500 Global and Sanabil's Shocking New Startup Cohort: Will You Miss Out on This Game-Changer?

In a significant milestone for the MENA region's entrepreneurial landscape, 500 Global and Sanabil Investments have announced the launch of the tenth cohort of the Sanabil Accelerator. This year's selection includes nine innovative startups chosen from an impressive pool of over 735 applications. Hailing from diverse sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, e-commerce, fintech, and more, these startups reflect a growing maturity and ambition within the regional ecosystem.

Based in Riyadh, the Sanabil Accelerator has demonstrated its commitment to nurturing startups since its inception, having accelerated more than one hundred companies. The emphasis on measurable traction, customer insights, and scalable technology has become a hallmark of the program, which is now evolving toward a more execution-focused structure. This latest batch is being challenged to iterate quickly, refine their go-to-market strategies, and drive revenue generation.

The nine selected startups are:

1. Edufi: Providing buy now pay later solutions specifically for education.
2. Governata: A platform assisting organizations in adopting generative AI while managing and improving data quality.
3. Local: Enabling businesses to process on-site customer transactions within approximately ten seconds through a QR payments platform.
4. Maison Safqa: Converting overstock into revenue by offering premium and luxury products through online flash events.
5. Raspire: A no-code platform designed to bolster mobile app security and protect user data from cyber threats.
6. Scenario X: An AI and quantum platform aiding financial institutions in making quicker, more informed risk decisions.
7. Seen AI: Increasing brand visibility in AI search results.
8. ShipTag: Facilitating global sales for local e-commerce companies by managing localization, payments, and shipping.
9. WOW AI: Supporting e-commerce merchants with proactive recommendations while managing promotions, orders, and products through chat.

Demo Day is slated for December 17, 2025, where these nine companies will showcase their innovations to a curated audience of accredited investors and members of the press. This event is significant not only for the startups involved but also for demonstrating the increasing global interest in Saudi Arabia's burgeoning startup ecosystem.

The momentum within Saudi Arabia’s startup environment is noteworthy, with record application volumes indicating a surge in entrepreneurial confidence and ambition. Both 500 Global and Sanabil Investments have expressed their commitment to advancing innovation as a means of improving economic diversification across the region.

“We believe we are entering a new era of maturity in the ecosystem and we are proud to participate in the growth of the movement,” said Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner at 500 Global MENA.

“At Sanabil, we are committed to empowering exceptional founders with the capital, network and guidance they need to scale globally. The innovations emerging from this program are not only advancing industries, they are contributing to economic diversification, creating opportunities and improving lives in Saudi Arabia and beyond,” a spokesperson from Sanabil Investments stated.

As applications for the next cohort are now open, the interest and enthusiasm for the Sanabil Accelerator by 500 Global continue to grow, indicating a bright future for entrepreneurs in the region. As founders from previous cohorts return with new ventures, it is clear that this ecosystem is not only growing but evolving, paving the way for a new chapter in innovation and economic growth.