Ghada Ismail

For decades, Saudi Arabia’s global energy identity has been closely tied to oil production. Yet in recent years, the Kingdom has begun positioning itself as a future leader in renewable energy, particularly solar power. With vast deserts, high sunlight exposure, and strong government backing, Saudi Arabia is rapidly building a solar ecosystem that combines large infrastructure projects with innovative startups developing technologies tailored for desert environments.

This shift is not simply environmental. It is deeply economic. As part of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to diversify its economy and reduce domestic reliance on hydrocarbons for electricity generation. Renewable energy now sits at the center of that transformation.

The Kingdom has set an ambitious target: generating 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, requiring around 130 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, most of which will come from solar power. 

To put that in perspective, Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy capacity was almost nonexistent a decade ago. Today, large-scale projects are already producing electricity while dozens more are under development. Solar technology is not only becoming a key energy source—it is emerging as a new sector for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Why Saudi Arabia Is Ideal for Solar Technology

Saudi Arabia possesses some of the strongest solar resources on Earth. Studies by the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy show that solar radiation across much of the Kingdom averages around 5.5 to 6.5 kilowatt-hours per square meter per day, placing it among the most sun-rich regions globally. Research on solar resource mapping conducted by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology indicates that annual solar irradiation levels typically range between 2,100 and 2,400 kWh per square meter, giving the Kingdom a natural advantage: solar panels installed in Saudi Arabia can generate significantly more electricity than similar systems in many other countries.

These environmental conditions make solar energy economically attractive. Renewable energy tenders organized under the Kingdom’s procurement program, managed by the Saudi Power Procurement Company, have produced some of the lowest solar electricity prices ever recorded globally, with winning bids falling below $0.02 per kilowatt-hour in several competitive auction rounds, according to analyses by the World Bank and international solar market reports.

Yet the Saudi environment also presents unique technical challenges. Research from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology highlights how dust accumulation, extreme temperatures, and large-scale desert installations can significantly reduce photovoltaic efficiency. As a result, simply importing conventional solar technology is often not enough, creating demand for desert-adapted solar solutions and new technological innovation.

This is where Saudi energy tech startups and research institutions are stepping in, developing innovations designed specifically for desert climates.

Startups Tackling Solar’s Desert Challenges

One of the most prominent Saudi solar technology startups is NOMADD Desert Solar Solutions, a company originating from research conducted at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The acronym NOMADD stands for NO‑water Mechanical Automated Dusting Device — a solution developed in response to the specific challenges of cleaning solar panels in desert environments.

Dust accumulation is a major obstacle for solar farms in desert regions. Sand and fine particles settle on panels and block sunlight, reducing electricity output. According to NOMADD’s founder, daily dust soiling can cut production by around 0.5–1% per day, and after severe sandstorms, efficiency losses can reach as much as 60% if panels are not regularly cleaned.

Traditional cleaning systems often rely on large amounts of water, an impractical solution in water-scarce arid regions. NOMADD addressed this by developing autonomous robotic cleaning systems that remove dust from solar panels without water. These robots traverse solar arrays, gently brushing surfaces to maintain performance while minimizing maintenance costs and water use. 

This technology is particularly relevant as Saudi Arabia deploys massive solar farms across desert landscapes, including those planned for megaprojects such as NEOM, where maintaining high output amid harsh conditions is essential for renewable energy targets. 

Mirai Solar and the Rise of Agrivoltaics

Another emerging Saudi startup pushing solar innovation forward is Mirai Solar, which is developing flexible and transparent solar technologies designed for agriculture and greenhouse applications.

Unlike traditional solar panels that completely block sunlight, Mirai Solar’s photovoltaic modules allow some light to pass through while converting part of it into electricity. This technology enables solar panels to function as shading systems for greenhouses.

In hot climates like Saudi Arabia’s, excessive sunlight can stress crops and increase cooling costs in agricultural environments. By integrating solar shading structures with energy generation, Mirai Solar’s systems simultaneously produce electricity while creating a more controlled environment for agriculture.

This approach belongs to a growing field known as ‘agrivoltaics’, which combines agriculture and solar power generation on the same land. In regions where water and arable land are limited, such hybrid systems could help improve both energy and food sustainability.

Solar Windows and Energy-Producing Buildings

Another innovative Saudi climate tech company working on solar energy solutions is Iyris, a startup developing transparent photovoltaic materials designed for building integration.

The company’s technology focuses on glass coatings that capture infrared light while allowing visible light to pass through. This means windows can generate electricity while still functioning as normal building glass.

Beyond electricity production, this technology can significantly reduce heat entering buildings. In Saudi Arabia, where air-conditioning accounts for a large share of electricity consumption, reducing solar heat gain could dramatically lower energy demand.

If deployed at scale, energy-generating glass could transform urban architecture, allowing buildings to function as distributed power generators rather than passive energy consumers.

Research Institutions Driving Solar Innovation

Many Saudi solar startups originate from academic research institutions rather than traditional venture capital ecosystems.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology has emerged as one of the region’s most important hubs for renewable energy research. The university hosts dedicated laboratories focused on photovoltaics, energy materials, and solar system engineering.

Through commercialization programs and accelerators such as TAQADAM, research projects can evolve into venture-backed startups capable of scaling globally.

Companies like NOMADD and Iyris demonstrate how academic research can transition into real-world energy technologies that address regional environmental challenges.

The Solar Infrastructure Boom

Alongside startup innovation, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in utility‑scale solar infrastructure as part of its renewable energy transition under Vision 2030. One of the Kingdom’s flagship projects is the Sudair Solar PV Project, a 1.5‑gigawatt solar installation in Sudair Industrial City,  one of the largest single‑site solar plants in the country and among the largest globally at this scale.

Another massive development is the Al Shuaibah solar project, planned to reach around 2.6 gigawatts of installed capacity, making it one of the region’s largest solar power projects and a major component of the National Renewable Energy Program.

The Kingdom’s solar market is also expanding rapidly in economic terms. According to industry research by IMARC Group, the Saudi solar energy market was valued at about $8.3 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow to around $145 billion by 2034, driven by continued deployments and growth in solar technologies and infrastructure.

