250 Startups Compete in Riyadh World Cup Finals: What This Means for Investors and Entrepreneurs in the Region
RIYADH – A total of 250 entrepreneurial projects from 81 countries have advanced to the virtual training camp of the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC), organized in collaboration with Esade Ramon Llull University.
The selected projects represent various stages of development: 9% are in the ideation phase, 51% in the early stage, and 40% in the growth stage. Significantly, 12% of these ventures focus on space technologies, highlighting expanding innovation across promising global sectors.
Riyadh will host the EWC finals, coordinated by the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at) in partnership with the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation (Misk) and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN). This collaboration underscores Saudi Arabia’s emerging role as a key hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
The intensive training program spans three days, featuring five hours of daily sessions and 20 specialized workshops. Participants will engage with more than five local and international investors and connect with nine ecosystem partners within the Kingdom. Following this stage, 100 projects will qualify for the finals, which will take place during the “Bibaan” Forum in Riyadh.
This year’s preliminary rounds attracted over 10,000 applications from 169 countries, doubling last year’s submissions. The EWC, recognized as the largest competition of its kind, will bring the top 100 startups to Riyadh to compete for cash prizes exceeding $1.5 million, alongside investment opportunities and strategic partnerships with more than 64 partners. Hosting the championship reinforces Riyadh’s position as an innovation center and its dedication to empowering entrepreneurs, accelerating startup growth, and expanding their global reach across diverse sectors and markets.
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The Entrepreneurship World Cup’s expansion and Riyadh’s role as a regional innovation hub create a strategic opportunity for Omani businesses to tap into a booming ecosystem of startups and investors. Smart investors and entrepreneurs in Oman should consider partnerships and cross-border collaborations to leverage the growing focus on technology and innovation, especially in emerging sectors like space tech. However, they must also be prepared to navigate intensified regional competition to differentiate and scale effectively.
