Sanabil Accelerator by Orbit is opening applications for its next batch, starting October 2026, positioned as the premier market entry and investment pre-seed programme for exceptional founders in MENA. The four month accelerator equips high potential builders with training, mentorship, and investment to scale products across the Middle East and North Africa region.
The programme targets tech startups that can showcase a minimum viable product, founders looking to build a nexus in MENA through Saudi Arabia, and founders committed to their venture full time who are able to travel to Saudi Arabia to participate in the in-person segments of the four month batch. This eligibility criteria positions the programme for founders with a working product already in hand, rather than those still at the earliest conceptual stage.
Sanabil Investments, the organisation behind the accelerator, operates as a financial investment company wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund, committing more than three billion dollars in capital annually into global private investments, including venture capital, growth, and small buyout assets. This backing gives the accelerator significant financial credibility and access to a major sovereign wealth fund’s broader investment network.
The four month programme is structured across four distinct phases. Weeks one through three focus on developing a working foundation, covering onboarding, storytelling fundamentals, and an introduction to doing business in Saudi Arabia. Weeks four through seven centre on market validation and questioning assumptions, including customer persona building, customer interviews, competitor analysis, and an introduction to fundraising. Weeks eight through twelve focus on accelerating the product itself, covering UI and UX refinement, growth experiments, and building an investment deck and financial model. The final phase, weeks thirteen through sixteen, is dedicated to perfecting the pitch through pitch clinics and direct investor feedback from venture capital firms.
Those interested in applying can do so through https://orbitventures.com/apply-to-sanabil-accelerator-by-orbit/, with the programme continuing Orbit Ventures’ broader presence across emerging markets, including its existing collaboration with NIC Karachi on a separate acceleration programme for Pakistani startups. The Sanabil Accelerator offers a distinct pathway for MENA region founders, including those from Pakistan, seeking direct access to Saudi Arabia’s growing venture capital ecosystem and Sanabil’s substantial investment network.
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