These large‑scale projects provide the infrastructure backbone for the renewable energy transition, while startups and technology companies help build the innovation layer that makes solar systems more efficient, durable, and scalable.

A New Energy Technology Ecosystem

Traditionally, energy industries have been dominated by massive corporations and government-backed utilities. Solar technology is changing that dynamic.

Because solar power involves numerous technological components—from materials science and robotics to software and energy storage—it creates opportunities for smaller companies to develop specialized solutions.

Saudi startups are increasingly focusing on technologies such as solar panel maintenance automation, advanced photovoltaic materials, smart energy monitoring systems, and building-integrated solar technology.

Rather than competing with utility-scale energy companies, these startups operate within the broader energy ecosystem, developing the tools and infrastructure that allow solar energy systems to operate more efficiently.

Challenges for Solar Startups

Despite strong government support, building energy technology companies remains challenging.

Solar hardware development often requires long research cycles and expensive testing environments. Scaling technologies from laboratory prototypes to industrial-scale deployment can take years.

Regulatory requirements for energy infrastructure can also slow commercialization. Solar technologies must comply with grid standards, safety regulations, and large-scale engineering requirements.

Yet Saudi Arabia’s growing investment in renewable energy may gradually reduce these barriers. As solar deployment accelerates, demand for supporting technologies will likely increase.

The Future of Solar Tech in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s solar ambitions extend far beyond generating electricity. In the coming decades, solar technologies could power smart cities, enable energy-positive buildings, support sustainable agriculture, and drive green hydrogen production.

The Kingdom’s natural solar resources, combined with strong government backing and emerging startup innovation, create the conditions for a new energy technology sector to emerge.

For a country historically defined by oil, the next chapter of its energy story may be written under the desert sun.

Noha Gad

In today’s fast-paced financial landscape, where markets shift quickly and corporate performance is continually under the microscope, shareholders expect more than just passive monitoring. This is where activist investors emerge as strategic agents who intervene to drive transformation and unlock greater value.

An activist investor is a shareholder who acquires a significant minority stake in a publicly traded company to influence its management and operations. Their goals often span influencing key decisions, replacing underperforming directors, streamlining operations to boost value, or even pushing for a full company sale. While many prioritize maximizing shareholder returns through efficiency gains, others blend in social responsibilities like ESG improvements.

These investors are typically hedge funds, wealthy individuals, or institutions like pension funds that expertly spot undervalued companies ripe for turnaround. Hedge funds pool capital for high-conviction bets, while wealthy individuals deploy personal fortunes for nimble, opportunistic plays. Institutions like pension funds bring institutional heft, leveraging long-term horizons to advocate for sustainable value unlocks in blue-chip firms overlooked by markets.

These investors rally support from fellow shareholders via public letters, media campaigns, and private dialogues. If persuasion falls short, they escalate to proxy fights, nominating rival board candidates to seize control of strategic direction. 

Passive investors vs. activist investors

Passive investors prioritize broad market exposure over individual stock picking. They buy and hold diversified portfolios and rarely intervene, content with market-driven returns over time. On the other hand, Activist investors are hands-on disruptors who concentrate capital on select undervalued targets. They demand immediate fixes: slashing overhead, spinning off divisions, hiking dividends, or ousting CEOs, often backed by forensic financial analysis and peer comparisons.

The role of activist investors

Activist investors play pivotal roles as catalysts for corporate change, wielding influence through ownership stakes to drive strategic and operational shifts. They act as change agents, acquiring minority stakes to pressure management on key issues like cost efficiencies, capital allocation, or leadership refresh. 

They initiate public campaigns, then escalate to proxy contests for board seats, almost winning the battles to install aligned directors. Their toolkit includes forensic analysis of financials to spotlight underperformance, coalition-building with institutional holders, and media amplification to sway sentiment.

Pros and cons

While activist investors catalyze corporate evolution, their influence divides opinions on balancing immediate returns with enduring growth. It offers several advantages, including:

• Rapid value unlocking: activist investors identify underperforming assets, pushing for buybacks, spin-offs, or cost cuts.
• Governance renewal: By winning board seats in most proxy fights, investors replace entrenched directors, enforcing accountability and merit-based leadership that ripples to peer firms.
• Strategic agility: Activists force pivots like divestitures or M&A, realigning operations with competitive edges and injecting fresh ideas into stagnant giants.

Disadvantages 

• Operational disruption: Proxy wars spark internal chaos, talent flight, legal fees, and diverted focus, costing firms millions during heated battles.
• Heightened volatility: Short 1–3-year horizons amplify market swings, especially in turbulent periods, eroding stability for all stakeholders. 
• Narrow vision: tactics overlook holistic strategies like ESG or patient growth, potentially devaluing sustainable models in favor of financial engineering.

Mohamed Ramzy

The information technology sector in Egypt and the broader region is experiencing an accelerating digital transformation, making cloud computing, managed services, and cybersecurity key pillars to support digital transformation in the government and private sectors. This momentum helped create significant growth opportunities for companies specializing in digital infrastructure, particularly those with deep expertise in Egypt and the broader region.

Link Datacenter (LDC) stands out as a leading provider of cloud computing, managed services, and cybersecurity solutions in the region. Therefore, Sharikat Mubasher conducted an interview with Gamal Selim, CEO of Link Datacenter, to discuss the company’s vision, its role in supporting digital transformation, and its future growth plans.

First, we would like to know more about Link Datacenter and the key milestones in its development since its establishment.

Link Datacenter was founded in 1996 as the data center arm of LINKdotNET, at a time when internet services in Egypt were still in their infancy. This enabled the company to be an integral part of the early digital infrastructure in the market. 

With the expansion of internet usage in the early 2000s, the company has witnessed significant growth driven by rising demand for hosting services and digital infrastructure, establishing itself as a technology partner to several major platforms in Egypt and the region.

The company also went through key milestones, most notably the wave of M&A in the sector, especially after Mobinil (later acquired by Orange) acquired LINKdotNET. This acquisition enabled the company to access more advanced technologies and reach a broader customer base.

In 2009, the data center and cloud computing activities were consolidated into an independent entity, marking a turning point in offering a comprehensive suite of managed services, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, and digital infrastructure, while helping customers adopt artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Today, the company delivers its services through its data centers, via strategic partnerships with global entities such as Microsoft, or directly within the customer’s environment, based on the needs of each sector.

