The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority “Monsha’at” celebrated the graduation of 20 university startups from the startup accelerator of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, as part of the University Startup Accelerator Program. The ceremony was attended by Monsha’at’s Governor Sami bin Ibrahim Al Hussaini and Acting University President Dr. Fawzia bint Sulaiman Al-Amro, along with several entrepreneurship experts and specialists.

The program comes as part of the Human Capability Development Program initiatives, aiming to empower university students and recent graduates to develop their entrepreneurial ventures and enhance their investment readiness, contributing to greater competitiveness, growth, and sustainability.

During the ceremony, the startups showcased their business models and investment opportunities to investors and enabling entities, with the participation of development service providers. The projects spanned several key sectors, including health tech, artificial intelligence, logistics technologies, fintech and legal tech, as well as tourism and education, reflecting the diversity of entrepreneurial opportunities within the university ecosystem.

Over the six-month program, Monsha’at provided participants with a range of developmental programs and services, including workshops, guidance sessions, and specialized consultations, in addition to facilitating access to funding solutions and investor networks.

The startups achieved notable growth throughout the program, including an increase of more than 100% in customer numbers, revenue growth exceeding 188%, and employment growth of over 59%. The value of proposed investment rounds reached approximately SAR 29 million, with a total of 45 deals and agreements concluded.

The event also featured an accompanying exhibition where startups presented their products and services, allowing attendees to explore the projects firsthand and discuss potential collaborations and investment partnerships.

The program reflects Monsha’at’s ongoing efforts to support university entrepreneurship, having contributed to the graduation of 280 startups through incubators and business accelerators across 12 universities in different regions of the Kingdom. These efforts continue to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem and support the national economy in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.