14 edtech investors fund Riyadh startups in 2026. STV, Wa'ed, and Raed Ventures back e-learning and upskilling. Saudi edtech hit $2.4B in 2024 and keeps climbing toward $6.8B by 2033.
Saudi Arabia is now betting big on its young people. Vision 2030 pours real money into skills and learning.
STV and Wa'ed back the biggest Saudi edtech rounds. Raed and Khwarizmi fund many early learning startups.
Most rounds need real usage, retention, and outcomes. Ellty tracks every data room open from these funds.
This guide lists 14 active Riyadh edtech investors in 2026.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STV | Growth VC | $5M-$50M | Edtech, fintech, enterprise SaaS | stv.vc |
| Wa'ed Ventures | Corporate VC | $500K-$10M | Edtech, deep tech, SaaS | waed.net |
| Raed Ventures | Seed / Series A VC | $500K-$10M | Edtech, fintech, retail tech | raed.vc |
| Sanabil Investments | Sovereign / govt fund | $5M-$100M+ | Edtech, fintech, AI | sanabil.com |
| Saudi Venture Capital | Fund of funds | LP commitments | Edtech, multi-sector | svc.com.sa |
| Jada Fund of Funds | Fund of funds | LP commitments | Edtech, multi-sector | jada.com.sa |
| Impact46 | Seed / Series A VC | $1M-$10M | Edtech, consumer, enterprise | impact46.sa |
| Merak Capital | Seed / Series A VC | $1M-$10M | Edtech, deep tech, gaming | merak.com.sa |
| Khwarizmi Ventures | Seed / Series A VC | $250K-$3M | Edtech, consumer, fintech | kv.com.sa |
| Nama Ventures | Pre-seed / Seed VC | $100K-$2M | Edtech, SaaS, marketplaces | nama.vc |
| Sanabil 500 MENA | Accelerator + fund | $100K-$10M | Edtech, SaaS, AI, fintech | sanabil500.com |
| Shorooq Partners | Seed / Series A VC | $1M-$15M | Edtech, fintech, SaaS | shorooq.com |
| VentureSouq | Seed / Series A VC | $250K-$5M | Edtech, fintech, SaaS | venturesouq.com |
| Salica Oryx | Late seed / Series A VC | $500K-$8M | Edtech, fintech, enterprise | salicainvestments.com |
Run your Riyadh edtech raise tight
Edtech VCs open your usage and retention data first. Ellty logs every view.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a Saudi edtech VC backs
An edtech investor backs learning apps and HR tech. In Saudi that means real usage and proven outcomes.
Most Riyadh edtech VCs write seed and Series A rounds. A tight pitch deck keeps the learning story sharp.
They want active learners, retention, and clear gains. Founders pitching Riyadh e-commerce investors face a similar bar.
Ellty gives each fund one trackable link and logs every open. You see who studied your usage data before the call.
As we extend into physical classrooms, our goal is to bring real engagement and let students learn from exceptional educators.
14 Riyadh edtech investors
1. STV
STV is MENA's largest tech VC and a Noon Academy backer.
Recent Activity: Joined Noon Academy's $41M Series B, an active Saudi tech investor in 2025
LinkedIn: STV LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, fintech, enterprise SaaS
Stage Focus: Series A to growth
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: stv.vc
2. Wa'ed Ventures
Wa'ed Ventures is Aramco's $500M VC backing Saudi edtech.
Recent Activity: Co-led Noon Academy's $41M Series B and led YNMO's $5M round
LinkedIn: Wa'ed Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, deep tech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Website: waed.net
3. Raed Ventures
Raed Ventures is among Saudi Arabia's most active VCs.
Recent Activity: Co-led Noon Academy's $41M Series B, an active Saudi early-stage investor
LinkedIn: Raed Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, fintech, retail tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: raed.vc
4. Sanabil Investments
Sanabil is PIF's investment arm and a major LP for edtech funds.
Recent Activity: An anchor LP behind the Sanabil 500 MENA fund backing early Saudi startups
LinkedIn: Sanabil Investments LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, fintech, AI
Stage Focus: Seed to growth
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: sanabil.com
5. Saudi Venture Capital
Saudi Venture Capital is a government fund of funds backing edtech VCs.
Recent Activity: A co-investor in Noon Academy and an LP behind the 500 MENA fund
LinkedIn: Saudi Venture Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, multi-sector
Stage Focus: Fund of funds
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: svc.com.sa
6. Jada Fund of Funds
Jada is a PIF fund of funds anchoring Saudi VCs.
Recent Activity: An LP behind the 500 MENA fund and other Saudi VCs with edtech deals
LinkedIn: Jada LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, multi-sector
Stage Focus: Fund of funds
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: jada.com.sa
Share usage data and track every VC open
Ellty shows when STV or Wa'ed opens your usage data and deck. Follow up fast.
