Compute for EquityHow we actually build it
The public, investor-grade plan for standing up Compute for Equity in Abu Dhabi — footprint, a deliberately lean team, transparent setup costs, payroll, use of funds, a 36-month timeline, the risk register, and the ask. Numbers verified Dec 2026.
The footprint
ADGM
Abu Dhabi Global Market — English common law, legal & fiscal base, FSRA-regulated.
FSRA RegLab
The regulatory sandbox — our operating license path (IPA in 6–10 weeks; sandbox window up to 2 years).
WeWork · Al Maryah Island
Office — 100% subsidized via Hub71 for a 2–5 person seed team.
OYO · Al Reem Island
Founder housing — 100% subsidized via Hub71. Healthcare 100% included.
The team — 5 or fewer (100% Hub71 subsidy)
| # | Role | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Founder & CEO — Gabriel | Relocates Q3 2026 |
| 2 | Head of Engineering / Oracle lead | Hire Q3 2026, relocate Q4 2026 |
| 3 | Head of Origination (energy + datacenter BD) | Q3 2026, in-region |
| 4 | Outsourced MLRO + compliance (VelthRad / Aston VIP) | Day 1 |
| 5 | Senior engineer / cross-asset quant (reserve) | Q2 2027 (post-IPA) |
In-region: 3 core + 1 outsourced + 1 reserve — inside Hub71's "2–5 people" criterion for 100% subsidy.
Setup cost — transparent breakdown
| Item | USD |
|---|---|
| Name reservation | $200 |
| Incorporation (Private Co Ltd) | $1,500 |
| Commercial license (Year 1) | $4,000 |
| Business activity fees (Year 1) | $4,000 |
| Data Protection registration | $300 |
| Establishment Card | $273 |
| E-channel (one-time + deposit) | $2,460 |
| 3 founder visas (from $1,500 ea) | $4,500 |
| FSRA RegLab license (covers 2 years) | $3,400 |
| Year 1 government / regulator total | ~$20,000 |
Year 1 payroll
| Role | USD | AED |
|---|---|---|
| Founder / CEO | $90,000 | AED 330,000 |
| Head of Engineering | $120,000 | AED 440,000 |
| Head of Origination | $100,000 | AED 367,000 |
| Outsourced MLRO | $60,000 | AED 220,000 |
| Total | $370,000 | AED 1,357,000 |
Lean by design. A four-person operating cost under $400k/year, with office/housing/healthcare subsidized — extending every dollar of the raise.
Use of the $3M pre-seed
| Allocation | % | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Oracle R&D | 35% | $1.05M |
| ADGM licensing + legal | 25% | $750k |
| Origination + first 10 deals | 20% | $600k |
| Team (salary contribution) | 15% | $450k |
| Contingency | 5% | $150k |
| Total | 100% | $3.0M |
36-month timeline
Apply to Hub71 Cohort 20 (deadline 2 August 2026).
Cohort starts; relocate; ADGM company incorporated; RegLab application filed.
RegLab IPA received (6–10 week timeline).
First 3 cleared deals via the sandbox.
10 cleared deals; Series A raise ($15M).
Full FSRA license application; team to 12; secondary-market beta.
$100M+ GMV cleared; profitable.
Risk register
| Risk | Prob. | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hub71 rejection | Med | High | DIFC + IFZA backup; reapply Cohort 21 |
| RegLab IPA delay | Med | Med | 2-year window; interim non-regulated SaaS |
| Cold start (no deals) | High | High | 3 design partners already onboarding |
| ADGM regulatory pivot | Low | Critical | DIFC mirror entity (Year 2) |
| FX (AED/USD) | Low | Low | AED pegged to USD (3.6725) |
| Founder visa delay | Low | Med | Outsourced operations until visa |
| UAE talent acquisition | Med | Med | Remote-first; relocate at milestones |
Why now — 3 · 2 · 1
3 macro shifts
ADGM framework mature · 5GW Stargate Abu Dhabi · compute futures launched 2026 (CME×Silicon Data, ICE×Ornn).
2 reasons it's us
A $490B financing gap to attack · Hub71+ Digital Assets fits CFE precisely.
1 founder reason
The relocation moment aligns with the Hub71 Cohort 20 deadline — 2 August 2026.
Market backdrop
GPU rental $9.8B→$47.2B by 2033 · GPU-as-collateral $10B+ in under 2 years · 14% of UAE GDP target AI by 2031.
The ask
| Lead target | $1.0–1.5M |
| Hub71+ Digital Assets | AED 250k cash committed at acceptance |
| Strategic (LOI track) | Mubadala / MGX / G42 ventures |