Cofounders Wanted 2026 in Dubai

Cofounders Wanted in Dubai is a monthly cofounder matching night for serious founders who are already building and looking for the right partner. Presented by Founder Connects and hosted by Rony Hage, the November edition takes place on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at BOCASU in Al Quoz, with doors at 6:30pm. There are no pitches, no panels and no host-led agenda, just conversations between people who might build something together.

The organisers call it “the monthly room where founders become cofounders”, and every part of the format, from the attendee sheet to the colour-coded name tags, is designed to get the right people talking quickly.

Why Cofounders Wanted Dubai Exists

Choosing a cofounder is one of the biggest decisions any founder makes, and one of the hardest to get right. Dubai Cofounders Wanted narrows the room to founders, gathering technical, commercial and growth-minded people in one calm space, so the whole evening is spent meeting potential partners rather than sitting through talks.

The night runs every month; the September 2026 edition, also at BOCASU, was promoted as an in-person meetup for founders looking for cofounders across technology, sales and growth. November follows the same format.

Founder Connects and Rony Hage

Founder Connects describes itself as a premium community for tech founders across the MENA region. Its founder, Rony Hage, calls himself a startup connector and community curator, and he hosts the evening himself. Alongside the Cofounders Wanted nights, Founder Connects runs a wider meetup calendar on Luma and a Residency programme that offers founders ongoing peer support, so a promising first conversation can carry on well after the night ends.

Every attendee also gets access to a founders-only WhatsApp group, which makes it easy to follow up with the people you meet and to stay in the loop for the next edition.

How the Cofounder Matching Night Works

The evening is simple by design. An attendee sheet is released five hours before doors open, so you can look through it in the afternoon and shortlist the people you most want to meet. Listing yourself is optional, but it helps others find you too.

At the door, colour-coded name tags show each person’s role at a glance, so you can spot the skills you are missing as soon as you walk in. Green tags are for Build: CTOs, engineers and technical cofounders. Blue tags are for Sell: CEOs and commercial, sales-driven founders. Purple tags are for Grow: CMOs, CPOs, COOs and heads of growth and product. A technical founder looking for a commercial partner, for example, can head straight for the blue tags.

With no stage programme, the rest of the evening is yours for one-to-one and small-group conversations. Your ticket includes one signature mocktail, one popcorn, one starter salad, your name tag and the WhatsApp group access, and more food and drinks can be bought at the venue. The dress code is smart casual.

Who Should Come

The night is aimed at serious founders who are already building and want a cofounder: technical founders hunting for a commercial partner, sales-led CEOs looking for a CTO, and growth or product leaders ready to join an early team. It is less suited to casual networking. Arrive knowing what you are building and which of the three colours you need most, and a short intro covering who you are, what you are working on and the role you want to fill will go a long way.

Every guest needs their own ticket, including friends you bring along. Refunds are only possible up to 72 hours before the meetup, because the venue is paid in advance. Booking is through Luma, via the link on this page, and tickets have been released in early-bird, regular and same-day tiers, so the earlier you book, the better.

BOCASU, Al Quoz

BOCASU takes its name from bonsai, café and sushi. It is a warehouse-style Japanese café in Al Quoz 3, built around living bonsai trees, which you can buy in its dedicated Bonsai Room, speciality coffee roasted on site and a Japanese menu led by chef Yu Hasegawa, with handrolls, ramen, udon and a Japanese take on shawarma it calls the jawarma. It is a dry venue with no bar, which keeps conversations clear-headed, and it regularly hosts community evenings such as quiz nights and open mic poetry. It is also dog-friendly.

You will find it at Al Jreena Street 45, Al Quoz High Street, Warehouse 10, behind the GMC Showroom in Al Quoz Industrial Area 3, and the organisers note there is plenty of parking in front.

For more ways to meet people in the city’s startup scene, see our business and networking events and workshops in Dubai. Earlier the same day, the British Chamber’s Communication Advantage Masterclass covers influence and rapport, and our guides to things to do in Dubai and things to do in November cover the rest of the month.