Leap 2026 announces $857 million in new investments on day three

The Leap 2026 conference continued its momentum on the third day, with new announcements totaling $857 million in investments. These included funding rounds, new investment funds, and significant expansions in cloud computing, data centers, and technology industries, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s attractiveness to investors and its ability to empower startups and accelerate their growth toward global markets.

Venture capital investments led the day’s announcements, reaching nearly $293 million across 11 deals. This included nine funding rounds and investments worth $126.15 million, alongside the launch of a new fund and the expansion of an existing fund, together valued at $166.7 million.

The funding rounds targeted companies in sectors such as artificial intelligence, fintech, travel, gaming, human resources, and the digital automotive market. Notable recipients included COFE Tech, FlyAkeed, Nayla Finance, Sayarah, RABEH, Hazen.ai, ZenHR, Abwab.ai, and TAKA House, with participation from a range of local and international funds and investors.

Among the fund announcements, Ula Capital launched a $100 million fund in partnership with Korea’s FuturePlay to connect deep tech investment opportunities between Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Impact46 and HALA also announced the expansion of their SME financing fund from $26.7 million to $66.7 million, marking a 150% increase in less than two years.

Continuing the investment drive, Snowflake announced a $300 million investment to expand in Saudi Arabia through 2030. The plan includes opening its regional headquarters, launching two additional cloud regions in the second half of 2026, and training 25,000 people, further strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a regional hub for data and cloud computing.

In the field of localizing technology industries, Alfanar announced a $150 million investment to manufacture data center components in Saudi Arabia, supporting national infrastructure capabilities and expanding local content in advanced technology industries.

LogRhythm Middle East announced the establishment of a cybersecurity center of excellence in the Kingdom, aiming to train and empower 50,000 Saudis and expand research, innovation, and advanced security solutions, supporting national capacity building and workforce readiness in the digital era.

CTS Global Group and Saudi Desert Technologies announced a partnership to localize the manufacturing, design, and construction of key data center components, including the creation of specialized factories to produce integrated power units for export, leveraging Saudi expertise and international standards.

On the main stage, HUMAIN showcased two of its enterprise AI solutions: HUMAIN Enterprise Chat and HUMAIN Marketplace, demonstrating how its integrated AI capabilities can be transformed into practical tools for organizations to accelerate adoption of advanced technologies.

The presentation featured HUMAIN’s Executive Vice President and Head of Intelligence, Dr. Yasser Al-Anizan, Vice President of Models Dr. Areeb Al-Owaishek, and Senior Vice President of Marketplace Platform Dr. Manal Al-Assaf, who highlighted how these products facilitate organizations’ access to and adoption of AI technologies in secure business environments.

HUMAIN Enterprise Chat offers a secure enterprise chat experience, enabling employees to integrate AI into daily workflows while maintaining governance, security, and control requirements. The solution has attracted over 30 clients within weeks of launch.

HUMAIN Marketplace serves as a central platform for organizations to discover and access AI models, agents, applications, and solutions—whether from HUMAIN or its broader ecosystem—accelerating the transition from advanced technical capabilities to practical business use.

The third day’s announcements at Leap 2026 underscore the ongoing momentum in Saudi Arabia’s technology and innovation ecosystem, its growing ability to attract capital and quality investments, empower startups, localize advanced industries, and build a competitive digital economy leading opportunities in the smart era.