STV

The largest regional growth fund; backer of several of the scaleups on this map.

3 ACTIVITIESSCOPE

2018SINCE

INVESTMENT THESIS

Seed to growth across MENA technology. Current declared focus is application-layer AI, localised models, and the infrastructure beneath them. Added a USD 100m AI Fund that Google joined — its first investment in a MENA venture firm — and a USD 100m non-dilutive NICE fund with SAB.

FINTECH RECORD

Joint-led the Tabby Series B extension with Sequoia India, then followed to Series E at a USD 3.3bn valuationJoint-led the SAR 106m Series A of Manafa with Wa’edLed the USD 18m Series A of Abyan CapitalBacked Foodics early, where payments met restaurant software

PORTFOLIO SAMPLE

Tabby · FINTECHManafa Capital · FINTECHFoodics · FINTECHAbyan Capital · WEALTHTECHStream · FINTECH

The local bridge most capable of carrying a company across the growth gap — deep enough to follow on, with a genuinely open door at this tier. Its compass currently points where AI meets financial services more than at classic fintech.

WHAT IT DOES

ACTIVITIES CLEARED FOR

Payments & acquiringBuy now, pay laterDebt crowdfunding

WHY THERE IS NO ACTIVITY LIST

HOW TO ENGAGE

1 ROUTE

Warm introductions materially outperform cold outreach here. The local ecosystem is small enough that a referral is almost always available.

FUNDING

Investment conversation

Equity or growth capital. Fintech took 29% of all Saudi startup funding in 2025, so the category has attention — but regulatory readiness is diligenced hard.

WHAT YOU WILL BE ASKED FOR

Licence status stated plainly, including what you do not hold
Unit economics with the cost of compliance in them
A regulatory timeline the fund can underwrite

VIA A WARM INTRODUCTION WHERE POSSIBLE · TYPICAL TIMEFRAME 2–6 MONTHS TO CLOSE