What is the volume of your current customer base? And how does the company classify them according to services?

The company has a diverse customer base that spans various sectors. It serves thousands of clients, delivering ‘business essentials’ which include domain registration and email hosting.

We also provide services to around 500 large enterprises and SMEs that rely on cutting-edge services, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, and advanced hosting.

Customers are classified according to their needs: startups rely on basic services, while larger enterprises rely on integrated solutions and more sophisticated infrastructure to ensure operational efficiency and security.

What is Link Datacenter’s growth strategy over the coming years? And does the company target expanding customers base?

Link Datacenter’s strategy is centered on growing business volume overall, not just increasing the number of customers, as the genuine value lies in maximizing the benefit for existing customers from the services provided.

The company targets an annual growth rate of 30% to 40% in both revenues and operations, by expanding existing customers’ adoption of its services, developing new solutions that meet their evolving needs, and attracting new customers in promising sectors.

However, priority remains on value and operational quality for each customer, as the targeted growth can be achieved by deepening existing partnerships without relying solely on increasing customer numbers.

What are the company’s investment and expansion plans amid accelerating digital transformation and AI adoption in Egypt?

We are constantly working to enhance our portfolio to meet market needs, particularly in digital transformation and AI fields. We help our customers host and run Large Language Models (LLMs), ensuring they have maximum value based on the nature of each business.

We also have a fully specialized cybersecurity department, including the Security Operations Center as a Service (SOC as a Service), which targets mission-critical business applications. These services are supported by qualified teams and advanced technologies that keep pace with the growing demands of digital businesses. 

How do you see the Saudi market amid the accelerating digital transformation under Vision 2030? And do you plan to expand there?

The Saudi market is one of the fastest-growing markets in digital infrastructure and cloud computing, driven by Vision 2030’s objectives, which place digital transformation at the forefront of its priorities.

We see significant opportunities in the Kingdom, notably in cloud computing, managed services, and cybersecurity fields. We continuously explore expansion and partnership opportunities in the Saudi market, whether through delivering our services directly or through local partnerships, in line with the market needs and regulatory requirements.

With over 25 years of experience in the Egyptian and regional market, what sets Link Datacenter apart from other competitors?

Link Datacenter has deep experience in providing hosting and managed services across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), supported by strong strategic partnerships with global companies, such as Microsoft and others.

This, combined with our extensive customer base, which includes government organizations, large enterprises, and SMEs, and our highly experienced team, positions us among the leading professional service providers.

We always strive to deliver customized solutions that precisely meet each customer’s needs, with a strong focus on security and continuous innovation.

Translation: Noha Gad

Kholoud Hussein

A new category of startups has started dominating global tech conversations: AI-native startups. Unlike traditional companies that add artificial intelligence as a feature, these startups are built entirely around AI from day one—their core product, business model, and operations all depend on machine intelligence. They don’t use AI as an enhancement; they use it as their foundation.

As the world moves deeper into the era of automation and generative models, AI-native startups are becoming one of the fastest-growing segments in the innovation economy. Their rise mirrors the early days of cloud-native companies, which emerged a decade ago and quickly redefined software development. But AI-native startups represent an even more disruptive shift—one that touches every sector, from finance and logistics to healthcare and digital media.

This new model raises important questions: How exactly do AI-native companies operate? Are they profitable? How quickly are users adopting them? And what does their presence look like in the MENA region?

What Makes a Startup “AI-Native”?

An AI-native startup integrates artificial intelligence into the very fabric of its value proposition. AI is not a tool—it is the product’s engine.

Instead of building software that performs a set of fixed tasks, these companies build systems that learn, adapt, and improve with every interaction. Their technology stacks are centered around large language models (LLMs), predictive algorithms, or autonomous decision-making engines.

An AI-native product might write code, diagnose a disease, optimize supply chains, generate marketing campaigns, detect fraud, or run an entire business workflow without human intervention. The more data it processes, the smarter and more efficient it becomes.

This architecture allows AI-native startups to scale quickly. They don’t need large teams or massive infrastructure. Their main assets are data, algorithms, and computational power.

How These Companies Operate in the Market

AI-native startups break the traditional build-test-iterate cycle. Instead of hard-coding features, they train and refine models. Their speed of execution is measured not by product releases but by how fast the system learns.

Internally, these startups operate with leaner teams. A product that once required 50 engineers might now be developed by 6 people supported by an AI-powered development pipeline. Sales teams use AI agents. Customer service is automated. Even marketing strategies are generated and tested through intelligent systems.

Their business models tend to follow patterns such as:

• Usage-based pricing – charging customers per output, like generations or transactions
• Subscription to an intelligent assistant – offering AI copilots for specialized industries
• API-first platforms – enabling other companies to plug into their intelligence layer
• Workflow automation – charging for processes the AI takes over

As a result, AI-native startups often have higher margins, lower operational costs, and faster product cycles than traditional software companies.

User Adoption Is Growing at Unprecedented Speed

Consumers and enterprises are adopting AI-native products faster than any technology wave since smartphones. The shift is driven by three main forces:

1. AI solves real, costly problems

From logistics failures to expensive medical diagnostics, AI systems remove inefficiencies that humans alone struggle to fix.

2. AI feels intuitive to use

Natural-language interfaces have lowered the barrier. You don’t need technical skills to interact with an AI assistant—you just talk to it.

3. Productivity gains are immediate

Companies experience measurable improvements within weeks. Costs fall, processing becomes faster, and output quality improves.

According to global surveys, over 70% of enterprises worldwide plan to increase their AI spending in 2026, with a significant share specifically targeting AI-native solutions rather than traditional AI tools.

Are AI-Native Startups Profitable?

AI-native companies benefit from a cost structure that grows more efficiently as they scale. Unlike conventional SaaS platforms that face rising customer support and development costs, AI models actually perform better with volume.

However, profitability depends on two factors:

• How efficiently the startup manages compute costs

Running large models can be expensive, especially at early stages. Well-built AI-native startups avoid unnecessary model training, compress their models, or specialize in niche use cases to reduce GPU dependency.

