SHARE The number of companies present within Abu Dhabi's Hub71 grew 191 per cent in the past 12 months despite the economic uncertainty caused by Covid-19. The number of start-ups surged to 102 in January this year, up from just 35 a year earlier, Hanan Harhara Al Yafei, the chief executive of Hub71, said on Wednesday. There are currently companies from 20 different countries in Abu Dhabi's tech ecosystem. The majority (44 per cent) are from the UAE, but companies from the US and the UK make up 11 per cent each, Ms Al Yafei said. “We started 2020 with a target to reach 100 start-ups … despite all of the challenges, we were able to reach 102 and this shows our perseverance, resilience and clear vision,” she added.