King Saud University-SparkLabs Fund graduates first cohort of eight startups

The King Saud University-SparkLabs Fund completed its first cohort program by graduating eight startups, Riyadh Valley Company said in a statement dated September 8, 2026. The graduation took place at a Demo Day held on September 3 as part of LEAP26 in Riyadh.

Riyadh Valley Company, the investment arm of King Saud University, counts the fund among its investments. At the Demo Day the startups presented their projects and technology to investors and entrepreneurs, and the event included a panel discussion on scaling companies in Saudi Arabia. The statement did not name the graduating companies. A preview published by MENA Startup Digest on August 24 said eight SparkLabs Saudi portfolio startups would present, working in areas that include supply chain traceability, freight management, embedded finance and sports analytics.

Riyadh Valley Company announced the fund and an accompanying startup accelerator in February 2026 in collaboration with SparkLabs, which manages the fund. According to that announcement, the fund is aimed at startups at an early stage and gives priority to companies that come out of King Saud University, such as projects run by its students, researchers and faculty. It is also meant to attract other technology companies seeking to use the university's research and innovation infrastructure.