• How strong their data advantage becomes

Data is the defensible moat. AI-native startups that secure unique, domain-specific data sets become exponentially more valuable and harder to replicate.

When these two conditions align, AI-native startups often reach profitability far earlier than traditional tech companies. Several global AI-native players hit break-even within 12–18 months—something unheard of in the SaaS world.

The Future of AI-Native Companies

The next wave of AI-native startups will not simply automate tasks—they will automate entire business functions. Finance departments, HR operations, customer support centers, and logistics planning may eventually be run by autonomous, AI-orchestrated systems with minimal human intervention.

Industry analysts expect that by 2030, over 30% of new global startups will be AI-native by default, a trend driven by the falling cost of computing and the rise of developer-friendly AI infrastructure.

These companies will not replace humans; they will redefine roles. Employees will shift from operational tasks to oversight, strategy, and creative problem-solving.

AI-Native Startups in the MENA Region

The MENA region—especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia—is emerging as one of the most promising markets for AI-native companies. Major national strategies are fueling investment, including:

• Saudi Arabia’s National Strategy for Data and AI (NSDAI)
• The UAE’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031
• Expanding sovereign wealth fund participation in AI ventures

Dozens of emerging players are already gaining traction in fintech, logistics, retail, cybersecurity, and enterprise AI.

Saudi Arabia, in particular, is positioning itself to become a global AI hub by 2030. The Kingdom’s young and tech-savvy population, paired with massive public and private investment, makes it an ideal ground for AI-native models to scale quickly. Demand for intelligent enterprise solutions in sectors such as government services, healthcare, and e-commerce is rising sharply.

Regional adoption of AI-native platforms is growing fast, especially among SMEs seeking to automate operations without hiring large teams.

Finally, AI-native startups represent a fundamental shift in how companies are built, how products evolve, and how markets operate. Their agility, efficiency, and rapid learning cycles make them uniquely positioned to reshape industries at a speed traditional companies cannot match.

In the MENA region, the coming years will likely see an explosion of AI-native innovation as governments, investors, and enterprises push toward a more automated and data-driven economy.

These companies are not simply part of the future—they are the future.

Noha Gad

Every fast‑growing company goes through a capital journey that usually starts with seed and pre‑seed funding, where founders test an idea, build a product, and find early customers. Then come Series A and B rounds, which focus on proving the business model, refining unit economics, and scaling the core operations. By the time a startup reaches Series C and D, priorities shift from survival to growth at scale, market expansion, and operational maturity.

Series E funding round marks the late‑stage phase of a startup’s capital journey. By this stage, the company is no longer trying to prove its product or business model; instead, it’s focused on scaling quickly, consolidating market leadership, or preparing for an IPO or a major exit. 

Unlike earlier rounds that prioritize survival and product‑market fit, Series E is usually about big moves: international expansion, heavy hiring, large acquisitions, or building a balance sheet robust enough to weather public‑market scrutiny. It tends to attract institutional investors, private‑equity players, and other late‑stage funds that expect a clear path to liquidity.

The Series E round is a signal of maturity and proof that the company has products and a business model with real customers, and has reached a significant revenue or valuation level where the next moves require serious capital.

How do Series E rounds differ from other rounds?

Early-stage rounds usually focus on products, validation, and product-market fit. At this stage, investors support the founding team and a promising concept, not a proven business. The checks are relatively small, the metrics are qualitative, and the goal is to iterate fast, find early users, and head toward product‑market fit. 

Mid-stage rounds (i.e., Series C and D) focus on scaling operations, expanding markets, and improving unit economics. At these stages, the company is no longer a project but a real business with meaningful revenue, clear unit economics, and often a presence across multiple customer segments or regions. Investors here are growth‑stage VCs and sometimes corporate or hedge‑fund‑style players, and the capital is used to expand into new markets, build more infrastructure, or even acquire smaller competitors. 

Late-stage and pre-exit rounds are often much larger and target aggressive expansion, major hiring, cross‑border scaling, or laying the financial groundwork for an IPO or strategic sale. Investors at this stage are mainly late‑stage VCs, private equity firms, and large funds that expect a clear path to liquidity, stronger governance, and more sophisticated financial reporting. 

When and why do companies need to raise a Series E round?

Series E is a strategic move for companies that have already proven their model and are ready to make a big leap. Founders typically consider Series E when their ambition and opportunity outpace the capital they currently have. At this stage, founders shift their focus to how fast they can scale and how far they can dominate the market. The round is usually about accelerating growth and strengthening the balance sheet. Another main reason to raise Series E is to prepare for an IPO or public listing. Many companies use this round to build a cash buffer, professionalize governance, and clean up their financials to handle the scrutiny and volatility of public markets. It also gives them time to refine their narrative for public investors while operating with the flexibility of a private company. 

Series E can also be used to consolidate market leadership. It can be the fuel needed to outspend rivals on customer acquisition, product development, and hiring. Additionally, companies that want to stay private longer may use this round to fund a multi‑year runway without going public immediately.

Finally, the decision to raise Series E should be driven by clear, capital‑intensive goals, whether that is scaling aggressively, consolidating dominance, or preparing for an IPO or major exit, rather than a reflexive desire for more money. Used wisely, Series E can turn a strong scale‑up into a market‑defining business; used poorly, it can lock a company into a high‑pressure, high‑expectation path without the fundamentals to back it up. Founders and investors, understanding when and why to raise Series E is the key to making it a powerful accelerator, not an unnecessary gamble.

Ghada Ismail

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes business operations across industries, companies are increasingly exploring how AI agents, enterprise solutions, and localized language models can transform decision-making and efficiency.

In this interview, Anas Elkhatib, Co-Founder and CTO of THAKAA AI Decision Support System, discusses how AI is redefining enterprise operations, the rise of agentic AI, and why Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a key hub for artificial intelligence innovation.

How is AI transforming your core business operations, products, or services?

AI is truly the revolution of this era. One of the clearest ways we see its impact is in how it improves efficiency and return on investment across business operations.

For example, processes such as generating reports used to take weeks. Companies would need to gather data from multiple sources, organize it, and analyze it before producing meaningful insights. With AI solutions like the ones we provide at THAKAA AI Decision Support System, this entire process can now be completed in seconds.

