SDF & Quantcube to form economic intelligence joint venture
Edge-owned fund backs new AI platform for regional decision-makers
#UAE #jointventures – Abu Dhabi-based investment company Strategic Development Fund (SDF), wholly owned by defence and technology group EDGE, has entered into a joint venture with Paris-based the real-time economic intelligence provider QuantCube Technology. Announced during AIM Congress 2025, the deal will see a new AI-powered economic intelligence hub established in Abu Dhabi. The goal is to provide real-time data, nowcasting tools and geospatial analytics for institutional investors, corporates and government agencies across the Middle East. The partnership aims to improve forecasting, operational readiness and data-driven decision-making throughout the region.
SO WHAT? – QuantCube Technology, raise venture capital funding from Strategic Development Fund (SDF), Moody’s and Five Capital in 2022. Among the plans at the time of funding were to open new offices in New York and Tokyo sales and operations, and in a research and development lab in Abu Dhabi. This week’s deal further increases SDF’s involvement in QantCube by creating a joint venture company to establish the Abu Dhabi R&D labs. It also represents one of the few non-defence or aerospace related investments in the fund’s portfolio.
Here are some more key facts about SDF and the deal:
EDGE-owned investment fund Strategic Development Fund (SDF) and Paris-based the real-time economic intelligence provider QuantCube Technolog are to form a new AI joint venture in Abu Dhabi.
SDF is already a strategic investor in QuantCube, having taken part in a funding round together with Moody’s and Five Capital in 2022.
Strategic Development Fund is the investment arm of EDGE Group, a defence and advanced tech conglomerate based in Abu Dhabi, with a mandate to accelerate innovation-driven economic growth. The QuantCube is one of few SDF investments outside the aerospace and defence arena.
The new joint venture aligns with the UAE’s national AI and data strategy, providing tools that support strategic planning, scenario forecasting and operational decision-making.
QuantCube Technology specialises in alternative data analysis and geospatial intelligence, enabling dynamic insights into macroeconomic and financial trends.
The platform will offer intelligence on global supply chains, asset flows and market dynamics, helping organisations navigate uncertainty and act on real-time signals.
The new entity will offer region-specific, AI-enhanced tools, tailored to local contexts while integrating advanced global data sources, enhancing the accuracy and utility of its insights.
QuantCube’s analytics tools are already in use by central banks and global financial firms, supporting early warning systems and policy simulation in volatile markets.
EDGE Group’s backing ensures the venture will have access to both defence-grade tech and strong institutional support, giving it a strategic foothold across multiple sectors.
The partnership may lead to broader adoption of ‘nowcasting’ in MENA (Middle East and North Africa), shifting organisations away from lagging indicators toward high-frequency, predictive analytics.
ZOOM OUT – EDGE Group announced the acquisition of Strategic Development Fund (SDF) from Abu Dhabi government-owned defence investment holding group Tawazun Council in November 2023. SDF is focused on investing in specific strategic technology and industrial sectors designed to foster economic and industrial growth in the UAE, achieving financial returns through private equity, greenfield and venture capital investments locally and internationally. For EDGE, the addition of SDF further bolstered its ecosystem, adding enhanced ability to make strategic investments and acquisitions. SDF also gives EDGE more flexibility to invest in dual-use technologies.
[Written and edited with the assistance of AI]