Dar Ventures, the venture capital arm of design and engineering firm Dar, has entered a partnership with Plug and Play, a global open innovation and early-stage venture platform, to scale its startup programme for technology companies operating in architecture, engineering, and the wider built environment across Africa and other markets.

Through the deal, the programme — known as DarE — gains access to Plug and Play's worldwide network of startups, investors and corporate partners. The 12-week hybrid programme — a format that blends remote and in-person components — targets pre-seed to pre-Series A companies, the earliest stages of venture fundraising, holding a minimum viable product (MVP) or a market-ready product. While focused primarily on Europe, the Middle East and Africa, it remains open to companies globally.

The expansion comes at a difficult moment for early-stage funding on the continent. Africa's tech ecosystem raised $1.44 billion across 174 deals in the first half of 2026, but early-stage startups captured just $9 million, down from $25 million a year earlier, according to TechCabal Insights. For founders building technology for specialised sectors such as construction and infrastructure, access to industry expertise, customers, capital and international markets can offer an alternative route to growth.

DarE will back technologies spanning the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) and broader built-environment value chain, including construction, infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities and sustainability.

The programme seeks companies with early market validation and strong potential for commercial adoption and international growth. Selected startups will receive expert support, one-on-one mentorship, direct industry engagement and curated access to investors, corporate partners and international markets.

Dar Ventures said DarE will also build a global alumni community to keep participating companies connected beyond individual cohorts, creating continued opportunities for commercial partnerships, knowledge exchange, investment and cross-market expansion.

"DarE has always been about providing the right platform for entrepreneurs to thrive," Nader Aboushadi, co-founder of Dar Ventures, said in a statement. "Partnering with Plug and Play allows us to take that ambition to the next level, identifying exceptional founders and giving them access to the expertise and markets, coupled with Dar Ventures projects and capital they need to grow."

Launched in 2023 as an incubator, DarE has supported 32 startups across four cohorts, according to Dar Ventures, connecting founders with industry expertise, commercial opportunities and an investment network. The programme began as a six-month incubator for AEC technology startups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with selected startups eligible for up to $50,000 in equity-free funding, meaning founders receive the capital without giving up ownership in their companies.

Under the partnership, Plug and Play brings to DarE's next phase a global network of more than 60 offices, 550 corporate and government partners across more than 25 industries, and more than 10,000 startups accelerated since 2012. The deal extends the programme beyond its original MENA focus, making its upcoming cohorts the first to run with the combined network behind them.

"Dar is a global industry leader with deep expertise across the built environment, and we are proud to support the next chapter of DarE," Karima El Hakim, Partner, Africa at Plug and Play, said. "By bringing Plug and Play's global innovation, venture, and corporate ecosystem to the platform, we aim to connect founders with industry, accelerate commercial adoption, and support technologies shaping how the world is built."