Leuven-based AI Planet, a DeepTech company specialising in enterprise Generative AI and Agentic AI platforms, today announced a strategic joint venture with InfoDrive Analytics who is also backing the move with a €2.5 million investment.
The move will establish an AI and digital transformation powerhouse in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Chanukya Patnaik, Founder & CEO of AI Planet, said: “The Middle East is at a defining moment in its digital and AI evolution. The region has consistently leapfrogged traditional transformation cycles through bold investments in innovation and AI will be the next major leap.
“Through this joint venture, we want to empower enterprises and governments to harness AI to transform sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, and financial services among others, making AI a true force for progress across the region.”
In Belgium, several startups have recently raised capital to advance AI-driven and agentic technologies.
For instance, Bizzy secured €4 million to expand its AI sales agent platform across Europe, while Eagl raised €825,000 to automate finance operations through AI agents. Another Ghent-based startup, Dalton, obtained €1 million in pre-Seed funding to develop its AI-powered optimisation engine for websites.
Across Europe, funding continues to support both application-layer and infrastructure-layer innovation. For example, Italy’s Lexroom raised €16.2 million to expand its Generative AI legal platform internationally, while Berlin-based Peec AI attracted €7 million for its “Generative Engine Optimisation” product. At the infrastructure level, DataCrunch in Finland raised €55 million to scale GPU and cloud resources across Europe.
Within this context, AI Planet’s €2.5 million UAE expansion aligns with Belgium’s broader push in enterprise and agentic AI, representing a mid-range yet strategically significant investment. It also highlights how European AI startups are increasingly coupling domestic R&D strength with international growth initiatives, particularly in high-demand regions such as the Middle East.
The official signing took place at GITEX Global’s MOU room in the presence of the Ambassador of Belgium & Flanders Investment & Trade team, marking a significant milestone in expanding AI innovation across the Middle East.
On the MOU signing Rino Sabatino, Group Chairman of InfoDrive Analytics and Vardan Global Group added: “We’re excited to partner with AI Planet to build the next chapter of digital innovation. The Middle East and more specifically the UAE’s – momentum in AI is extraordinary, driven by visionary leadership and strong government investment. Together, we’ll bring world-class expertise to help organisations and public institutions accelerate AI adoption, drive operational efficiency, and unlock new opportunities for growth.”
Founded in 2020, AI Planet is a DeepTech Generative AI and Agentic AI platform that enables enterprises to build, deploy, and scale autonomous AI solutions securely. With a strong footprint across manufacturing, finance, education, and public sectors.
Earlier this year, AI Planet built LuxLLama, the first of its kind LLM developed to preserve the culture and history of Luxembourgish language. The project was undertaken with support from Luxembourg’s sovereign cloud and a government innovation grant, marking a national milestone in linguistic AI innovation.
This JV marks AI Planet’s first official presence in the UAE, beyond its established entities in Belgium, Luxembourg, and India, reinforcing its commitment to building global AI ecosystems that enable large-scale digital transformation.
The JV will serve as AI Planet’s regional base in Dubai, focusing on enabling governments and large enterprises in their AI and digital transformation journeys. The investment will be directed toward accelerating market development efforts, strengthening customer acquisition strategies, setting up operations, and hiring regional talent.
In addition, the focus will be on building industry-specific Agentic AI solutions powered by AI Planet’s proprietary platform.
The partnership combines AI Planet’s deep expertise in enterprise-grade AI orchestration with InfoDrive Analytics regional reach and business acumen, setting the stage for scalable impact in enterprise and government ecosystems.
EU-Startups previously covered AI Planet (formerly DPhi) in 2022 when it raised €300k to develop a global community-based AI marketplace.
