- What
- Up to $140K: $40K base grant plus up to $100K follow-on for top teams.
- Who
- Teams of 2+ founders, any industry, Saudi or international, planning KSA expansion within a year.
- From abroad
- Open to companies from abroad — International startups must have a realistic, clear and obtainable plan to expand to Saudi Arabia within one year of the programme starting date. All programmes open to founders from abroad →
- Timeline
- Annual intake: 800+ applications a year reviewed by committee; six-month accelerator ↗As published by the programme itself
Checked · October 2026 · taqadam.kaust.edu.sa · How we check ↗
In detail
TAQADAM is a university accelerator in Saudi Arabia. Global six-month startup accelerator by KAUST and Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB), running since 2016 — 290+ startups backed, $459M+ raised, 4,600+ jobs created.
- Amount
- Up to $140K ($40K base grant + up to $100K follow-on for top teams)
- Terms
- Non-dilutive grant funding
- Eligibility
- 2+ founders, any industry; Saudi or international startups with a plan to expand to KSA within 1 year
- Sectors
- Sector-agnostic — Energy, FinTech, Health, Logistics, Gaming, AgriTech & more
- Benefits
- Up to $140K funding
- 1:1 mentorship
- Workshops
- Investor & ecosystem network
- KSA incorporation support
- Status
- Closed — applications open once a year, in April, and close by May or June (KAUST); until the next cycle its site offers only a Register Interest form (checked October 2026)
Is this for you?
Where is your company?
Are you open to giving equity?
We match them against what TAQADAM publishes.
A guide to the published criteria, not a decision — the programme selects.
What the source says
“Yes, however, we have a condition for international startups to have a realistic, clear and obtainable plan to expand to Saudi Arabia within the span of one year from the program starting date.”
“'6-month hybrid program' ... 'founded in 2016 by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in partnership with SAB'”
“290+ startups supported”
“$459 million in investments raised collectively”
“4,600+ jobs created”
“'Accepted startups receive up to $140,000 in funding'; '$40,000 in funding'; '10 startups securing additional follow-on funding of $100,000 at the annual showcase'”
Closing soon on the map
No published deadline in the next 30 days · All published deadlines →
Compare accelerators & incubators in Saudi Arabia
| Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| TAQADAMUp to $140K: $40K base grant plus up to $100K follow-on for top teams. | up to $140K | No 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 →
More programmes that take no equity →
Questions founders ask
What does TAQADAM offer?
Up to $140K: $40K base grant plus up to $100K follow-on for top teams.
Does TAQADAM take equity?
No equity — grant.
Can founders from abroad apply?
Open to companies from abroad — International startups must have a realistic, clear and obtainable plan to expand to Saudi Arabia within one year of the programme starting date.
Is it open now?
No — it is currently closed. The status on this page follows the programme’s own site.
How do I apply?
Its site offers a Register interest form, not an application form. The status on this page follows the programme’s own site.
Sources
Primary source · taqadam.kaust.edu.sa · Checked October 2026