Instead of manually compiling information, a user can interact directly with an AI agent. You can even have a phone call or a video call with the AI. During the interaction, the AI can present dashboards, answer questions in real time, and provide insights or recommendations.

It can also extract market data and compare a company’s performance with broader industry benchmarks within seconds. In practical terms, AI allows organizations to transform decision-making cycles from weeks into seconds while saving significant time and effort.

What recent AI innovations are you most excited about?

The speed of innovation in AI is remarkable—every day, there seems to be something new. Chatbots were the earliest and simplest stage of AI interaction, but today, the most exciting development is the concept of Agentic AI.

Agentic AI involves multiple AI agents with specialized knowledge communicating with one another. It works almost like a virtual team.

For instance, in our demonstrations we present what we call a virtual CXO team. Under each executive role—such as a virtual CFO—you can have supporting functions like financial planning and analysis or cost control. These AI agents communicate with each other. If one agent receives a question it cannot answer, it can consult another agent, such as a CHRO or CFO agent, to provide the necessary information.

In this way, AI agents collaborate internally to deliver more comprehensive responses and insights.

Does that mean AI will eventually replace human workers?

AI may replace certain roles, but it is important to emphasize the concept of human-in-the-loop.

Every recommendation produced by AI should be supervised by humans. In our systems, we do not allow AI to act independently. Instead, we control issues such as hallucination through enterprise-level solutions that ensure the AI only responds using trusted data.

Rather than relying on public information, the generative AI model is trained on the organization’s own internal data. This makes the system more reliable and secure.

At the same time, it is realistic to say that some jobs may change as AI becomes more widespread. However, new opportunities will also emerge. AI can increase productivity and create new economic activity, which ultimately leads to new roles and industries.

The key for individuals is to continue developing their skills and adapting to new technologies.

Are there any collaborations or partnerships your company is building in Saudi Arabia?

Yes, and we actually consider all of our customers in Saudi Arabia to be partners.

At THAKAA AI Decision Support System, we work with several public-sector entities, including the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, and the Saudi Data and AI Authority. On the commercial side, we collaborate with organizations such as Jabal Omar in Makkah and other private-sector clients.

Our approach is based on knowledge exchange. When we implement our solutions, we share our technical expertise and lessons learned from previous projects. In return, our customers share their knowledge about their own industries and operational needs.

Because of this exchange of expertise, every client becomes a strategic partner that contributes to improving the overall solution.

Which sectors in Saudi Arabia are most ready for AI transformation?

Saudi Arabia is generally a very dynamic and rapidly developing market for AI adoption. However, if we look at industries that are particularly ready for large-scale implementation, I would highlight oil and gas and banking.

Enterprise AI solutions can require significant investment. Industries with strong financial resources are therefore often the earliest adopters. Oil and gas companies and financial institutions have the capacity to absorb these costs and implement AI at scale.

As technology becomes more accessible, we expect adoption to expand across many other sectors as well.

How does THAKAA approach responsible and ethical AI deployment?

Responsible AI is a key priority for us. From the beginning, our solutions have been designed with strong privacy and security frameworks.

Our platform is built as an enterprise solution rather than a consumer AI tool. This means that protecting company data is central to the system architecture.

For example, we apply several techniques to control AI hallucination, including advanced prompting and retrieval-augmented generation methods. We also implement strict security protocols when dealing with personally identifiable information (PII).

Sensitive information—such as employee names or contact details—is encrypted and masked to ensure it cannot be leaked or misused.

Additionally, we comply with regulatory frameworks issued by authorities such as the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) and the National Cybersecurity Authority. In some cases, the system is deployed on-premises to ensure that all sensitive data remains fully secure within the organization.

Do your AI solutions support Arabic, including Saudi dialects?

Yes, and that is one of the key differentiators of our platform.

THAKAA was developed with Arabic language capabilities from the beginning. The system can communicate naturally in Arabic, including the Saudi dialect.

For example, we use the technology in call center environments. In many cases, people speaking with the AI cannot easily distinguish whether they are interacting with a human agent or an AI system.

The interaction feels very natural, which demonstrates how far conversational AI technology has evolved.

How do you see AI shaping the broader business landscape in Saudi Arabia?

AI is already becoming a central part of Saudi Arabia’s long-term economic vision.

The Kingdom is forming strategic partnerships with global technology companies to build advanced data centers and GPU infrastructure. These investments will support the development and deployment of large language models.

If LLMs are hosted locally in Saudi Arabia, government institutions, banks, and other organizations will be able to adopt AI technologies more easily and securely.

From my perspective, the AI ecosystem can be divided into three categories. The first includes companies that focus on hardware infrastructure. The second includes companies developing large language models. The third includes companies building practical AI applications and solutions—like what we do at THAKAA.

Saudi Arabia is supporting all three layers of this ecosystem. The country is investing in infrastructure, supporting LLM development, and encouraging the growth of AI startups.

Startups are particularly important because they form the backbone of any AI economy. When governments create supportive regulations and provide resources for startups, the long-term economic impact can be significant.

Kholoud Hussein 

Saudi Arabia’s retail sector is undergoing a profound structural transformation, one that extends far beyond the shift from physical stores to online shopping. What is emerging instead is an entirely new retail ecosystem—one driven by data, intelligent automation, frictionless payments, and a generation of startups building tools that are quietly redefining the consumer journey. This evolution represents more than digital modernization. It signals a deeper economic recalibration that positions retail as a pillar of the Kingdom’s diversification strategy under Saudi Vision 2030.

As one senior official at the Ministry of Commerce recently put it: “Saudi retail is not simply expanding. It is industrializing—becoming smarter, faster, and more integrated than at any time in the Kingdom’s history.”
This framing captures the shift underway. Retail is no longer a passive consumer-driven sector. It is a strategic domain where technology, logistics, and financial innovation converge to create new economic value.

A Market Entering Its Most Transformational Phase

Saudi Arabia’s retail market is expected to surpass SAR 600 billion by 2030, making it one of the largest consumer markets in the Middle East. Several factors fuel this expansion: rapid population growth, a young demographic with high digital literacy, and rising household incomes supported by economic diversification initiatives.

