The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority “Monsha’at” launched its five-day tour showcasing the Saudi entrepreneurship ecosystem in Silicon Valley, California, with the participation of six Saudi fast-growing companies operating across diverse sectors. The tour comes as part of Monsha’at’s initiative to support potential unicorn companies and enable their international expansion.

On the first day of the tour, Monsha’at organized four sessions and workshops with leading venture capitalists and founders of unicorn companies, including Dr. Andrey Kunov, Founder and President of Silicon Valley Innovation Center, Ilja Gruen, Partner at Botan Investments, Tara Capsuto, Partner at Cooley LLP, and Sreejith Mohan from the StartX startup ecosystem at Stanford University. The sessions aimed to support the six Saudi companies in developing business plans, strengthening expansion strategies, building international networks that support growth and development, and preparing for the IPO journey.

The first day also included a visit to Stanford University, which plays a pivotal role as a hub for startups and is considered one of the region’s leading innovation drivers. The university’s research and alumni have contributed to the establishment of many major companies. Activities concluded with a dinner gathering attended by a group of entrepreneurs and leaders of major unicorn companies from around the world.

The tour is part of a series of international engagements through which Monsha’at aims to spotlight promising Saudi companies and provide entrepreneurs with opportunities to expand their business networks by connecting with industry and entrepreneurship leaders from around the world.