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RIYADH: Nine teams have advanced to the finals of the SR2.25 million ($600,000) Jameel Deep Tech Initiative startup competition, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The teams that advanced are Plansulin, Queed, iRama, Quantasphere Ltd., Advanced Future Technology, Novo Genomics, Larimar, Visi Ground, and iBoat.

The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology hosted the semifinal stage at its Academy 32 facility, the SPA reported.

The event was set up to support 30 teams in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to transform research projects into market-ready startups.

Jameel, organized by StartSmart Entrepreneurship Center, and implemented through partnerships with KACST, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and the Research, Development and Innovation Authority.

It targets deep tech innovations in the health, energy, environment and climate sectors, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives to empower research-based startups.

The semifinal event featured sector-specific training sessions, interactive product development challenges within fixed timeframes, cross-disciplinary workshops and business model refinement exercises.

Participants received specialized mentorship to overcome technical and commercial hurdles.

Radwan Noor, KACST’s general manager of Venture Attraction, said in a statement that they are enabling researchers to convert scientific outputs into viable tech companies with tangible market impact.

KACST supports this through scientific expertise, mentorship, judging, and access to laboratories and research infrastructure.

He said several participating startups graduated from KACST’s Ventures Program, demonstrating successful pathways from national labs to market solutions.

Mohammed Abdulghaffar, senior general manager at Community Jameel, added that this collaboration empowers scientists and innovators to commercialize research.