But the real inflection point comes from behavioral change. Saudi consumers have embraced digital lifestyles with extraordinary speed. Data from the Communications, Space & Technology Commission shows e-commerce transactions rising by more than 32% year over year, a figure that outpaces most global markets. The Kingdom’s consumers are shifting from traditional browsing to algorithm-assisted product discovery, from in-store purchasing to omnichannel shopping, and from cash-based transactions to embedded digital payments.

This accelerating adoption matters because it forces retailers—large and small—to transition into digital enterprises. They must now manage integrated supply chains, unify inventory across channels, deploy advanced analytics, and deliver personalized experiences at scale. Many legacy retailers are not equipped to do this alone. This is where Saudi startups emerge as catalysts, introducing the tools that allow the sector to leapfrog traditional retail development stages.

Technology Is Redefining the DNA of Saudi Retail

Across the Kingdom, technology is reshaping the retail value chain end-to-end. What once depended on human coordination is increasingly managed by data-driven systems and AI-powered automation. Retailers now operate with real-time visibility across stock levels, customer preferences, supply bottlenecks, and demand patterns—all of which feed into strategic decisions that were previously based on intuition.

E-Commerce Becomes the Engine of Retail Growth

E-commerce is no longer a secondary channel for Saudi retailers—it has become the command center of the retail business model. For many enterprises, the digital storefront is now the primary point of engagement with customers. This shift is particularly visible in sectors such as fashion, beauty, electronics, and groceries, where online purchase frequency has multiplied since the pandemic.

Retailers are responding by investing heavily in backend architecture—cloud-based inventory systems, API integrations, AI recommendation engines, and automated fulfillment networks. A senior official at the Ministry of Commerce explained:
“Digital retail is no longer optional. Customers expect a high level of integration and immediate responsiveness across all channels.”

This pressure has given rise to a new generation of retail-tech startups. Companies like Zid and Salla provide ready-made e-commerce infrastructure that enables thousands of small retailers to enter the digital marketplace with minimal technical expertise. Their platforms have become essential to the Kingdom’s retail digitalization curve.

Payments Become Seamless, Instant, and Intelligent

Few changes illustrate the pace of Saudi retail transformation as clearly as the rapid rise of digital payments. According to the Saudi Central Bank, more than 70% of all retail transactions in the Kingdom are now cashless, surpassing the Vision 2030 target well ahead of schedule.

This transition is not merely about convenience. Digital payments have become a strategic enabler of retail data intelligence. Every digital transaction generates insights—frequency, average order value, preferred channels, peak purchase times—that retailers use to optimize pricing, inventory, and promotional strategies.

BNPL platforms such as Tamara have reshaped consumer behavior by offering flexibility and increasing purchasing power, especially among younger consumers. Digital wallets like STC Pay and Apple Pay have made mobile payments ubiquitous, even in traditional stores. The rollout of open banking is set to deepen this transformation, enabling retailers to integrate financial services directly into the shopping experience.

Logistics Becomes a Competitive Weapon

Saudi Arabia’s geographic scale and the rise of same-day delivery expectations have made logistics technology one of the most critical components of retail competitiveness. The growth of e-commerce has driven retailers to rethink fulfillment from the ground up, investing in automation, hyperlocal warehouses, and multi-node distribution networks.

Local startups have led this evolution. Platforms such as Mrsool and Saee have introduced flexible delivery models that connect thousands of drivers with retailers, expanding delivery capacity on demand. Meanwhile, specialized logistics startups have developed AI-powered route optimization, predictive inventory planning, and real-time tracking systems that reduce operational inefficiencies.

Logistics is no longer a back-office function. It is core to the customer experience—and retail brands are realizing that speed, transparency, and reliability are as important as the product itself.

Physical Stores Are Becoming Data-Driven

While digital commerce surges, physical retail is far from fading. Instead, stores across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam are being reinvented as experiential and data-rich environments. Smart shelves, RFID tagging, in-store analytics, and self-checkout kiosks are increasingly common.

Retailers now analyze heat maps of customer movement, track dwell time at product displays, and personalize in-store promotions through digital signage. This convergence of digital and physical is creating what industry analysts call “phygital retail”—a blended environment where the store becomes as measurable and adaptive as a website.

As one official from the retail modernization program summarized:
“Retail in Saudi Arabia is no longer about aisles and shelves. It is about data, sensors, and experience.”

Startups Are the Hidden Architects Behind the Sector’s Transformation

Saudi startups are not simply contributing to retail digitalization—they are shaping the operating model of the sector. Their role can be understood through three core contributions: digital infrastructure, vertical innovation, and omnichannel integration.

Digital Infrastructure for the Entire Retail Economy

Companies like Foodics have built foundational systems—such as cloud POS—that allow thousands of cafes, restaurants, and retailers to digitize operations. Their tools manage everything from sales and inventory to staff scheduling and customer engagement.

These platforms are particularly crucial for SMEs, which make up more than 1 million retail businesses in Saudi Arabia. By giving these companies access to enterprise-grade tools, startups are lifting the technological baseline of the entire sector.

New Retail Verticals Driven by Startups

Startups are also introducing entirely new retail categories—online pharmacies, direct-to-consumer beauty brands, pet marketplaces, and subscription-based grocery models. These categories were either underserved or nonexistent before the digital economy took hold.

Their growth demonstrates how technology unlocks consumer segments that traditional retailers overlooked.

Enabling True Omnichannel Retail

Perhaps the most significant impact of startups is their role in building omnichannel retail—integrating online and offline experiences into a single ecosystem.

Startups now provide unified dashboards that merge inventory, payments, loyalty programs, customer data, and marketing campaigns across all channels. This ensures that retailers can deliver consistent service whether the consumer is shopping online, on mobile, or in-store.

Government Support as a Strategic Accelerator

Saudi Arabia’s retail transformation is heavily supported by national policy. Under Vision 2030, the government views retail modernization as an economic multiplier that stimulates SME growth, boosts local content, and expands the digital economy.

Programs from Monsha’at offer financing, grants, and business development services to retail SMEs. The Ministry of Commerce enforces digital invoicing, consumer protection regulations, and fair competition laws that strengthen the sector's integrity. Meanwhile, the government’s aggressive push toward cashless payments has dramatically accelerated digital commerce adoption.

