I often talk about the importance of curiosity, learning, and discovery as a key drivers of growth and innovation, and I had the chance to put those into action at Cityscape Global, the largest real estate event in the MENA region. I had a pleasure to facilitate a panel on “The Most Promising Trends in PropTech”, and to join the Innovation Challenge judging panel, I connected with industry peers, and explored the region’s rapidly evolving tech and investment landscape. Quick shout out to our portfolio companies - Giovanni Barilla, co-founder of Tweaq for making it to the finals of the Innovation challenge and to Ivan Nokhrin co-founder 🟥BuiltAPI for making to the semi-finals! Proud of you guys! What an incredibly interesting trip it was - cliches challenged and broken, with my own perspective formed on the region's rapid growth and investment potential. Here’s what I observed: 🇸🇦 Rapid Development and Government Support: The pace of development is striking, driven by substantial government backing across sectors. A key focus is on fostering local talent and establishing tech clusters to sustain long-term growth while diversifying the country’s wealth beyond oil. Tech and digital transformation are at the heart of this effort, signalling Saudi Arabia’s commitment to building a sustainable, innovation-led economy. 🚺 Female Empowerment: Women are stepping into prominent roles across tech, business, and leadership, driven by impactful inclusivity initiatives. The progress achieved in just a decade is nothing short of remarkable - what many countries haven’t accomplished in a century. 💼 Venture Capital on the Rise: The VC landscape has grown exponentially, from virtually nonexistent to over 50 funds in just a decade. As venture capital emerges as a key asset class, Saudi Arabia is positioning itself to channel investments into its own growing tech ecosystem. 💵 Investment Focus: Investment is centred on emerging tech like AI, deeptech, proptech and fintech, alongside critical sectors such as delivery and transportation. 🚀 Opportunities & Later-Stage Gaps: While early-stage funding is on the rise, later-stage infrastructure is still maturing, though international VCs are stepping in. 💡Emerging Exits: Exit pathways are developing, with growing opportunities but secondary markets still in their infancy. This is just the beginning for a region brimming with potential. Thank you Riyadh and Cityscape for the opportunity! #Cityscape #PropTech #SaudiArabia #Investment #Innovation CC: Second Century Ventures, Mahyar Ebrahimi, Barney Reeves, Julia Arlt, Menno Lammers, Rebekah Tobias, Wouter Truffino, James Dearsley, Faris Haddad, Hamdy ElSheshtawy, Louise Donegan⚡️, Paolo Rigutto, Andre B., Silvia Eldawi (CIPS) ❤️, Balazs Szima-Marmarosi, Dominic Grace FRICS. Mete Varas, Maciej (Matthew) Markowski
Great summary, totally agree!
Executive Coach at Gifted & Resourceful People ltd
1moWell observed Natasha, looks an interesting session