Riyadh’s startup hub, The Garage, was the center of Saudi Arabia’s deep-tech scene as the Start Smart Investment Forum 2026 kicked off. Organized by Community Jameel Saudi in a strategic partnership with the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), the event brought together promising startups with investors and key figures from the innovation ecosystem.
Quick Facts
- 107 deep-tech startups participated.
- Over 100 investors were in attendance.
- More than 1,000 visitors joined the event.
A Hub for Deep-Tech Innovation
The forum featured 107 startups specializing in deep-tech fields alongside 24 global speakers from the business and investment sectors. The event focused on sectors crucial to Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation, including artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, digital health, and smart city infrastructure.
The event saw attendance from prominent figures, including Prince Fahd bin Mansour bin Nasser Al Saud, Chairman of the Board of the Vissionaire Entrepreneurship Association, and Dr. Munir bin Mahmoud Al-Desouki, President of KACST.
Aligning with National Ambitions
The forum is directly in line with the Kingdom’s push to build a digital economy and accelerate the adoption of future technologies. It provided a platform for investment experts and entrepreneurs to exchange knowledge and review best practices for building startups. The event’s focus mirrors the national priorities for research, development, and innovation announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Hussein Jameel, Entrepreneurship Relations Manager for SMEs at Abdul Latif Jameel United Finance, explained that the forum acts as a strategic platform. He noted it “keeps pace with the Kingdom’s aspirations to build a knowledge-based economy based on innovation and future technologies, which contributes to empowering entrepreneurs and connecting them with smart capital.”
Dr. Khalid Al-Dakkan, First Vice President of Innovation Oases at KACST, added that the organization’s participation “stems from its continuous commitment to supporting the entrepreneurship system in the Kingdom and creating an attractive environment for investment.” He described the forum as “a practical step to enhance societal impact, which contributes to creating new economic opportunities.”
Launching the Next Wave of Innovation
A key outcome of the forum was the announcement of the second edition of the Jameel Deep-Tech Initiative. The program aims to transform research outputs into successful startups in the health, energy, and environmental sectors.
This follows the successful first edition in 2025, where three research teams won prizes totaling SAR 2,250,000. Registration details for the new initiative will be shared through Start Smart Saudi’s social media channels.
About Start Smart Investment Forum
The Start Smart Investment Forum is an event organized by Community Jameel Saudi and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). It is designed to connect deep-tech startups in Saudi Arabia with local and international investors, support the Kingdom’s innovation ecosystem, and create tangible investment opportunities.
Source: Albraq News
