Riyadh Valley Company & SparkLabs Launch King Saud University Venture Fund

SparkLabs Saudi Arabia today announced the launch of SparkLabs KSU Fund I, a USD 20 million venture capital vehicle anchored by Riyadh Valley Company (RVC), the investment arm of King Saud University. The fund will back founders building and scaling from Saudi Arabia across pre-seed, seed and Series A rounds, with a strategic focus on Saudi-founded startups and ventures emerging from the King Saud University ecosystem while reserving up to 20% of capital for international founders committed to localizing and expanding in the Kingdom.

"This investment from Riyadh Valley Company reflects strong alignment around the importance of building a globally connected innovation ecosystem rooted in Saudi Arabia," said Ivan Grlic, Managing Partner at SparkLabs Saudi Arabia. "Through SparkLabs KSU Fund I, we aim to support exceptional founders with capital, hands-on expertise, and access to international markets."

Context and structure of the fund

The fund is closely aligned with the King Saud University Entrepreneurship Center, which will play a central role in nurturing student- and faculty-led startups through education, mentorship and venture-building support. SparkLabs KSU Fund I is designed to operate alongside the SparkLabs - KSU accelerator program, which provides early-stage founders with mentorship, operational guidance and access to local and international networks.

• Vehicle size: USD 20 million.
• Anchor investor: Riyadh Valley Company (RVC), the investment arm of King Saud University.
• Target stages: pre-seed, seed and Series A.
• Geographic focus: Saudi-founded startups and King Saud University ecosystem ventures; up to 20% allocation for international founders committed to localizing in Saudi Arabia.
• Accelerator support: SparkLabs - KSU accelerator, supported by the National Technology Development Program (NTDP).
• SparkLabs track record cited: founded in 2013, more than 600 companies invested across six continents, combined post-money valuation exceeding USD 56 billion, and a reported startup survival rate from its global accelerator model of over 86.7%.

According to SparkLabs Group materials, the capital will be deployed to provide early-stage funding, strategic support and access to SparkLabs' global platform to help founders accelerate product development, market entry and international expansion. The announcement also underscores SparkLabs' ongoing activity in Saudi Arabia alongside markets such as Korea, Taiwan, Australia and the United States.

Outlook

By pairing institutional capital from Riyadh Valley Company with SparkLabs' global accelerator and investment network, the new fund aims to channel more early-stage financing and operational know-how into King Saud University-linked ventures and the wider Saudi startup ecosystem. The vehicle’s allocation to international founders who commit to localizing suggests a dual approach: bolster homegrown teams while attracting global talent and business models willing to establish roots in the Kingdom.

SparkLabs Saudi Arabia is accepting applications from founders building from Saudi Arabia; interested teams were directed to apply via the fund’s application link.