- What
- $80,000–$100,000 invested in every startup over a 4-month batch.
- Who
- Tech startups with an MVP building a MENA nexus via Saudi Arabia; founders full-time.
- From abroad
- Open to companies from abroad — Startups aim to build a nexus in MENA through Saudi Arabia; Founders required to be present in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during Weeks 1-4 and Weeks 8-12 of the 4-month batch All programmes open to founders from abroad →
- Backed by
- Sanabil Investments
- Latest
- Last cohort Sep 2026 — Orbit Demo Day for NIC Karachi and NIC PeshawarNewest dated item on its own site · checked Oct 2026
Checked · October 2026 · orbitventures.com · How we check ↗
In detail
Orbit Ventures (formerly Orbit Startups) is an accelerator + VC in Saudi Arabia. Global emerging-markets accelerator and VC (Orbit Ventures; Orbit Startups is its trademark). Runs the Sanabil Accelerator by Orbit with PIF-owned Sanabil Investments — a 4-month pre-seed programme for tech startups from MVP to growth stage, investing USD 80,000–100,000 in every startup. Batch 4 Demo Day: 9 Sep 2026 in Riyadh; Batch 5 applications closed 1 October 2026, next batch starts October 2026.
- Amount
- $80,000–100,000 invested in every startup · 4-month batches
- Terms
- Yes — equity stake
- Eligibility
- Tech startups with an MVP that want to build a nexus in MENA through Saudi Arabia
- MVP to growth stage
- founders full-time and all founders attend every session
- in Riyadh for weeks 1–4 and 8–12
- Sectors
- Sector-agnostic tech — the programme page names no sector restriction
- Benefits
- $80,000–100,000 investment
- 4-month programme
- no participation fees
- Demo Day with regional VCs, angels and family offices
- Status
- Closed — Batch 5 applications closed 1 October 2026 (programme FAQ); next batch starts October 2026
Is this for you?
Where is your company?
Are you open to giving equity?
We match them against what Orbit Ventures (formerly Orbit Startups) publishes.
A guide to the published criteria, not a decision — the programme selects.
What the source says
“Successful applicants may be selected as early as the MVP stage with little to no traction or as late as the growth stage. ... Founders are required to be present in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during Weeks 1-4 and Weeks 8-12 of the accelerator batch. ... All of the founders must participate in each progra”
“Sanabil Accelerator by Orbit Batch 4 Demo Day Featured Event September 9, 2026, 7:00 – 11:00 PM”
“Orbit Ventures invests in breakthrough companies and helps them scale across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America”
“Sanabil Investments is a financial investment company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF)”
“Yes, the accelerator will invest USD $80,000 – 100,000 in every startup we induct into an acceleration batch.”
“Each batch is 4 months long.”
Closing soon on the map
No published deadline in the next 30 days · All published deadlines →
Compare accelerators & incubators in Saudi Arabia
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Orbit Ventures (formerly Orbit Startups)$80,000–$100,000 invested in every startup over a 4-month batch. | not published | Equity | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 Orbit Ventures (formerly Orbit Startups) offer?
$80,000–$100,000 invested in every startup over a 4-month batch.
Does Orbit Ventures (formerly Orbit Startups) take equity?
Equity.
Can founders from abroad apply?
Open to companies from abroad — Startups aim to build a nexus in MENA through Saudi Arabia; Founders required to be present in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during Weeks 1-4 and Weeks 8-12 of the 4-month batch.
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 · orbitventures.com · LinkedIn · linkedin.com/company/orbitstartups · Checked October 2026