Invest Qatar, Aurion Capital and LG NOVA engage to advance technology investments and venture building in Qatar

Invest Qatar, the country’s investment promotion agency, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Aurion Capital and LG NOVA to advance technology investments and venture building in Qatar. Announced during a special edition of the Qatar Economic Forum held on the sidelines of the 2026 United Nations General Assembly in New York, the agreement establishes a framework to explore collaboration on innovation programmes, scale-up support, and commercialisation of emerging technologies across AI, digital health, FinTech, digital infrastructure, sports, media and entertainment.

"This strategic collaboration reflects the multilateral strength of Qatar's value proposition," said Sheikh Ali bin Alwaleed Al-Thani, CEO of Invest Qatar. "Our world-class research and development (R&D) ecosystem, robust talent pipeline and pro-business regulatory environment position Qatar as an ideal platform to test, deploy and commercialise advanced technologies."

The engagement envisages a new hub at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) that will serve as a regional platform for LG NOVA-affiliated technologies and ventures. The hub is expected to support expansion of advanced technology solutions, foster collaboration between innovators, investors and industry partners, and enable high-potential companies to scale across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

• Partners: Invest Qatar, Aurion Capital, LG NOVA (the North America Innovation Centre for LG Electronics)
• Target sectors: artificial intelligence (AI), digital health, FinTech, digital infrastructure, sports, media and entertainment
• Platform: new hub planned at Qatar Science & Technology Park to host LG NOVA-affiliated ventures

Aurion Capital framed the collaboration as part of its wider mission to connect global markets. "At Aurion Capital, we believe the future of innovation will be built through stronger connections between global markets and ecosystems," said Ali Diallo, Founding CEO of Aurion Capital. He said the group's aim is to "mobilize capital and strategic resources across America, Asia, the Gulf and emerging markets to create enduring economic value and accelerate the growth of transformative technologies."

LG NOVA, described as the Silicon Valley–based North America Innovation Centre for LG Electronics, will bring venture-building capabilities focused on AI-led ventures. "The next technology evolution, driven by AI, is creating extensive opportunities for new business and industry growth," said Sokwoo Rhee, EVP of Corporate Innovation for LG Electronics and Head of LG NOVA. "By exploring these new opportunities with Invest Qatar and Aurion Capital we're strengthening our capabilities to build meaningful businesses that will shape our future."

The announcement notes Aurion Capital’s broader footprint: the group operates multi-strategy investment platforms across venture capital, private equity, infrastructure and venture studio innovation, with a pipeline of industrial projects representing more than 2 GW of generation capacity. Aurion is parent to NovaWave Capital, a Silicon Valley venture firm with $100 million in assets under management, and serves as General Partner to BYL Ventures, a Los Angeles-based fund with $70 million in assets under management. Both NovaWave and BYL are cited as part of Aurion’s capability stack for deploying capital and expertise.

Under the agreement, Invest Qatar will provide tailored facilitation and advisory support to Aurion Capital and LG NOVA-affiliated companies seeking to set up or expand in Qatar, and will work with the parties to plan innovation-led programmes with national stakeholders. Aurion Capital and LG NOVA may also explore deployment of global innovation capabilities to strengthen technology testing, localisation and commercialisation within Qatar.

Looking ahead, the partners positioned the collaboration as contributing to national development objectives, including investment priorities under NDS3. The MoU is intended to attract private-sector investment into priority sectors, accelerate commercialisation pathways for advanced technologies, and reinforce Qatar’s role as a regional hub for research, development and innovation.