A senior policymaker recently noted:
“Retail is the biggest employer in the Kingdom. Modernizing this sector means modernizing the entire economy.”

Saudi Retail Over the Next Five Years

Looking ahead, the Saudi retail sector is set to become one of the most technologically advanced consumer markets in the region. Several forces will define this trajectory:

AI will become embedded in every part of retail—from demand forecasting and customer service automation to product recommendation models and dynamic pricing engines. Retail media networks will emerge, turning retailers into advertising platforms that monetize their digital touchpoints. Physical stores will increasingly integrate Internet-of-Things sensors, computer vision, and predictive analytics, transforming them into intelligent spaces. Logistics will enter a new phase of automation with robotics and drone-supported delivery. Lastly, sustainability will become integral, with energy-efficient stores, optimized cooling, and smart waste management becoming sector norms.

To conclude, Saudi Arabia’s retail transformation is not an incremental shift—it is a structural rewrite of how the sector operates. Technology has moved from being a support function to being the organizing principle of retail strategy. Startups sit at the center of this shift, providing the tools, platforms, and innovations that allow the sector to evolve faster than traditional players could manage alone.

The Kingdom’s consumer economy is being reborn—more digital, more data-driven, more efficient, and more aligned with global trends. As Saudi Arabia pushes toward its 2030 goals, the retail sector is emerging as one of the clearest examples of how technology and entrepreneurship can reshape an entire economic landscape.

Ghada Ismail

Imagine running a growing business with strong sales and promising prospects, only to realize you don’t have enough cash to pay suppliers or salaries next month. This situation, where money becomes suddenly tight despite an otherwise healthy business, is known as a ‘Liquidity Crunch’.

For entrepreneurs, investors, and managers, understanding liquidity crunches is essential. Even companies that appear healthy on the surface can suddenly find themselves struggling if cash flow dries up.

Understanding Liquidity

Before diving into what a liquidity crunch is, it helps to understand the idea of liquidity itself.

Liquidity simply refers to how easily a business can access cash to cover its short-term expenses. These expenses include things like paying employees, settling supplier invoices, covering rent, or servicing debt.

Cash is the most liquid asset a company can have. But businesses may also hold other assets that can be quickly turned into cash, such as short-term investments or marketable securities.

A company might look profitable on paper but still face liquidity problems. This often happens when money is tied up in inventory, unpaid customer invoices, or long-term investments that cannot be quickly converted into cash.

So, What Is a Liquidity Crunch?

A liquidity crunch occurs when a company—or even an entire financial system—suddenly finds itself short on cash or easily accessible funds.

In simple terms, it means a business doesn’t have enough readily available money to cover its immediate obligations.

There are many reasons this situation can arise. Customers may delay payments. Costs might rise unexpectedly. Access to credit could tighten. Investors might pull back on funding. Sometimes broader economic shocks or market downturns can also trigger a liquidity squeeze.

When this happens, companies may be forced to make difficult decisions. They might cut costs, sell assets, raise emergency funding, or delay certain payments just to keep operations running.

Why Startups Are Especially Vulnerable

Startups are particularly exposed to liquidity crunches. Unlike mature companies with stable revenue streams, startups often rely heavily on external funding from venture capital investors. If a planned funding round gets delayed or investors suddenly become cautious, a startup can quickly find itself struggling to pay salaries or cover operational costs.

This became especially visible during periods when global venture capital slowed down. Many startups were forced to cut spending, freeze hiring, or lay off employees simply to extend their financial runway.

For startups, managing liquidity is often a matter of survival.

Liquidity Crunches in the Wider Economy

Liquidity crunches don’t just affect individual businesses. Entire financial systems can experience them as well.

A well-known example occurred during the Global Financial Crisis of 2007–2009. As uncertainty spread across financial markets, banks became increasingly reluctant to lend to one another in the interbank market due to fears about counterparty solvency. This loss of trust caused institutions to hoard cash, dramatically slowing the flow of credit and creating severe liquidity shortages. In response, central banks such as the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank intervened with emergency lending programs and large-scale liquidity injections to stabilize markets and restore confidence.

Early Warning Signs

Liquidity crunches rarely appear overnight. Businesses often see warning signs beforehand.

One of the clearest signals is shrinking cash reserves. Another is a growing gap between the money coming in and the money going out.

Other red flags may include increasing reliance on short-term loans, delays in paying suppliers, or difficulty securing new financing.

Companies that closely monitor their cash flow are usually better positioned to spot these problems early.

How Companies Protect Themselves

While no business is completely immune to liquidity problems, there are ways to reduce the risk.

Maintaining healthy cash reserves is one of the most effective safeguards. Businesses can also diversify their funding sources, negotiate flexible payment terms with suppliers, and regularly review their cash flow forecasts.

Having access to credit lines or emergency financing can also provide a critical safety net during periods when cash becomes tight.

To Wrap Things Up…

A liquidity crunch may sound like a technical financial term, but in reality, it can become a defining moment for a company.

Even businesses with strong growth and solid revenue can run into trouble if they cannot access cash when they need it.

For entrepreneurs and executives, the lesson is simple: profitability is important, but cash flow is even more critical. Companies that carefully manage their liquidity are far better prepared to navigate economic shocks and periods of uncertainty.

Kholoud Hussein 

In the world of startup financing, terms like valuation, dilution, and runway tend to dominate founder conversations. But tucked inside most investment agreements is a clause that rarely makes headlines yet shapes the future ownership structure of almost every fast-growing company. That clause is pro-rata rights—a contractual mechanism that determines who gets to keep their stake as the company scales and raises more capital.

Pro-rata rights are often described as the investor’s right to “maintain their percentage ownership” in future funding rounds. While that definition is technically correct, the implications run much deeper. These rights shape investor behavior, influence founder–investor dynamics, and determine who benefits most when a startup’s valuation climbs. Understanding them is essential for both sides of the table.

At their core, pro-rata rights allow an investor to purchase additional shares in later financing rounds so their percentage ownership remains unchanged, even as the company issues new equity. Without this protection, every new round would dilute earlier investors. For example, a seed investor who owns 10% of a startup may see that drop to 5% after a Series A unless they are allowed to buy additional shares. Pro-rata rights give them the option—not the obligation—to maintain their 10% stake by participating in the round.

