Riyadh Valley Company, SparkLabs Team Up To Launch The King Saud University Venture Fund In Saudi Arabia
The fund will back early-stage startups rooted in the university, supporting ideas and ventures led by students, researchers, and faculty members as they move from campus to market.
The investment arm of Saudi Arabia's King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh Valley Company, in partnership with Silicon Valley-based venture capital and startup acceleration group SparkLabs, has established the King Saud University Venture Fund and Startup Accelerator.
The initiative, which focuses on supporting the commercialization of scientific research and entrepreneurial projects developed within KSU, has launched with the SparkLabs KSU Fund I, a US$20 million venture capital fund focused on backing high-potential local and global founders building and scaling from Saudi Arabia.
The fund is set to invest across pre-seed, seed, and Series A stages, with a strategic focus on KSA-founded startups and ventures emerging from the KSU ecosystem, while allocating up to 20 percent of capital to international founders committed to localizing and expanding their businesses in the Kingdom.
In a statement, Ivan Grlic, Managing Partner at SparkLabs Saudi Arabia, said, "This investment from Riyadh Valley Company reflects strong alignment around the importance of building a globally connected innovation ecosystem rooted in Saudi Arabia. Through SparkLabs KSU Fund I, we aim to support exceptional founders with capital, hands-on expertise, and access to international markets."
Khalid bin Saad Al-Saleh, CEO of Riyadh Valley Company, added that the fund and the accompanying accelerator are intended to develop the capabilities of university-based entrepreneurs, improve the investment readiness of technology projects, and support the university’s role within the knowledge economy.
Applications are now open for the Sparklabs KSU Accelerator on this link.
