AI platform Elevix has announced a strategic partnership with Dubai-based recruitment firm Pink Camel Recruitment aimed at strengthening startup development across the UAE and the wider GCC. The companies say the collaboration is designed to connect startup talent, investors and specialist service providers through combined technology and recruitment capabilities.
The announcement, dated October 19, 2026, positions Elevix AI as the assessment and matchmaking layer. The platform is described as helping evaluate startups for investor readiness, generating a structured readiness score, identifying strengths and information gaps, and facilitating connections among founders, investors, mentors and service providers. Elevix also states that its AI-generated assessments are intended to support informed next steps and are not a substitute for human judgment or investment due diligence.
In the release, the partners cite ongoing hiring challenges in the region. It references figures from Hays’ 2026 GCC Salary Guide, which it says reported that 90% of surveyed organisations indicated skills shortages in 2025. The release also points to a Boyden MENA survey from May 2026 that it says found 52% of organisations had slowed hiring or become more selective and 27% had implemented a hiring freeze.
Exclusive talent and HR role in UAE and GCC
Under the agreement, Pink Camel Recruitment will introduce relevant startups and investors from its network to the Elevix platform. The company also says it will serve as Elevix’s exclusive talent and HR partner for the UAE and GCC, subject to an agreed scope of exclusivity.
According to the release, Pink Camel’s work will include recruitment, executive search, specialist and technical hiring, candidate assessment and broader people advisory capabilities. The partnership is also described as involving mutually agreed events, founder mentorship, community engagement and ecosystem development activities.
How Elevix membership tiers are positioned
The release outlines three founder membership tiers on Elevix: LIFT, ASCENT and ALTITUDE. LIFT is described as a free tier that includes a pitch-deck score, an assessment of strengths and weaknesses, and three recommended action points.
ASCENT is described as a paid tier that offers structured investor-readiness support and curated investor introductions through Elevix events for qualifying startups with an Elevix score of 75 or above, along with group sessions with experienced founders, curated service-provider access, thought-leadership workshops and AI-matched mentorship.
ALTITUDE is positioned as a premium paid tier providing dedicated account support, enhanced investor-engagement opportunities, priority access to relevant events, and one-to-one interactions with investors and experienced founders where available, plus curated service-provider access and quarterly progress reviews.
Company statements
Elevix founder Deepak Ahuja said in the release that its vision is to connect founders, investors and specialist partners through a single operating platform, adding that Elevix AI helps founders understand readiness and helps ecosystem participants find more relevant connections. He also said Pink Camel would “complement that intelligence with the human talent expertise startups need to build and scale their teams.”
Elevix co-founder Anishkaa Gehani said a strong startup ecosystem is built through collaboration and that Pink Camel’s role would extend beyond recruitment to include founder and investor connections, mentorship and engagement with the broader startup community.
Pink Camel Recruitment founder and CEO Mollie Powell said the company is excited to partner with Elevix, adding that it sees “significant potential” in the platform and its offerings and aims to address gaps in the startup ecosystem.
The release says specific services and commercial arrangements are subject to agreed terms and applicable eligibility requirements. It also notes that the partnership is focused initially on the UAE and wider GCC.
