CO-TECHSTARS
1.4.2021 06:02:11 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today announced a partnership to launch The Riyadh Techstars Accelerator . The accelerator joins Saudi Arabia's budding startup ecosystem to work with startups and entrepreneurs building and growing their businesses in the Middle East and North Africa, underscoring Techstars’ mission of making innovation and entrepreneurship more accessible and inclusive to more entrepreneurs.
The Riyadh Techstars Accelerator will focus on attracting startups to MENA and paving the way for future innovation in the region’s digital economy. While the accelerator will be Techstars’ first in Saudi Arabia, the organization has been active in the region for years through more than 700 Techstars Startup Weekend events, the Techstars Dubai Accelerator and the Techstars Hub71 Accelerator in Abu Dhabi.
The accelerator is an extension of earlier cooperation between the Ministry and Techstars last July through the Techstars Startup Weekend COVID-19 KSA , where more than 550 Saudi entrepreneurs, of which two thirds were female, attended virtual panels, workshops and networking events to address challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With entrepreneurship on the rise in Saudi Arabia, and the unwavering community commitment to developing a strong startup ecosystem in the region, putting down roots in Riyadh is something we’ve been looking forward to,” said Gagan Bhatia, Techstars General Manager. “We’re excited to work with MCIT to drive innovation in the Kingdom, supporting entrepreneurs and helping them advance their ideas and businesses in the region. At Techstars, we believe that great ideas can come from anywhere. We look forward to making entrepreneurship more accessible and bringing more opportunities to more entrepreneurs in MENA through this partnership.”
The Riyadh Techstars Accelerator will begin accepting applications May 10, 2021, for a 13-week program that will take place from November 2021 through February 2022. A Techstars Managing Director will lead the accelerator with support from a Techstars program manager, along with leadership and mentors from MCIT. Participants in the three-month program will receive funding, hands-on mentorship from the Techstars and MCIT networks, access to curated workshops and resources, and access to the Techstars global network for life.
“Technology and innovation-based entrepreneurship is a key enabler to driving the achievement of Vision 2030, our nation’s blueprint for social transformation and economic diversification. We have a young population, 70% of whom are youth. These are our digital natives and we want to leverage their energy and curiosity to leapfrog with innovation,” said Dr. Ahmed Altheneyan, Deputy Minister for Future Skills and Digital Entrepreneurship. “The ministry and Techstars will come together to scale the impact of their combined resources and capabilities to truly accelerate digital entrepreneurship, across the Kingdom, where we are already witnessing the growth of a vibrant venture capital investment community, rapid technology adoption, and how digital transformation is allowing companies to re-imagine themselves to become more competitive.”
Startups interested in the accelerator are encouraged to learn more by visiting The Riyadh Techstars Accelerator page or by expressing interest here . Corporations interested in learning more about Techstars Accelerators and Techstars’ dedication to corporate innovation can learn more at techstars.com/corporate-innovation-partnerships .
