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King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Saudi British Bank partnered up to set up an accelerator program called Taqadam, aimed for student projects.

For students, faculty members, and recent graduates at Saudi universities who launched startups, Taqadam provides for them both global and financial mentoring services. If you have an early-stage concept and wish to turn it into a startup, Taqadam is here to support you and develop your idea.

This accelerator is a 6 months program and welcome between 20 and 30 teams. Those who will participate, will benefit from initial grant and mentorship from both Saudi and international experts. The most promising startups will receive $20,000 to $40,000 in seed funding from the KAUST Innovation fund and the Saudi British Bank.

This initiative is focused on sectors like smart city, internet technologies, fintech, sensors, new materials, and sustainable technologies in oil, water, solar, and gas. 

Teams will be gathered starting with the seven universities in Saudi’s western region. Afterwards, it will cover the entire country.

Not only does Taqadam aim to support the small and medium businesses sector, but also will be part of the Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision.

Taqadam has already started accepting applications for its first cycle of startups. Click here to register before November 9^th 2016. 

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