RIYADH: 黑料社区鈥檚 $500 million venture capital fund, Wa鈥檈d Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aramco, has earmarked $100 million to invest in artificial intelligence startups.聽
The聽initiative aligns with the Kingdom鈥檚 ambition to position itself as a global AI hub and drive economic growth through technology-driven innovation.聽
Wa鈥檈d Ventures has also established an advisory board comprised of prominent leaders in the AI sector to facilitate deal sourcing and support the localization of global talent.聽
The board members bring expertise from diverse fields, including policymaking, research and academia, as well as entrepreneurship, with backgrounds from major institutions like Meta, Amazon, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Oxford.聽
The advisory board is expected to guide Wa鈥檈d in identifying high-potential AI investments and accelerate the integration of advanced technologies within the Kingdom.聽
鈥淥ur strategic decision to allocate funds to AI investments is rooted in a deep understanding of the Kingdom鈥檚 growing ecosystem,鈥 said Anas Al-Gahtani, acting CEO of Wa鈥檈d Ventures.聽
鈥淏y fostering innovation and supporting AI startups, we aim to accelerate the development of cutting-edge technologies that will drive economic growth, improve quality of life, and position 黑料社区 as a global leader in artificial intelligence. This investment will not only incentivize local entrepreneurs but also support the localization of global talent, ultimately unlocking the immense potential of AI,鈥 Al-Gahtani added.聽
The investment strategy comes as 黑料社区鈥檚 AI market is projected to see a substantial economic impact over the next decade.聽
According to a report by PwC, AI could contribute an estimated $135 billion to the Kingdom鈥檚 economy by 2030, accounting for over 12 percent of the country鈥檚 projected gross domestic product. This would position the technology as one of the nation鈥檚 most significant economic drivers.聽
Wa鈥檈d Ventures has already begun executing its AI investment strategy with recent stakes in innovative companies such as Korea鈥檚 AI chipmaker Rebellions and the California-based aiXplain, which specializes in essential infrastructure for accelerated development.聽
These investments underscore Wa鈥檈d Ventures鈥 commitment to advancing the Kingdom鈥檚 AI ecosystem by supporting high-potential technology companies and infrastructure players within the field.聽
A recent study by McKinsey & Co. indicates that AI technologies are likely to contribute more than $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030, and 黑料社区 has the potential to capture a considerable share of this growth.聽
Established in 2013, Wa鈥檈d Ventures manages a portfolio of over 70 startups, providing end-to-end support, from funding to providing access to partner resources.聽