University Startups Initiative

The University Startups Initiative aims to set the foundations for an attractive and encouraging environment where creative projects and ideas in Saudi universities bloom into thriving startups. Such measures include offering consultations and financial support through multiple stages:

University Entrepreneurial Camps
University Project Accelerator
University Bus Tour
Entrepreneurship Content Program

Objectives

Providing opportunities for entrepreneurial pilots and commercialization for commenced projects.

Facilitating financing services for beneficiaries.

Motivating students and university staff to transform their ideas into startups.

Activating cooperation between different disciplines in universities to develop entrepreneurial solutions.

Cultivating an entrepreneurial environment that contributes to knowledge exchange, supporting the sector, and sharing success stories.

Targeted Groups

University students

Faculty members

University staff

Initiative Programs

The MVP Camp participants will be able to transform their ideas into minimum viable products that will be developed in the intensive camp over a period of 10 days.

Developing entrepreneurial ideas and transforming them into startups in an integrated program that extends over eight weeks. In addition to developing an entrepreneurial community within Saudi universities through workshops and training courses, there are also meetings with entrepreneurs and investors, and entrepreneurial challenges in selected fields.

The Accelerator and Manufacturing Labs program aims to develop minimum viable products to be transformed into existing companies. Joiners participate in the accelerator programs for a period ranging from 3 months to 9 months, in order to achieve their entrepreneurial goals.

Funding programs facilitate access to financing opportunities and provide participants with assisting tools by linking them to financing programs and enabling them to meet with investors.

Access Conditions

The criteria for approving the application depend on a number of conditions:

The applicant must be one of the target groups in the initiative.

Completed registration form, ensuring accuracy of provided information.

Adhere to the specified program schedule.

Present the initial idea with an explanation of its objectives and the problem it solves, in addition to the target group and the support needed, preferably in an audio or video format.

Access Steps

Determine the program type.

Fill in the required information.

FAQ

Filling out the registration form does not guarantee obtaining approval, as all submitted forms will be evaluated before issuing the approval or refusal decision.

The initiative targets curricular projects and activities, graduation projects, special projects, in addition to commercial patents.

Applicants may apply as a team. A contact person from the team must be appointed, and all information related to team members must be provided in the application form.

Upon completion of the Camp, participants’ minimum viable products will have been completed. Accordingly, participants will be allowed to present their minimum viable products to a jury consisting of individual investors and venture funds to enhance their access to financing.

After the completion of the program, participants will be able to develop an advanced minimum viable products, and engage in a competition with Program participants across the Kingdom. Following that, the best projects in each semester will be presented to a jury in order to give participants a chance to obtain investment, a seat in an incubator, or a scholarship or financial prize.