Start free 14-day trial7. Impact46
Impact46 is a Riyadh VC with 40+ portfolio companies.
Recent Activity: Made 6 new investments in the year to December 2025 across Saudi tech
LinkedIn: Impact46 LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, consumer, enterprise
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: impact46.sa
8. Merak Capital
Merak Capital is a CMA-licensed Saudi tech investor.
Recent Activity: An active Saudi tech investor across edtech, SaaS, and gaming in 2025
LinkedIn: Merak Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, deep tech, gaming
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: merak.com.sa
9. Khwarizmi Ventures
Khwarizmi Ventures backs Saudi edtech and consumer apps.
Recent Activity: Made 5 investments in 2025 across edtech and consumer tech
LinkedIn: Khwarizmi Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, consumer, fintech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: kv.com.sa
10. Nama Ventures
Nama Ventures is a Riyadh seed fund backing learning startups.
Recent Activity: An active pre-seed and seed backer of Saudi edtech and SaaS founders
LinkedIn: Nama Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, SaaS, marketplaces
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: nama.vc
11. Sanabil 500 MENA
Sanabil 500 MENA runs Riyadh's most active seed accelerator.
Recent Activity: Launched its 500 MENA growth fund in 2025, an early backer of Noon
LinkedIn: Sanabil 500 MENA LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, SaaS, AI, fintech
Stage Focus: Seed to growth
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: sanabil500.com
12. Shorooq Partners
Shorooq Partners is a MENA VC active across Saudi edtech.
Recent Activity: An active MENA investor across fintech, edtech, and SaaS in 2025
LinkedIn: Shorooq Partners LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, fintech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Abu Dhabi / KSA-active
Website: shorooq.com
13. VentureSouq
VentureSouq is a MENA VC active across Saudi edtech and SaaS.
Recent Activity: An active MENA investor with edtech among its 2025 focus areas
LinkedIn: VentureSouq LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, fintech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Location: Dubai / KSA-active
Website: venturesouq.com
14. Salica Oryx
Salica Oryx is an early-stage MENA fund active in edtech.
Recent Activity: A late-seed and Series A MENA investor with edtech in its portfolio mix
LinkedIn: Salica Oryx LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Edtech, fintech, enterprise
Stage Focus: Late seed, Series A
Location: Dubai / KSA-active
Website: salicainvestments.com
Vision 2030 and human capital
Vision 2030 puts human capital firmly at its core. The Kingdom wants a skilled, future-ready workforce.
That sends real money toward Riyadh edtech startups. STV and Wa'ed Ventures back most of the big names.
Founders share usage and outcome data under an NDA. A clean data room keeps it all in one secure place.
Learn the full due diligence process before you raise. These funds reward founders who arrive fully ready.
Upskilling and the workforce
Adult upskilling is now a very large Saudi market. Firms need to reskill staff for a digital economy.
HR tech and training apps now pull in real funding. Rua Growth Fund led ULA.me's $28M round in 2025.
Investors check completion rates and real skill gains. Vanity sign-ups alone won't carry an edtech round.
Track real, steady demand with strong lead capture. Then back it up with proper HR due diligence data.
Arabic content and localization
Global edtech rarely works in Arabic out of the box. Saudi students need local content and real dialects.
Funds back teams that build Arabic-first products. Noon and Baims both grew on that local content edge.
Investors want proof Arabic content drives retention. Generic translations rarely keep learners engaged.
Send monthly usage updates through investor update software. Ellty shows you exactly who opens every single update.
How to pitch a Riyadh edtech investor
Lead with active learners, retention, and real outcomes.
- 1.Show active learners and real retention.Saudi edtech VCs fund usage, not signups.
- 2.Prove your content lifts learning.Outcomes win rounds, demos do not.
- 3.Build Arabic-first from day one.Local content drives Saudi retention.
- 4.Share one Ellty link per fund and track opens.Follow up when a VC reads your data.
How Ellty helps you land an edtech investor in Riyadh
You've found your Riyadh edtech investors already. Set up a data room before your first pitch.
- 1.Upload usage, retention, and outcome data to Ellty.Set NDA-gated access per 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 edtech investor questions
- VCs, sovereign funds, and accelerators. STV, Wa'ed, and Raed lead the sector.
- Cheques run $250K to $20M in 2026. Growth funds write much larger ones.
- Active learners, retention, and outcomes. Signups without usage rarely win.
- The market topped $2.4B in 2024. It is set to reach $6.8B by 2033.
- Yes, it drives Saudi retention. Generic translations rarely keep learners.
- Before outreach starts. Track who opens your usage and outcome docs.
