16 seed investors fund Riyadh startups in 2026. Raed, Nama, and Wa'ed Ventures lead pre-seed and seed rounds. Saudi startups raised $1.72B in 2025, the top VC market in MENA.
Riyadh is now the busiest seed market in the region. Pre-seed deals doubled in the first half of 2025.
Raed, Nama, and Khwarizmi lead the local rounds here. Sanabil 500 runs the biggest seed accelerator here.
Seed investors want a team, traction, and real focus. Ellty tracks every data room open from these funds.
This guide lists 16 active Riyadh seed investors in 2026.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raed Ventures | Seed / Series A VC | $500K-$5M | Fintech, proptech, SaaS, consumer | raed.vc |
| Nama Ventures | Pre-seed / Seed VC | $250K-$2M | Tech, e-commerce, SaaS, fintech | namaventures.com |
| Wa'ed Ventures | Corporate VC | ~$2.5M | Deep tech, fintech, AI, industrial | waed.com |
| Sanabil 500 MENA | Accelerator + fund | ~$150K + follow-on | Fintech, AI, e-commerce, martech | 500.co |
| Saudi Venture Capital | Fund of funds | Fund commitments | Sector-agnostic (LP) | svc.com.sa |
| Impact46 | Seed / Series A VC | $500K-$3M | Consumer, SaaS, fintech, retail | impact46.sa |
| Khwarizmi Ventures | Seed / Series A VC | $1M-$5M | Fintech, consumer tech, AI | kv.com.sa |
| Merak Capital | Pre-seed / Seed VC | $250K-$2M | Gaming, fintech, consumer | merak.capital |
| Sukna Ventures | Seed / early growth VC | $1M-$3M | Fintech, deep tech, SaaS | sukna.com |
| STV | Seed to growth VC | ~$7M (larger seed) | AI, fintech, enterprise, consumer | stv.vc |
| Vision Ventures | Seed / Series A VC | $500K-$2M | Sector-agnostic tech | vv.com.sa |
| Outliers Venture Capital | Pre-seed / Seed VC | $250K-$1.5M | SaaS, fintech, marketplaces | outliers.vc |
| Shorooq Partners | Seed / Series A VC | ~$4M (avg seed) | Fintech, platforms, enterprise | shorooq.com |
| Salica Oryx Fund | Pre-seed / Seed VC | $250K-$2M | Fintech, healthtech, edtech | salicainvestments.com |
| KAUST Innovation Fund | University seed fund | <$200K-$2M | Deep tech, climate, biotech, AI | innovation.kaust.edu.sa |
| Wadi Makkah Ventures | University seed fund | $100K-$1M | Hajj and Umrah tech, consumer | wmvc.sa |
Run your Riyadh seed raise tight
Seed VCs open your deck and metrics before they reply. Ellty logs every view in real time.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a Saudi seed investor backs
A seed investor backs startups with a product and users. In Saudi that means a strong team and real traction.
Most Riyadh seed VCs write $250K to $5M cheques each. A clean fundraising plan keeps the whole round tight.
They want a clear path from seed through to Series A. Founders pitching Riyadh healthtech investors face a similar bar.
Ellty gives each fund one trackable link and logs every open. You see who studied your real metrics before the call.
We are committed to enabling and building the Saudi Arabian VC and startup ecosystem.
16 Riyadh seed investors
1. Raed Ventures
Raed Ventures is a Riyadh VC leading Saudi seed and Series A rounds.
Recent Activity: Led Rize's $35M Series A and joined fashion marketplace Aya's $1.6M seed in 2025
LinkedIn: Raed Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, proptech, SaaS, consumer
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: $500K-$5M
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: raed.vc
2. Nama Ventures
Nama Ventures is a Riyadh seed fund backing early MENA teams.
Recent Activity: Led PIESHIP's $2.1M seed, won CMA approval, and launched a new $27M fund in 2025
LinkedIn: Nama Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Tech, e-commerce, SaaS, fintech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: $250K-$2M
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: namaventures.com
3. Wa'ed Ventures
Wa'ed Ventures is Aramco's $500M VC with a Saudi seed fund.
Recent Activity: Made 13 investments in 2025, runs a seed fund writing up to SAR 3M
LinkedIn: Wa'ed Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, fintech, AI, industrial
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: ~$2.5M
Location: Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Website: waed.com
4. Sanabil 500 MENA
Sanabil 500 MENA runs the region's flagship seed accelerator.
Recent Activity: Announced Batch 10 in December 2025 with 9 companies from 735+ applicants
LinkedIn: Sanabil 500 MENA LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, AI, e-commerce, martech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: ~$150K + follow-on
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: 500.co
5. Saudi Venture Capital
Saudi Venture Capital is a government fund of funds for seed VCs.
Recent Activity: Committed $1.2B+ across 65+ funds, backing Raed, Global Ventures, and more
LinkedIn: Saudi Venture Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic, via funds
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to growth, LP
Check Size: Fund commitments
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: svc.com.sa
6. Impact46
Impact46 is a Riyadh VC backing seed and Series A startups.
Recent Activity: Made 6 new investments to December 2025, an early backer of Tamara and Rasan
LinkedIn: Impact46 LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Consumer, SaaS, fintech, retail
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: $500K-$3M
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: impact46.sa
Share your deck and track every seed VC open
Ellty shows when Raed or Nama opens your deck and metrics. Follow up fast.
Start free 14-day trial7. Khwarizmi Ventures
Khwarizmi Ventures backs Saudi seed and Series A founders.
