VAP Group Launches VAP Ventures to Fund 100 Startups by 2030

VAP Group has launched VAP Ventures, a new investment arm that aims to back 100 startups by 2030, the company announced in Riyadh on 30 June 2026. The initiative — unveiled during the Riyadh editions of the Global AI Show, Global Games Show and Global Blockchain Show (held 29–30 June) — will target founders building in artificial intelligence, Web3 and blockchain, and digital games, and combines capital with media, marketing, talent access and exposure via VAP Group’s global event platforms.

“We gave founders a stage for years. Now we’re backing them. VAP Ventures will invest in more than 100 startups across AI, Web3, and gaming over five years in capital, media, talent, and reach, all under one roof. This is visibility turning into vital support,” said Vishal Parmar, Founder and CEO of VAP Group.

The move marks a strategic shift for VAP Group from event and media-led ecosystem building to direct participation in startup financing and growth. For more than 13 years the company has operated a media network and flagship conferences that bring together policymakers, enterprises, investors and entrepreneurs; VAP Ventures will now channel those assets to accelerate early-stage companies.

Program focus and support model

VAP Ventures’ stated target is to support 100 startups by 2030, prioritising companies working on enterprise AI tools, Web3 infrastructure and blockchain-driven services, and emerging gaming ecosystems. Beyond direct funding, the arm promises an integrated support model that leverages VAP Group’s existing capabilities:

• Capital investment to help startups scale;
• Media exposure through VAP Group’s network;
• Marketing support and talent solutions;
• Visibility at international events such as the Global AI Show, Global Games Show and Global Blockchain Show.

VAP Group positions VAP Ventures as a hybrid investor and growth enabler, arguing that founders increasingly need strategic distribution and ecosystem access alongside funding. The company says selected startups will gain access to its wider ecosystem to accelerate the journey from product idea to market-ready scale.

Context and launch setting

The announcement came amid a two-day cluster of sector-specific conferences that drew thousands of executives, investors and policymakers to Riyadh on 29–30 June. VAP Group framed the timing as intentional, tying the new venture arm to a regional focus on technology-led economic development and an active investment environment for frontier-tech startups.

Startups interested in joining VAP Ventures are instructed to apply through the venture’s dedicated application platform by submitting company details and pitch materials; the firm is assembling its inaugural cohort. VAP Group also published a contact address for media inquiries: media@vapgroup.co.

Outlook

If VAP Ventures achieves its 2030 target of backing 100 startups, it will represent a substantial expansion of VAP Group’s role from connector to direct participant in the growth journeys of early-stage companies. By combining capital with media, marketing and event visibility, the model aims to lower barriers to market traction for startups in AI, Web3/blockchain and gaming — sectors VAP Group identifies as central to the coming digital economy.