KAUST Entrepreneurship Programs
Our mission is to grow a thriving tech entrepreneurship ecosystem in Saudi Arabia—a community of startups, entrepreneurs, investors, and corporates, all dedicated to nurturing bold ideas.
KAUST Entrepreneurship supports founders through a dynamic innovation funnel, helping both on-campus and off-campus startups with commercial impact in the Kingdom. We’re always on the lookout for game-changing ideas, promising startups, and innovative founders ready to make a difference.
From venture creation in our studio to acceleration in our programs, and scaling through product development and soft-landing support, we empower founders at every stage. Whether you’re an aspiring founder, a scaling startup, or an established entrepreneur seeking a tech edge, we have a program for you.
For corporates, government entities, and strategic partners, we help advance your innovation goals by connecting you with top technologies and promising startups.
The KAUST Venture Studio supports idea stage founders to bring their ideas to market. In the studio ambitious founders will work on three aspects of the company, namely the team, the product and the first customer. Within 3 to 6 months, you should be able to build your founding team, develop a minimally viable product and attract your first customer and receive your first revenue into the company.
Who should apply:
- At least 1 person founding team
- With a general idea for a product or opportunity they want to develop
- May or may not have any startup experience in the past
- Should at least have 1 person that is technical or can build product.
COMING SOON
TAQADAM is a startup accelerator powered by the extraordinary networks of KAUST and SAB. Since 2016, we’ve been helping innovators push the boundaries of what’s possible and transform their dreams into a reality. We work with startups at all stages of growth and from any industry.
Over 6-months, we guide entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to market through mentorship, non-dilutive funding, and coaching. Teams receive up to $140,000 in non-dilutive funding and access to co-working spaces across Saudi Arabia. Our method focuses on product design, market fit, business model planning, team development, and fundraising. Startups graduate with a toolkit to accelerate their business, gain access to potential customers, and develop an exceptional network of mentors and investors.
What we look for
- Strong teams with two or more founders that have a complete profile of skills and expertise to take this startup forward.
- Novel ideas and business models that have the potential to scale.
- We welcome Saudi and international startups with plans to expand to Saudi Arabia.
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NextEra aims to incentivize and accelerate the development and innovation activities of tech entrepreneurs and SMEs by providing them with grants.
Target Segment:
- Micro/ Small Startups
- Medium Enterprises /Startups
KAUST ScaleX Program is designed to attract and scale tech startups by leveraging Saudi Arabia's strategic position, advanced infrastructure, and innovation-friendly ecosystem.
The program aims to support these startups in expanding their regional operations, driving economic growth, and contributing to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030.
Application Criteria
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Successfully raised Series B funding or equivalent.
- Ready for commercial deployment.
- Natural Synergy with KAUST and Saudi Arabia
- Present a scalable business model that can be further developed within the Saudi market.
- Established for a minimum of two years.
- No existing headquarters (regional office) in Saudi Arabia.
Target Sectors:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
- AgriTech and Sustainable Food Security
- Logistics, mobility, and transportation
- Biotech and HealthTech
- Cybersecurity
- Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies
- Robotics, Industrial technologies, and automation
Entrepreneurship Adventures is an eight-week Course that brings the founder experience to life. This gamified experience puts participants in the driver’s seat to navigate real-world decisions entrepreneurs face as they bring their ideas and products to market.
At the end of the eight-week program, participants will have successfully worked through the startup lifecycle and gained the skills and knowledge to jumpstart an entrepreneurial career.
Our proposal focuses on expanding the deep tech funnel in Saudi Arabia by leveraging our online course and its community to highlight deep tech entrepreneurship as an attractive endeavor.