Saudi Unicorns initiative brings rising tech stars to VivaTech 2025 under Monsha’at leadership

Monsha’at, Saudi Arabia’s Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority, spearheaded the participation of five promising startups at VivaTech 2025, Europe’s premier tech and innovation conference held in Paris from June 11 to 14. The initiative was part of Saudi Unicorns, a flagship Vision 2030 program aimed at helping high-growth Saudi companies reach billion-dollar valuations and scale globally.

Now in its ninth year, VivaTech 2025 brought together 13,500 startups, 3,200 investors, and over 165,000 attendees from across the globe. Monsha’at’s involvement served as a strategic opportunity to elevate Saudi Arabia’s tech scene, providing local startups with access to global best practices, thought leadership, and investor networks.

“This was a tremendous opportunity to not only showcase several of the best young startups and concepts coming out of the Kingdom,” said Saud Alsabhan, Vice Governor of Entrepreneurship at Monsha’at. “It was also a chance to allow some of our best tech entrepreneurs to share insights about the Kingdom’s booming startup ecosystem with leading global investors and innovators.”

Showcasing the next Saudi unicorns

The Monsha’at delegation featured five standout startups representing key sectors in the Kingdom’s growing tech ecosystem:

• Telgani, a digital car rental platform with over 3 million users

• Soum, a second-hand goods marketplace with more than 6 million downloads

• Webook, an event engagement platform that has processed over $500 million in transactions

• SiFi, a fintech company serving over 500 Saudi businesses

• Rewaa, a retail tech firm with 7,000 clients nationwide

These companies embody the diversity and dynamism of Saudi Arabia’s startup space, with strengths in e-commerce, fintech, retail technology, entertainment tech, and transportation.

Startup momentum in the Kingdom

Monsha’at’s participation at VivaTech comes amid strong growth across Saudi Arabia’s SME landscape. In Q1 2025, the private sector recorded a 48% quarter-on-quarter surge in commercial registrations, reaching 1.68 million active businesses. Notably, the e-commerce sector saw a 6% increase in entities, while cloud-computing surged by 33% over the same period.

By facilitating international exposure for top startups, Monsha’at and the Saudi Unicorns initiative reaffirm the Kingdom’s commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship, building global partnerships, and driving forward its Vision 2030 goals. The program is strategically positioned to help more Saudi companies achieve unicorn status, becoming global players in innovation and technology.