About Techstars
The Techstars worldwide network helps entrepreneurs succeed. Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas—entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to enable every person on the planet to contribute to, and benefit from the success of entrepreneurs. In addition to operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, we do this by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Techstars has invested in more than 2,400 companies with a combined market cap of more than $204B. www.techstars.com
About MCIT
MCIT is responsible for building a robust and cutting-edge digital architecture so that digital transformation accelerates and thus supports the orientations of the Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to promote the information and communication technology sector’s role in order to build a digital society, a digital government, a thriving digital economy, and an innovative future for the Kingdom.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210331006021/en/
Link:
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
Coolbrook Appoints Veli-Matti Mattila as Chairman to Support the Next Phase of Industrial Scale-Up3.6.2026 08:00:00 CEST | Press release
Coolbrook, a transformational technology company dedicated to decarbonising heavy industry and industrial processes, has appointed renowned Finnish business leader Veli-Matti Mattila as Chairman of the Board effective immediately. Mattila brings decades of international leadership experience and board expertise to support Coolbrook’s next phase of commercial growth, industrial execution, and global scale-up. Veli-Matti Mattila is one of Finland’s most experienced technology business leaders, having served as CEO of Elisa Corporation from 2003 to 2024, following a long international career at Ericsson, where he held several senior leadership roles, including President of Ericsson Finland and COO & Deputy Head of Market Unit, Nordic & Baltic. He also spent four years in the U.S. and a period of time in Switzerland during his stint at Ericsson. He currently serves as Chairman of Orion Corporation and Enento Group, and has previously chaired Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) and has
Airgain Expands Public Safety and Utility Connectivity Portfolio with FirstNet, Built with AT&T2.6.2026 22:15:00 CEST | Press release
Expanded AirgainConnect® portfolio includes FirstNet Trusted™ and HPUE solutions supporting first responders, utilities and critical field operations. Airgain, Inc. (NASDAQ: AIRG), a leading provider of advanced wireless connectivity solutions, today announced the continued expansion of its mission-critical connectivity portfolio with FirstNet®, Built with AT&T – America’s public safety network – to support reliable, high-performance communications for public safety agencies, utilities and field operations across the United States. Growing its public safety connectivity capabilities, Airgain recently added the MegaFi 2™ and MegaGo 2™ to its portfolio. As FirstNet MegaRange™ solutions, which use High Power User Equipment (HPUE) technology, the two routers transmit with 6x the power exclusively on Band 14, nationwide, high-quality spectrum set aside by the government for public safety on FirstNet. This helps support reliable communications in remote areas and through signal-blocking mate
Fi Expands International Footprint to 38 Countries Worldwide2.6.2026 19:25:00 CEST | Press release
Series 3+ and Mini are now available to pet owners across new European markets Fi, the leader in smart pet technology, today announced a major international expansion, bringing its AI-powered GPS pet wearables and connectivity network to 38 countries across North America and Europe. Fi devices are now available for purchase in 29 markets, including newly added countries such as Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, and Latvia. Through Fi's international connectivity network, customers can also use Fi in Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Turkey, bringing Fi's total coverage footprint to 38 countries. The expansion reflects growing demand from pet owners who want reliable connectivity and health insights, whether they're at home or traveling abroad. "Wherever your pet roams, Fi should work," said Jonathan Bensamoun, Founder and CEO of Fi. "As more pet owners travel internationally and expect seamless connectivity, we're expanding F
XFolio AI Acquires Absolute Payment Solutions to Unify Treasury and Payments for UK Corporates2.6.2026 19:16:00 CEST | Press release
XFolio AI (xfolio.ai), a Paris-based treasury and cash management technology group, has acquired Absolute Payment Solutions (APS) (https://www.absolutepayments.com/), one of a select number of Pay.UK-accredited Bacs service providers in the UK. This acquisition creates an integrated platform spanning Bacs and all payment types, open banking, risk management, and treasury—giving UK corporates of all sizes the tools to manage cash and execute payments in one place. APS’s Bacs accreditation underpins payment services relied upon daily by organisations across both the public and private sectors, from SMEs running payroll and direct debit collections to large corporates processing high-volume payment flows. While enterprise payment platforms often demand significant scale and budget, and lighter solutions trade capability for speed of setup, APS and XFolio together deliver accredited Bacs infrastructure combined with advanced treasury intelligence across SWIFT, API, H2H, and EBICS rails—wit
Amazfit Introduces a New Era of Hybrid Training with Balance 3 and Balance Ultra2.6.2026 19:00:00 CEST | Press release
The new Balance series powers Amazfit’s Hybrid Training System, combining advanced smartwatch hardware with Zepp App intelligence to help athletes train with structure across strength, endurance, recovery, and daily life Amazfit, a leading global smart wearable brand owned by Zepp Health, today unveiled the Amazfit Balance 3 and Amazfit Balance Ultra, the newest additions to the Balance series and the hero watches for Amazfit’s new Hybrid Training System, connecting performance tracking with intelligent training guidance through the Zepp App. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260602329170/en/ Built around how modern athletes train today, Balance 3 and Balance Ultra are designed for people balancing strength, endurance, recovery, work, stress, and daily life. The devices serve as the engine layer of the connected Hybrid Training ecosystem, capturing how users train, recover, and respond over time. The products we
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