500 Global and Sanabil Investments have unveiled the tenth cohort of the Sanabil Accelerator, selecting nine startups from more than 735 applications submitted across the MENA region. The program, based in Riyadh, continues to expand its influence as a growing number of founders from earlier cohorts return with new ventures, signaling a heightened level of maturity and ambition in the regional ecosystem.
The newly announced group spans sectors such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data infrastructure, e-commerce, fintech, and martech. The selection criteria emphasized measurable traction, customer insight, and technology with the potential to scale internationally. The program has accelerated more than one hundred startups since launch and is evolving toward a more execution-focused structure. Batch 10 participants are being pushed to iterate quickly, refine go-to-market strategies, and accelerate revenue generation.
Demo Day is scheduled for December 17, 2025, where the nine companies will present to a curated group of venture capital firms and investors. The attendee list is limited to accredited investors and members of the press. The announcement also notes that applications for the next cohort are now open to founders across the region.
The Batch 10 companies include:
- Edufi, which provides buy now pay later solutions for education.
- Governata, a platform helping organizations adopt generative AI by managing and improving data quality.
- Local, a QR payments platform enabling businesses to process on-site customer transactions in about ten seconds.
- Maison Safqa, which converts overstock into revenue by offering premium and luxury products through online flash events.
- Raspire, a no-code platform designed to secure mobile apps and protect user data from cyber threats.
- Scenario X, an AI and quantum platform helping financial institutions make faster and more informed risk decisions.
- Seen AI, a platform that increases brand visibility in AI search results.
- ShipTag, a solution that enables global sales for local e-commerce companies by managing localization, payments, and shipping.
- WOW AI, which supports e-commerce merchants by providing proactive recommendations and managing promotions, orders, and products through chat.
Both organizations highlighted the growing momentum of Saudi Arabia’s startup environment, pointing to record application volume and increasing global interest in founders emerging from the region. They also emphasized a shared commitment to advancing innovation, improving economic diversification, and equipping founders with capital, market access, and deep operational expertise.
KEY QUOTES:
“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.”
Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner at 500 Global MENA
“Over the years, we’ve grown alongside our startups – learning, evolving, and adapting to the dynamic spirit of the MENA region. As we launch Batch 10 of the Sanabil Accelerator by 500 Global, we’re proud to see how far the ecosystem has come and are inspired by the entrepreneurs driving its next chapter of innovation and growth. Another sign of this growth is having founders return to the program with a new company after exiting their previous companies that were participants in past batches. 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.”
Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner at 500 Global MENA
“As more entrepreneurs apply to Sanabil Accelerator by 500 Global than ever before, we see clear evidence of the growing confidence and ambition within Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem. 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. We look forward to showing the region and the world this next wave of innovators, thinkers, and builders.”
Spokesperson at Sanabil Investments
