The Accelerator’s first startup cohort took part in several seminars hosted by investors, industry experts from NEOM and Oxagon, together with a roster of successful entrepreneurs
Bolstering the innovation landscape across Saudi, the first edition of the Oxagon Accelerator, held in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, came to a close with a fireside chat with Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed, founder and CEO of KBW Ventures.
Moderated by Emon Shakoor, Blossom Accelerator’s CEO, the discussion for the Oxagon Accelerator’s first startup cohort took place in Riyadh on February 16, 2023, and was followed by an audience question and answer segment.
Prince Khaled was asked to elaborate on tips for pitching to investors, how aggressive financing via venture capital was in the current economic climate, and the increasingly competitive marketplace.
In addition to addressing interest in the investor’s own professional journey and his expanding investment portfolio, Prince Khaled also focused on delivering key takeaways to the promising startups. During the conversation, he highlighted the importance of local SMEs, planning to expand regionally and later globally, doing a deep dive when it came to competitor analysis.
Furthermore, the investor reiterated the importance of a startup honing in on a unique value proposition, in order to both attract investment and to master a market place niche.
The 12-week program was run with both virtual and in-person sessions in Riyadh coworking spaces. The Accelerator focused on startups in both pre-seed and seed stages, across three main sectors: Water Innovation, E-Fuels, and Technology in the Service of People.
Prince Khaled’s session rounds off the Oxagon Accelerator’s exciting mentor series that saw other speakers including Hussein Attar, CEO of Tech Invest Com, Abdulaziz Saja, General Manager, Tabby KSA, and Abdulla Elyas, co-founder of Careem.
Related: Venture capital takes center stage at Future Investment Initiative
