Star Tech: How this young entrepreneur found his niche start-up during Covid-19

Like many youngsters, Abin Jacob Mathew came to Dubai on a visit visa with stars in his eyes.

The year was 2016. Mathew, then 23, had a bachelor’s degree in mechatronics.

Initially, he had worked briefly as a robotics tutor and later as research and development engineer in his hometown Bengaluru, India.

Greener pastures awaited him in the city of dreams.

“It was my first overseas trip. I stayed with my cousin in Sharjah and would travel to Dubai daily with copies of my resume, which I would drop off to prospective employers. I used to cover anywhere between 20 and 25 offices in a day, often walking for hours under a scorching sun,” Mathew recalled.

The effort paid off.

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After two months, he found what he was looking for — a job as a mechatronics engineer at an event technology solutions company in Dubai.

For the uninitiated, mechatronics is an interdisciplinary engineering field that combines principles from mechanics, electronics, computer engineering, robotics and automatic control.

Mathew rose through the ranks and was promoted as technology project manager within six months.

Soon, he was executing mega projects across the region. But when the Covid-19 hit the world and shuttered businesses, Mathew decided to launch his own start-up.

“The pandemic changed the technology sector. Suddenly, businesses were looking to automate and optimise processes and develop intelligent solutions using mechatronics. There couldn’t have been a better time to launch my venture Magna Innovations,” he said.

“Thankfully, I stumbled upon In5, an enabling platform for entrepreneurs and start-ups that fosters innovation and helps new ideas reach the marketplace. They liked my idea and guided me through the process of opening a company, besides giving a massive fee subsidy,” said Mathew, who is now the chief executive officer (CEO) of Magna Innovations.

The trust reposed in the start-up, headquartered at In5 Design at Dubai Design District, was not misplaced.