BIBAN
14.3.2023 09:59:56 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Biban 2023 — Saudi Arabia’s flagship startup and SME forum — has brought leading entities from around the world together to sign a series of landmark agreements worth approximately $13.8 billion in support of the startup community.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230314005624/en/
Biban 2023 held its most international edition of the forum this year (Photo: AETOSWire)
Organized by the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Monsha'at), the event has set a new benchmark for partnerships, with a diverse range of collaborations and initiatives being launched to empower entrepreneurs.
The fifth and final day of the forum brought more regional and global organizations together to usher in a new era of Saudi entrepreneurship — in line with Vision 2030 — powered by state-of-the-art programs, innovation and effective joint-working.
Notable highlights throughout the event included agreements made by the Saudi Development Bank to support entrepreneurs and SMEs with $6.4 billion, the Small & Medium Enterprises Bank to provide support estimated at $2.8 billion, and the Kafalah Program — with a $1.5 billion agreement with diverse entities.
Monsha’at also announced an MoU with Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia Limited to enhance the digital transformation of the Kingdom’s SMEs, in addition to launching a partnership with Saudi Cloud Computing Company (SCCC) Alibaba Cloud. MoUs were also signed with the Ministry of Energy and Nine66 — a Savvy Games Group company.
Another major announcement at Biban 2023 arrived with the confirmation that local sellers in Saudi Arabia will gain access to Amazon’s global market in the US, Europe and Asia.
Creating an enabling environment for global leaders, experts, and industry professionals, Biban 2023 was a diverse showcase of entrepreneurial excellence.
Biban 2023 also hosted the final round of this year’s Entrepreneurship World Cup: a startup pitch competition and support program, co-hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) and Monsha’at.
White Helmet, a Saudi-based company that provides a platform to manage and monitor construction operations remotely — from anywhere and at any time — was announced, on Day 4 of the Biban forum, as the winner of the EWC grand-prize: a US$300,000 share of the $1 million prize pot.
In 2nd place was NDR Medical from Singapore, receiving a US$20,000 prize, with the third place going to Hera Health from the US with a $150,000 prize.
*Source: AETOSWire
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230314005624/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Swedish Court Further Reschedules Delivery of Judgment in PriceRunner Vs Google Antitrust Case24.6.2026 20:55:00 CEST | Press release
Klarna provides investor update Klarna Group plc (NYSE: KLAR) wishes to update investors that the Patent and Market Court in Stockholm, Sweden (Patent- och marknadsdomstolen) has again postponed publication of its judgment in the antitrust damages proceedings brought by PriceRunner, a Klarna subsidiary, against Google. The Court has rescheduled publication of its judgment from June 26, 2026 to July 1, 2026 at 13:00 CET. As with the Court's two previous notifications, the rescheduling is a procedural decision by the Court and relates solely to the timing of the judgment delivery. In its notification, the Court cited high workload as the reason for needing additional time to finalize the judgment. No inference about the outcome should be drawn from it. Important Notice The outcome of the proceedings is inherently uncertain. No assurance can be given that PriceRunner will succeed on liability or quantum. Any award would be subject to appeal by Google, to sharing arrangements with former P
Vertex Energy Announces 6,000 bpd Group III Base Oil Expansion Project24.6.2026 16:00:00 CEST | Press release
Vertex Energy, Inc. (“Vertex” or the “Company”) today announced it is advancing a project at its Mobile, Alabama refinery to produce crude-derived conventional Group III base oils through the Company’s existing hydrocracker and related processing infrastructure, providing lubricant manufacturers and blenders with an additional domestic source of high-quality Group III supply. The project is designed to add an incremental 6,000 barrels per day of conventional Group III production capacity and support production of 4 cSt, 6 cSt, and 8 cSt Group III base oils using an existing crude-derived hydrocracked vacuum gas oil stream produced at the Company’s Mobile, Alabama refinery. Combined with the Company’s existing re-refined Group III base oil production, this additional capacity is expected to make Vertex the leading Group III producer in North America. Vertex has completed preliminary design work and has procured a high-pressure lubricants hydrotreating unit. The Company plans to start pr
Taktile Secures $110M in Goldman Sachs-led Series C to Power AI Transformation in Financial Institutions24.6.2026 15:30:00 CEST | Press release
Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives backs Taktile as a leading enabler of AI-driven efficiency and performance gains in banks and insurers. Taktile, the leader in AI transformation for financial institutions, today announced its $110 million Series C fundraise. Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives led the round, with participation from Balderton Capital, Index Ventures, Tiger Global, Y Combinator, and Dig Ventures. Taktile Fast Facts Taktile enables banks and insurers to transform into AI-native organizations that are increasingly powered by autonomous agents. Demand for Taktile accelerated in 2025, as AI models became capable of automating high-stakes decisions that previously required hours of manual work—from underwriting business loans and assessing claims to catching financial crime. Customers automate and optimize decisions with Taktile by combining its financial services expertise and product built for sector-specific AI use cases. One of the world’s largest insur
New MetLife Study Reveals a 72% “Confidence Gap” in Ability to Recover from Life's Setbacks24.6.2026 15:25:00 CEST | Press release
Multinational study finds preparedness, early life experiences, and community support play a critical role in building resilience and confidence, reinforcing MetLife’s purpose. Sports, education, and mentorship at a young age shape long-term confidence and resilience. MetLife and MetLife Foundation are supporting initiatives like the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund to expand access to education and sports programs for youth in communities worldwide, supporting their future success. A new multinational study from MetLife reveals a striking “confidence gap”: while most adults describe themselves as resilient, their confidence drops by 72% when faced with real-life setbacks. The Confident Pathways Report, conducted across the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Mexico, was designed to better understand how confidence is built and sustained throughout life. The findings underscore the role of opportunity, preparedness, and support in building confidence - factors that help people
StatLab Launches CytoPath Disc, Advancing Standardized Cell Block Preparation Worldwide24.6.2026 15:08:00 CEST | Press release
Simple, user-friendly product enables effective cytology cell concentration without complex steps, integrating seamlessly into existing pathology workflows. StatLab Medical Products, a leading global developer and manufacturer of pathology supplies and equipment, today announced the global launch of the CytoPath Disc, an innovative cell block preparation technology designed to standardize and simplify cell block preparation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260624368623/en/ Developed as an alternative to traditional cell block methods, which convert concentrated cells suspended in fluid into a paraffin-embedded format for slide-based evaluation, the patent‑pending CytoPath Disc offers a more streamlined and efficient approach. The CytoPath Disc absorbs concentrated cells within a simple, sponge-like matrix, which is then processed, embedded, stained, and sectioned using standard histology workflows. Traditional
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom