17 AI investors fund Riyadh startups in 2026. STV, HUMAIN, and Wa'ed Ventures back deep tech and models. Saudi startups raised $1.7B in 2025, with AI taking a fast-growing share.
Saudi Arabia has turned AI into a national project. PIF, Aramco, and stc now pour billions into Riyadh.
STV and HUMAIN write the biggest AI cheques in Riyadh. Wa'ed and Prosperity7 back deep tech and compute.
Most AI rounds need real models, data rights, and traction. Ellty tracks every data room open from these funds.
This guide lists 17 active Riyadh AI investors in 2026.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STV | Growth VC | $5M-$50M | AI, deep tech, SaaS, fintech | stv.vc |
| HUMAIN Ventures | Sovereign AI fund | $50M-$1B+ | AI infrastructure, frontier models | humain.ai |
| Wa'ed Ventures | Corporate VC | $1M-$30M | AI, deep tech, cloud, enterprise | waedventures.com |
| Prosperity7 Ventures | Growth / deep-tech VC | $5M-$50M+ | AI, deep tech, enterprise | prosperity7vc.com |
| Sanabil Investments | Sovereign / govt fund | $10M-$100M+ | AI, fintech, enterprise tech | sanabil.com |
| Saudi Venture Capital | Fund of funds | LP commitments | AI, deep tech, SaaS | svc.com.sa |
| NEOM Investment Fund | Strategic / govt fund | $10M-$100M+ | AI, edge AI, semiconductors | neom.com |
| Aramco Digital | Corporate / strategic | Strategic deals | AI, cloud, industrial deep tech | aramcodigital.com |
| Raed Ventures | Series A / B VC | $1M-$15M | AI, enterprise, fintech, SaaS | raed.vc |
| Merak Capital | Multi-strategy VC | $1M-$15M | AI, deep tech, enterprise | merak.capital |
| Impact46 | Seed / growth VC | $1M-$50M+ | AI, fintech, enterprise | impact46.com |
| Khwarizmi Ventures | Seed / Series A VC | $250K-$3M | AI applications, fintech, consumer | kv.com.sa |
| Nama Ventures | Pre-seed / Seed VC | $100K-$2M | AI, SaaS, deep tech | namaventures.com |
| Shorooq Partners | Seed / Series A VC | $1M-$20M | AI, deep tech, fintech | shorooq.com |
| VentureSouq | Seed / Series A VC | $250K-$5M | Fintech, climatetech, AI-enabled | venturesouq.com |
| Outliers Venture Capital | Pre-seed / Seed VC | $250K-$5M | AI, deep tech, frontier tech | outliers.vc |
| Sanabil 500 MENA | Accelerator + seed fund | $100K-$500K | AI, fintech, data, e-commerce | 500.co |
Run your Riyadh AI raise tight
Saudi AI funds open your model docs and metrics before the call. Ellty logs every view.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a Saudi AI investor backs
An AI investor backs startups building models, tools, or apps. In Saudi that means real IP and clear data rights.
Most Riyadh AI VCs write seed and Series A into deep tech. Founders building for AI face a high technical bar.
They want working models, unit economics, and data moats. Founders pitching Abu Dhabi AI investors face the same bar.
Ellty gives each fund one trackable link and logs every open. You see who studied your model docs before the call.
AI will contribute close to 25 percent or more of all venture capital deployed in the Kingdom.
17 Riyadh AI investors
1. STV
STV is MENA's largest tech VC and a lead backer of Saudi AI.
Recent Activity: Launched a $100M Emerging Tech and AI Fund backed by Google, deployed into Sawt and Clarity
LinkedIn: STV LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, enterprise SaaS, fintech
Stage Focus: Series A to growth
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: stv.vc
2. HUMAIN Ventures
HUMAIN is PIF's national AI company and its venture arm.
Recent Activity: Invested in xAI's Series E and Luma AI, launching a $10B AI venture fund in 2026
LinkedIn: HUMAIN LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, AI infrastructure, frontier models
Stage Focus: Growth, late-stage
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: humain.ai
3. Wa'ed Ventures
Wa'ed Ventures is Aramco's VC arm with $100M earmarked for AI.
Recent Activity: Led Lucidya's $30M Series B, the largest AI raise in the Kingdom to date
LinkedIn: Wa'ed Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, cloud, enterprise
Stage Focus: Seed to Series B
Location: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Website: waedventures.com
4. Prosperity7 Ventures
Prosperity7 is Aramco Ventures' $3B deep-tech growth fund.
Recent Activity: Led Creao AI's $10M round and joined TensorWave's $100M AI-infrastructure round
LinkedIn: Prosperity7 Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, enterprise
Stage Focus: Early to growth
Location: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Website: prosperity7vc.com
5. Sanabil Investments
Sanabil is PIF's investment arm and a major Saudi tech backer.
Recent Activity: Backed Batch 9 and 10 of its 500 Global accelerator covering AI and data startups
LinkedIn: Sanabil Investments LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, fintech, enterprise tech
Stage Focus: Seed to growth
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: sanabil.com
6. Saudi Venture Capital
Saudi Venture Capital is a government fund of funds backing AI VCs.
Recent Activity: Committed SAR 1B across 17 fund managers in 2025, many targeting AI and deep tech
LinkedIn: Saudi Venture Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Fund of funds
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: svc.com.sa
Share your model docs and track every VC open
Ellty shows when STV or HUMAIN opens your model docs and deck. Follow up fast.
Start free 14-day trial7. NEOM Investment Fund
NEOM Investment Fund backs frontier AI and chip startups.
