Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Startups take home $1 million at the TAQADAM Accelerator

TAQADAM, one of the longest running accelerator programs in the Middle East, awarded a funding pool of $1 million to 10 startups at its annual accelerator showcase on March 1, 2023.
The showcase marks the sixth year of the accelerator, an initiative by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and partner Saudi British Bank (SABB). A new analysis of the previous 5 cohorts showed that 150 startup teams have graduated from the accelerator and raised more than $58 million in funding.

Speaking at the showcase, Saeed Assiri, chief digital officer at SABB said, “We at SABB are very proud of our strategic partnership with KAUST and the TAQADAM program. This accelerator is an extension of our social and innovative initiatives adopted by SABB in-line with its strategy and strong belief in its social responsibility towards the community. TAQADAM represents an example of major initiatives in support of the Kingdom's 2030 Vision and is a great illustration of the Bank's ambitions to support the SME sector, entrepreneurship and innovation, all of which are key tributaries of the sustainable development of the Kingdom's economy.”

He added: “We will continue to take the lead in supporting the aspirations of the youth and contribute to building a promising generation in various fields of business, science and technology."

This latest cohort includes 47 startups and 132 founders from 11 countries across 17 different industries who are pushing the boundaries of science and technology. Ten startups each received $100,000 of non-dilutive funding to advance their businesses and will also have the opportunity to join the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center’s runway program.

The funded startups include:

Plastus: Converting organic waste into bioplastics.

Kitchefy: Growing food brands through virtual kitchens.

Tamawal: Marketplace for personalized loans.

DESAISIV: Optimizing insurance underwriting.

Terraxy: Boosting plant survivability under desert conditions.

Barakah: Tackling commercial food waste.

BRIDGR: Saas platform automating consultancy operations.

Beekeeper: Improving honeybee health through software, IoT and biotech.

SuperCommerce: Enabling large-scale self-managed e-commerce.

Lisan: Generative AI for Arabic language grammar and writing.

TAQADAM accelerator is known for producing successful startups - many of whom have raised funding or found a new home in Saudi Arabia. TAQADAM graduate LabLabee recently secured US$1.4M in pre-seed funding to expand its Telco Cloud lab platform and AgTech startup iyris merged with Red Sea Farms and went on to raise US$18.5 million last year.

On this year’s demo day, the graduates of the sixth cohort pitched before a judging panel of 24 global and regional investors including Amal Dokhan of 500 Startups, Dalal Almutlaq of Iliad Partners and Ian Witkopp of Sino Global Capital.

“TAQADAM is sourcing some of the best startups in the MENA region and the world,” said Omar Shabaan, an investor and chief executive officer of the Space who was in attendance. “Having access to them and being able to look at future opportunities of investment is something that is invaluable.”

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s support for entrepreneurship and innovative technology is driving a startup ecosystem at a rapid pace with investments growing by 72% in 2022. KAUST and SABB are committed to supporting startups that will reap benefits to the Kingdom such as job creation and innovative products and services. Over the past decade, KAUST has played an active role in driving local entrepreneurship: the university has graduated 346 startups from its programs - such as TAQADAM - while helping them to raise over $300 million of investment funding. These startups are focused on tackling global issues such as sustainability for food, water, energy and the environment.

“Being a founder means that risk and uncertainty is a daily occurrence. It is even more daunting when you are building a startup that has the potential to change the world,” said Abdulrahman AlJiffry, startup accelerator manager at KAUST Entrepreneurship. “At TAQADAM, we are part of each founder’s journey, operating as advisors not just investors. Our funding is non-dilutive because we care about sustainable impact first and foremost. This means we can look beyond immediate profitability and take risks on the founders who are focused on solving some of our biggest global challenges.”

The application window for the next cohort of TAQADAM Accelerator is now open. The 6-month program offers opportunities for mentorship, workshops, non-dilutive funding up to $140,000 per startup, access to an international network of startups, investors and partners. Founders can apply beginning today at taqadam.kaust.edu.sa.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
×