQ, Mastercard and Pemo are positioning the initiative as operational infrastructure for founders.
