RIYADH: Entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia are set to benefit from an investment of $7.5 million by Saudi Venture Capital into a fund aimed at helping early and late-stage startups.
The fund is managed by Endeavor Catalyst, the investment arm of Endeavor Global. The investment is part of SVC’s drive to inject $1.6 billion into startups and small and medium enterprises.
SVC is a subsidiary of SME Bank, one of the development banks affiliated with the National Development Fund.
The subscription agreement was signed by SVC CEO Nabeel Koshak and Allen Taylor, managing partner at Endeavor Catalyst.
Abdulrahman Mansour, the acting CEO of the bank, also attended the ceremony.
Koshak said: “The investment in Endeavor Catalyst IV Fund is a result of the recent support from SME Bank to increase the investment capital of SVC, leading to a total investment capital of $1.6 billion. The investment is also part of SVC’s Investment in Funds Program.”
Commenting on the deal, Taylor said: “We are delighted to extend our collaboration with SVC, building upon the accomplishments achieved through Endeavor Catalyst III.”
Saudi Venture Capital invests $7.5m to back SMEs, startups
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Saudi Venture Capital invests $7.5m to back SMEs, startups
Saudi environmental compliance sector unveils opportunities worth over $8bn
RIYADH: The Invest Saudi platform offers specialized opportunities with expected revenues exceeding SR30 billion ($8 billion), according to the National Center for Environmental Compliance.
In a statement, the center invited local and international investors to seize the listed opportunities and benefit from various incentives, ranging from administrative support to direct financing.
Saad Al-Zubaidi, executive director of business development, explained that this market size reflects the specialized nature of the environmental compliance sector as a supporting sector for all economic activities.
Sectors such as industry, energy, mining, construction, services, and infrastructure rely on it to comply with environmental regulations and enhance operational efficiency.
Incentive and financing packages
The center, in integration with various government entities, is working on developing comprehensive incentive packages for investors in the field.
These packages include direct financing tools, soft loans, and guarantee programs, in addition to regulatory and procedural enablers aimed at accelerating the investment cycle and reducing operational risks.
The payback period for investments starts from 4 years and does not exceed 7 years at most, according to the center.
The current market size stands at SR14 billion, according to Al-Zubaidi, who expects it to double within 5 years.
The market diversifies across fields including the manufacturing of pollution control systems, the manufacturing of air and water quality monitoring devices, soil and groundwater rehabilitation, and building specialized technical capacities in the environmental field.
Trend toward localizing environmental technologies
Al-Zubaidi confirmed that the announced opportunities have had their preliminary studies completed and are available for investors to review their details and to complete technical and financial feasibility studies according to various business models.
The focus is not limited to maximizing economic return but extends to localizing environmental technologies, transferring knowledge, and building local value chains capable of meeting the growing demand across various sectors.