Recent Activity: Closed Fund II at a $70M+ first close in 2026, backed Calo, Eyewa, and HALA
LinkedIn: Khwarizmi Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, consumer tech, AI
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: $1M-$5M
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: kv.com.sa
8. Merak Capital
Merak Capital is a Riyadh firm investing at the Saudi seed stage.
Recent Activity: Led Sheba Joy's $293K pre-seed and Qwacks' $480K pre-seed in 2025
LinkedIn: Merak Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Gaming, fintech, consumer, enterprise
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: $250K-$2M
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: merak.capital
9. Sukna Ventures
Sukna Ventures is a Riyadh VC backing early and growth-stage startups.
Recent Activity: Led InfiniLink's $10M seed and co-led Amwal Tech's $2.5M seed in 2025
LinkedIn: Sukna Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, deep tech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, early growth
Check Size: $1M-$3M
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: sukna.com
10. STV
STV is MENA's largest tech VC, backing larger seed rounds.
Recent Activity: Launched an AI Fund backed by Google in 2025 for AI-native MENA startups
LinkedIn: STV LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, fintech, enterprise, consumer
Stage Focus: Seed (select), Series A+
Check Size: ~$7M
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: stv.vc
11. Vision Ventures
Vision Ventures is a founder-led Saudi seed and Series A fund.
Recent Activity: An active Saudi seed-stage investor across multiple tech verticals in 2025
LinkedIn: Vision Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Sector-agnostic tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: $500K-$2M
Location: Riyadh / Khobar
Website: vv.com.sa
12. Outliers Venture Capital
Outliers VC backs outlier founders across the US and MENA.
Recent Activity: Invested in 16 companies as of May 2025, active in Saudi seed deals
LinkedIn: Outliers VC LinkedIn
Sector Focus: SaaS, fintech, marketplaces
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: $250K-$1.5M
Location: Riyadh / US
Website: outliers.vc
13. Shorooq Partners
Shorooq Partners is a MENA seed and Series A VC active in Saudi.
Recent Activity: Co-led Amwal Tech's $2.5M seed with Sukna and launched a $100M venture debt fund
LinkedIn: Shorooq Partners LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, platforms, enterprise
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: ~$4M average seed
Location: Abu Dhabi / KSA-active
Website: shorooq.com
14. Salica Oryx Fund
Salica Oryx is a $50M early-stage MENA fund, SVC and Jada backed.
Recent Activity: An active pre-seed to pre-Series A MENA investor with Saudi LPs
LinkedIn: Salica Oryx LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, healthtech, edtech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: $250K-$2M
Location: Abu Dhabi / KSA-active
Website: salicainvestments.com
15. KAUST Innovation Fund
KAUST Innovation Fund seeds Saudi deep-tech startups.
Recent Activity: KAUST-backed startups passed $1B raised cumulatively by 2025
LinkedIn: KAUST Innovation LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, climate, biotech, AI
Stage Focus: Seed, early-stage
Check Size: <$200K-$2M
Location: Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
Website: innovation.kaust.edu.sa
16. Wadi Makkah Ventures
Wadi Makkah Ventures seeds Makkah-region startups.
Recent Activity: Made around 40 portfolio investments at the seed and initial stage
LinkedIn: Wadi Makkah Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Hajj and Umrah tech, consumer
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: $100K-$1M
Location: Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Website: wmvc.sa
Pre-seed vs seed in Riyadh
Pre-seed gets you from an idea to a first product. Seed funds your push toward real, paying traction.
Pre-seed cheques often run $100K to $1M in Riyadh. Seed rounds now reach $1M to $5M, sometimes higher.
Both stages need clean docs and a single clear story. A clean virtual data room keeps all your files tidy.
Read the due diligence checklist for investors early. Seed VCs reward the founders who arrive fully ready.
What gets you to Series A
Seed buys you around 18 months to prove the model. Series A needs real growth, not just a product launch.
Hit clear revenue and retention milestones quite early. Seed VCs re-back the founders who actually deliver.
Show your real numbers clearly to every new investor. Track every open with built-in document analytics.
Keep your seed investors warm right up to Series A. Ellty shows you exactly who still reads your updates.
Building a Saudi cap table
A messy cap table scares off most serious seed VCs. Keep your ownership clean from the very first round.
Use simple instruments like SAFEs at the pre-seed stage. They keep your early rounds quick and fairly cheap.
Share legal and equity files only with the right people. Use secure file sharing on every sensitive legal doc.
Know the main types of due diligence seed VCs run. Ellty tracks exactly who opens each file you share.
How to pitch a Riyadh seed investor
Lead with the team, early traction, and a clear path.
- 1.Show a strong team and early traction.Seed VCs back people who execute.
- 2.Prove a clear path to Series A.Show how seed money buys real growth.
- 3.Keep your cap table clean.Messy ownership kills seed deals fast.
- 4.Share one Ellty link per fund and track opens.Follow up when a VC reads your metrics.
How Ellty helps you land a seed investor in Riyadh
You've found your Riyadh seed investors already. Set up a data room before your first pitch.
- 1.Upload your deck, metrics, and cap table 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 seed investor questions
- VCs, micro-funds, and accelerators. Raed, Nama, and Wa'ed lead many rounds.
- Most run $1M to $5M in 2026. Pre-seed cheques are often smaller.
- A strong team, traction, and focus. A clear path to Series A helps.
- Very active, pre-seed deals doubled in 2025. KSA leads MENA on volume.
- Not always, but traction helps a lot. Strong usage can stand in for revenue.
- Before outreach starts. Track who opens your deck and metrics.
