Saudi startup FlowGuard wins global first place at Hult Prize

FlowGuard, a startup from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), has claimed first place globally at the Hult Prize competition. This marks Saudi Arabia’s inaugural participation in the international contest, made possible through support and facilitation from the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha'at).

Monsha'at stated that it enabled Saudi participation by hosting the competition locally and supporting its implementation within the Kingdom, in addition to providing judges and essential expertise. This allowed Saudi university startups to compete and qualify for the global stages for the first time.

Comprehensive support from Monsha'at

Monsha'at continued to support the FlowGuard team throughout the competition by offering specialized guidance and consulting, connecting them with business opportunities that helped secure sales and qualify for the accelerator, and preparing and assisting them at every stage of the contest.

The competition featured around 18,000 startups from 130 countries. FlowGuard reached the top eight globally as the only Arab team at this stage, before ultimately winning first place and securing a $1 million seed investment to support the company’s growth and expansion.

Reflecting Saudi entrepreneurship support

This achievement highlights the impact of Monsha'at’s support system for university entrepreneurship, from providing opportunities and competitive platforms, to developing business models, offering mentorship, and connecting startups to markets—ultimately enabling Saudi startups to compete internationally.

Monsha'at continues its efforts to support entrepreneurs and university startups in cooperation with universities and partners in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, helping build Saudi companies with greater capacity for growth, expansion, and competitiveness both locally and globally.