- What
- Up to SAR 100,000 development funding, earmarked rather than paid as cash.
- Who
- Saudi and international fintech founders with a working MVP, own IP and an in-house tech lead.
- From abroad
- Open to companies from abroad — International ventures selected for the program are expected to establish the appropriate Saudi legal presence; Finspire is not the right fit for ventures unable to commit to operating and scaling from Saudi Arabia; Finspire is not designed as a remote-only accelerator, and fully remote participation is not accepted All programmes open to founders from abroad →
- Latest
- Last call for applications Aug 2026 — Open call opened for 12-week fintech accelerator (DTV x SNB)Newest dated item on its own site · checked Oct 2026
- Timeline
- Applications close 18 Oct; shortlist 1 Nov; bootcamp 2–6 Nov; Demo Day 9 Nov; Deal Day 9 Feb 2027 ↗As published by the programme itself
Checked · October 2026 · finspire.dtv.sa · How we check ↗
In detail
Finspire is a corporate accelerator (bank × tech valley) in Saudi Arabia. Inaugural fintech venture-building and acceleration program by Saudi National Bank (SNB Group) and Dhahran Techno Valley. Twelve-week program followed by six months of incubation at DTV: a development budget of up to SAR 100,000 per venture (a ceiling, not an entitlement), in-kind support valued at up to SAR 100,000 (coaching, workspace, market access), expert mentorship from industry leaders and domain experts, direct access to SNB’s financial and industry experts, and a pilot pathway into the bank. Open to Saudi and international founders (visa and company-setup support) with a working MVP across four priority fintech domains; KFUPM-affiliated founders welcome.
- Amount
- Up to SAR 100,000 development funding (earmarked, not cash)
- Terms
- Minority equity via SAFE, capped at 5% (per the programme FAQ)
- Eligibility
- Saudi and international fintech founders
- working MVP or validated technical architecture, past the idea stage
- own IP and an in-house technical lead (no solo founders, no fully outsourced tech)
- able to commit to operating and scaling from Saudi Arabia; no remote-only participation (programme centred in Dhahran)
- Sectors
- Embedded Finance and Credit Intelligence
- InsurTech and WealthTech
- B2B Commerce and Merchant
- FinTech Aggregation
- Benefits
- SNB pilot pathway
- DTV incubation
- Visa and company-setup support
- Demo Day
- Status
- Closed — applications closed 18 October 2026 (published deadline) · 12-week programme, incubation from Feb 2027
Is this for you?
Where is your company?
Are you open to giving equity?
We match them against what Finspire publishes.
A guide to the published criteria, not a decision — the programme selects.
What the source says
“Finspire is open to Saudi founders, international fintech teams, and KFUPM-affiliated founders”
“The SAR 100,000 development funding supports eligible product and venture-development requirements”
“DTVC’s participation is structured as an investment and documented through a founder-friendly SAFE or other agreed investment instrument. … DTVC takes a minority equity position, capped at a maximum of 5% ownership.”
“February 9th Deal Day · graduation February 14th Incubation begins August 14th Incubation ends 2026 2027”
“The SAR 100,000 is the maximum development budget available to each venture. It is a ceiling rather than an automatic entitlement”
“Each selected startup receives a support package valued at up to SAR 200,000, delivered across two components: Development funding, up to SAR 100,000: eligible product, technology, regulatory, and venture-development costs In-kind support, up to SAR 100,000: coaching, mentorship, workspace, market access, technical and regulatory support, program activities”
Closing soon on the map
No published deadline in the next 30 days · All published deadlines →
Compare accelerators & incubators in Saudi Arabia
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| FinspireUp to SAR 100,000 development funding, earmarked rather than paid as cash. | up to SAR 100,000 | Equity via SAFE, capped at 5% | Closed |
| 500 Global SaudiPossible $100,000+ equity investment; $35,000 Phase 1 fee; 12-week Riyadh programme. | $100,000+ | Equity | Closed |
| Antler MENAP$180,000 via SAFE for 11% equity, plus up to $320,000 uncapped follow-on. | up to $320,000 | Equity | Open |
| CODE — Center of Digital EntrepreneurshipCoworking spaces, business services, incubation and acceleration programmes. | not published | Not published | Active |
| Falak Flagship ProgramDirect funding of up to SAR 375,000 plus soft landing and technical enablement. | up to SAR 375,000 | Equity | Dormant |
| Flat6Labs RiyadhSAR 500K in cash seed funding plus SAR 2.4M in follow-on funding. | SAR 2.4M | Equity | Closed |
| inspireU by stcGeneral track (3 months, grants) or Advanced track (6 months, invitation-only, funding). | not published | Not published | Active |
| NEOM Level Up (Gaming Accelerator)Funding for gaming studios. | not published | Not published | Closed |
| Newlab Riyadh — Mining Innovation StudioTargeted investment. | not published | Targeted investments | Active |
| Orbit Ventures (formerly Orbit Startups)$80,000–$100,000 invested in every startup over a 4-month batch. | not published | Equity | Closed |
| Princess Nourah University – University Startup AcceleratorUniversity accelerator with financial and in-kind grants; PNU invests in top startups. | not published | Not published | Active |
| TAQADAMUp to $140K: $40K base grant plus up to $100K follow-on for top teams. | up to $140K | No equity | Closed |
| The GarageIncubator, accelerator and Bridge programmes with free workspace; no funding figure published. | not published | Not published | Active |
| VMSSeed funding and grants plus investor access. | not published | Not published | Active |
| EWAx Sedrah — Environment AcceleratorSupport programme for environment-sector startups. | not published | Not published | Closed |
| GEA Entertainment Accelerator3-month accelerator with workshops, mentors, co-working and investor access; no direct funding. | not published | Free to participate; no direct funding | Closed |
| impactU by stcImpact incubation programme. | not published | No equity | Dormant |
| KAUST ScaleXLab access, faculty consultation and market-entry support in Saudi Arabia; no direct funding. | not published | Free to apply; no direct funding | Closed |
| KSU Aspiring Entrepreneurs Program (Riyadh Valley Company)KSU founder programme: top 3 projects compete for SAR 500,000 initial funding. | SAR 500,000 | Not published | Active |
| SDAIA GAIA ProgramA 10-week generative-AI accelerator with SAR 150,000 in grants from NTDP. | SAR 150,000 | Not published | Dormant |
No programmes match these filters.
Highest amount in each programme’s own “What” line. Other currencies converted for sorting only (Gulf pegs; KWD, EUR, GBP approximate).
All accelerators & incubators in Saudi Arabia → · Across the Gulf →
Questions founders ask
What does Finspire offer?
Up to SAR 100,000 development funding, earmarked rather than paid as cash.
Does Finspire take equity?
Equity via SAFE, capped at 5%.
Can founders from abroad apply?
Open to companies from abroad — International ventures selected for the program are expected to establish the appropriate Saudi legal presence; Finspire is not the right fit for ventures unable to commit to operating and scaling from Saudi Arabia; Finspire is not designed as a remote-only accelerator, and fully remote participation is not accepted.
Is it open now?
No — it is currently closed. The status on this page follows the programme’s own site.
How do I apply?
Through its own application form — the Apply button on this page goes straight there.
Sources
Primary source · finspire.dtv.sa · Checked October 2026