Recent Activity: Made a strategic investment in edge-AI chipmaker MemryX, backed Paradromics
LinkedIn: NEOM Investment Fund LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, edge AI, semiconductors
Stage Focus: Growth, strategic
Location: NEOM, Saudi Arabia
Website: neom.com
8. Aramco Digital
Aramco Digital builds Saudi AI infrastructure and compute.
Recent Activity: Running AI data-center and compute partnerships across the Kingdom in 2025
LinkedIn: Aramco Digital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, cloud, industrial deep tech
Stage Focus: Strategic, corporate
Location: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Website: aramcodigital.com
9. Raed Ventures
Raed Ventures backs Saudi AI and enterprise software founders.
Recent Activity: Co-led Halo AI's $6M seed, raised Raed III with SVC backing AI startups
LinkedIn: Raed Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, enterprise, fintech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: raed.vc
10. Merak Capital
Merak Capital is a Riyadh multi-strategy fund active in AI.
Recent Activity: Made around 5 new investments to Dec 2025 and published a Saudi AI sector report
LinkedIn: Merak Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, enterprise
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: merak.capital
11. Impact46
Impact46 is a Saudi asset manager backing AI startups.
Recent Activity: Made around 11 investments in a year, an early backer of AI firm Lucidya
LinkedIn: Impact46 LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, fintech, enterprise
Stage Focus: Seed to growth
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: impact46.com
12. Khwarizmi Ventures
Khwarizmi Ventures backs Saudi AI and consumer apps.
Recent Activity: Closed Fund II at a $70M+ first close in 2026 targeting AI applications
LinkedIn: Khwarizmi Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI applications, fintech, consumer tech
Stage Focus: Seed to Series A
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: kv.com.sa
13. Nama Ventures
Nama Ventures is a Riyadh seed fund backing AI founders.
Recent Activity: Launched a new $27M fund in 2025, backed AI research startup Finbar
LinkedIn: Nama Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, deep tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: namaventures.com
14. Shorooq Partners
Shorooq Partners backs Saudi AI with equity and venture debt.
Recent Activity: Co-led Halo AI's $6M seed and joined Strataphy's $6M deep-tech seed in 2025
LinkedIn: Shorooq Partners LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, fintech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Abu Dhabi / KSA-active
Website: shorooq.com
15. VentureSouq
VentureSouq runs thematic funds active in Saudi AI deals.
Recent Activity: Active across KSA with fintech and AI-enabled thematic funds in 2025
LinkedIn: VentureSouq LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, climatetech, AI-enabled
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Dubai / KSA-active
Website: venturesouq.com
16. Outliers Venture Capital
Outliers VC backs frontier and deep-tech founders in Saudi.
Recent Activity: Led Strataphy's $6M deep-tech seed in the Kingdom in November 2025
LinkedIn: Outliers VC LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, frontier tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Location: Dubai / KSA-active
Website: outliers.vc
17. Sanabil 500 MENA
Sanabil 500 MENA runs Riyadh's most active AI accelerator.
Recent Activity: Ran its Batch 9 and 10 cohorts in 2025 covering AI, data, and cybersecurity
LinkedIn: Sanabil 500 MENA LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, fintech, data, e-commerce
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: 500.co
HUMAIN and the AI buildout
HUMAIN is PIF's bet to make Saudi a real AI producer. It funds models, data centers, and chips at scale.
That pulls global money into Riyadh and lifts local rounds. STV and Wa'ed back many of the startups built on top.
Founders share model cards and data rights under NDA. A clean virtual data room keeps it all in one place.
Run through an AI due diligence checklist quite early. Saudi funds reward the founders who arrive fully ready.
Compute, data, and GPUs
AI startups live or die on compute and data access. Saudi funds now treat GPU access as a genuine moat.
HUMAIN and Aramco Digital build the data centers behind it. That gives local Riyadh startups cheaper training runs.
Investors check your compute costs and data pipeline closely. Vague infra plans end most AI pitches quite early.
Track who reads your cost model with document analytics. Ellty shows you every single open the moment it happens.
From pilot to enterprise
Most Saudi AI startups start with a big enterprise pilot. Turning that into recurring revenue is the hard part.
Investors want proof a pilot becomes a paid contract. Logos without real revenue won't carry an AI round.
Keep board and investor relations updates current. Warm investors tend to move faster when you raise again.
Work through an investment due diligence checklist first. It maps closely to what STV and Sanabil ask in 2026.
How to pitch a Riyadh AI investor
Lead with a working model, data rights, and real traction.
- 1.Show a working model, not just a demo.Saudi AI VCs fund real IP and output.
- 2.Prove your data rights and compute plan.Clear data and infra unlock most rounds.
- 3.Turn a pilot into recurring revenue.Saudi funds back contracts, not logos.
- 4.Share one Ellty link per fund and track opens.Follow up when a VC reads your model docs.
How Ellty helps you land an AI investor in Riyadh
You've found your Riyadh AI investors already. Set up a data room before your first pitch.
- 1.Upload your model docs, metrics, and deck to Ellty.Set NDA-gated access per AI investor.
- 2.Share a unique trackable link with each fund.Each fund gets one link. Ellty logs every open.
- 3.Track opens and follow up the moment they read.Use Ellty analytics to time your follow-up.
Riyadh AI investor questions
- Sovereign funds, VCs, and accelerators. STV, HUMAIN, and Wa'ed lead the sector.
- Cheques run $250K to $50M in 2026. Sovereign funds write far larger ones.
- A working model, data rights, and traction. Demos without revenue rarely win.
- Yes, it backs AI firms and is raising a $10B fund. It targets models and infrastructure.
- Yes, with a local entity and clear data plan. A warm intro opens most funds.
- Before outreach starts. Track who opens your model and metrics docs.
