Monsha’at Launches Startup Accelerators at Saudi Universities

The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority “Monsha’at” launched the University Startup Accelerator Program, as part of the University Startups Initiative, funded by the Human Capability Development Program, one of the programs of Saudi Vision 2030, and in partnership with King Khalid University in Abha, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh, and the University of Business and Technology in Jeddah. The program aims to enable university students and graduates to develop their technology and innovation projects and turn them into startups capable of competing, growing, and sustaining themselves, through an integrated system of services that includes guidance and consultation sessions, specialized training programs, financing services, and opportunities to connect with investors, strengthening the readiness of university projects to attract investment and increasing their competitiveness in the market. The program runs over six months, beginning with a qualifying stage to screen and select outstanding projects, followed by the acceleration program, and culminating in the investor demo day, a key milestone for showcasing the projects’ achievements and connecting them with investment opportunities. The current edition of the program targets incubating 60 university startups, with investment opportunities made available to several promising projects. Monsha’at emphasized that implementing the program at three leading universities reflects the integration of efforts between the government and academic sectors and translates the role of the Human Capability Development Program in supporting and qualifying national talent, contributing to strengthening the university entrepreneurship ecosystem and supporting the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 in increasing the contribution of entrepreneurship to the national economy and creating a stimulating investment environment for youth.

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