Saudi Aramco Entrepreneurship Center (Wa'ed)

Wa’ed Ventures is the venture capital arm of Saudi Aramco Entrepreneurship Center (Wa’ed), established by Saudi Aramco with the vision of igniting the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Wa’ed has deployed a suite of programs over the years to assist entrepreneurs in establishing, enhancing, or expanding their ventures. These programs comprise development and financial support including business incubation, coaching and training to guide and nurture entrepreneurs along different business stages, seed funding, non-collateral loans, venture capital (equity/debt) investment, and business development. These programs support the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) capable of localizing industries and diversifying the Kingdom’s economy. Wa’ed also collaborates and engages with key players in order to create an effective entrepreneurship ecosystem. Wa’ed aspires to provide leadership in promoting entrepreneurship to support economic growth, diversification, and social development in Saudi Arabia, in alignment with the Kingdom’s strategic thrust into moving towards a knowledge-based economy. The organization aims to turn innovative ideas into successful projects, create and support sustainable SMEs, and develop entrepreneurs into successful business owners. Wa’ed Ventures aims to fuel the growth of high potential companies, thereby promoting economic development in Saudi Arabia with job creation for Saudi nationals, technological improvement, knowledge transfer, economic diversification, and economic growth within the Kingdom. The firm focuses on seed, early, and growth-stage businesses across a diverse range of sectors including information and communication technology (ICT), energy, manufacturing, healthcare, and services – from mobile application platforms and technologies to industrial equipment manufacturing to advanced software solutions.

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