This matters because startups that succeed often grow far faster than early expectations. What begins as a small seed round at a modest valuation can escalate into tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars. Early shares bought at low prices become enormously valuable, and investors with pro-rata rights gain privileged access to this upside. It is one of the reasons venture capitalists aggressively negotiate for these rights: they ensure participation in future growth without having to fight for allocation.

For founders, the picture is more complex. Granting pro-rata rights is common, especially in early rounds when capital is scarce and negotiating leverage tilts toward investors. But as the company grows, founders may find themselves juggling competing demands. A Series A lead investor may want a large allocation. Existing seed investors may want to exercise their pro-rata rights. Strategic investors may request room in the round. Suddenly, every percentage point becomes a negotiation.

The tension arises because pro-rata commitments eat into the allocation a startup can offer new investors. In hot rounds where demand exceeds supply, founders sometimes pressure early investors to waive or reduce their pro-rata rights. This is where relationships matter. Investors who have supported the company during tougher periods tend to expect—and receive—priority. Those with weak engagement may be sidelined. The rights are contractual, but their enforcement often plays out in the subtleties of venture dynamics.

For startups, pro-rata rights also have strategic value. Investors who maintain their ownership across rounds signal confidence to the market. When respected early funds double down, it sends a message to future investors that the company is worth backing. Many startups highlight this support during fundraising, positioning it as validation that the business is on the right trajectory. In this sense, pro-rata participation becomes part of the startup’s signaling strategy.

However, there is a trade-off. If every investor insists on full pro-rata participation, founders may find themselves with little room to bring in new partners—even when those new investors could add strategic value. This is especially true in sectors like fintech, energy, and AI where industry-specific expertise can accelerate growth. Founders often negotiate flexibility into pro-rata clauses to preserve room for strategic investors later.

The importance of pro-rata rights becomes even clearer during growth rounds. As valuations rise, the cost of maintaining equity increases sharply. Early investors with limited fund size may struggle to exercise full pro-rata rights, particularly in late-stage rounds where investments can reach tens of millions of dollars. This creates opportunities for secondary transactions, where investors sell part of their stake to new funds that are eager to join the cap table. In these cases, pro-rata rights become a negotiation tool—one that can unlock liquidity or leverage during fundraising.

For founders, the key is not to fear pro-rata rights but to understand how they interact with long-term capital strategy. Strong investors using their rights often reflect confidence in the company. But overly rigid pro-rata structures can limit flexibility in future rounds. Negotiating a balanced approach—protective for investors but adaptable for the company—is part of building a resilient fundraising framework.

Ultimately, pro-rata rights are about control, confidence, and long-term alignment. They ensure that investors who take early risk can continue participating in a company’s success. They help startups secure committed partners who remain invested not only financially but strategically. And they form part of the invisible architecture that underpins venture investing.

In a startup world defined by rapid growth and constant change, pro-rata rights may not grab headlines. But they quietly determine who gets to stay on the journey—and who benefits most when the destination turns out to be far more valuable than anyone expected.

Roudny Nahed

For decades, branding has been dominated by the visual world. Companies invested heavily in logos, color palettes, typography, and visual guidelines to ensure consistent recognition across their communications. But as the digital ecosystem evolves, another dimension of branding is gaining strategic importance: sound.

From mobile applications and digital platforms to retail spaces and advertising campaigns, sound has become an integral part of the customer experience. Every notification, confirmation tone, background music track, or advertisement audio contributes to how audiences perceive a brand. As a result, businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of audio branding, also known as sonic branding.

Today, the brands people hear can be just as powerful as the brands they see.

Every Brand Already Has a Sound
Whether companies realize it or not, every brand already produces sound. A mobile banking notification, the music inside a retail store, the audio in a promotional video, or the tone accompanying a digital transaction all shape how people experience a brand.

However, in many organizations, these sounds are created without strategic alignment. Different teams produce audio elements independently, resulting in a fragmented and inconsistent brand experience.

This is where sonic branding becomes valuable. Just as companies develop visual identity guidelines, leading organizations are now building sonic identity systems. These systems define how a brand should sound across every touchpoint, including sonic logos, brand music, interface sounds, voice direction, and audio used in advertising.

When designed intentionally, these elements create a consistent and recognizable brand presence.

Sound Connects With Emotion Faster
One of the key reasons sound is so powerful lies in neuroscience. Research in consumer psychology shows that sound can trigger emotional responses almost instantly. Music and sound interact directly with areas of the brain responsible for memory and emotion, allowing brands to create deeper connections with their audiences.

This is why a short melody or sound signature can instantly remind people of a particular brand or experience. Audio has the ability to reinforce brand recognition and create emotional associations that visuals alone often cannot achieve.

The Rise of Audio in the Digital Economy
The growing importance of sonic branding is also driven by the rise of audio-driven environments. Today’s digital ecosystem is filled with sound, from social media video content and streaming platforms to smart devices and voice assistants.

In many cases, consumers interact with brands without even looking at a screen. A voice assistant response, a payment confirmation tone, or a branded podcast may be the primary interaction point with a company.

This shift means businesses can no longer rely solely on visual identity. Brands must also think about how they sound across the customer journey.
A Strategic Opportunity for Businesses

While many global brands have already embraced sonic branding, the field is still emerging in several regions, including the Middle East. As industries across the Gulf continue to invest in digital transformation, entertainment, fintech, and large-scale consumer experiences, the role of sound in brand communication will only grow.

Organizations that start thinking strategically about their audio identity today can gain a competitive advantage tomorrow.

The future of branding is multisensory. The strongest brands will not only be recognized visually, but they will also be recognized instantly by the way they sound.
In an increasingly noisy world, a distinctive sound may become one of the most powerful tools a brand can own.

By: Roudny Nahed, Partnership Manager at MusicGrid

Noha Gad

In today's fast-paced business world, companies face increasing pressure to innovate and remain competitive, moving beyond traditional top-down management, which can stop creativity and leave large companies struggling to keep up with quick, new startups. This is where intrapreneurship comes in. This dynamic practice empowers employees to act like entrepreneurs within the safety of an established company.

This approach unleashes internal potential, fostering groundbreaking ideas without the personal risks of full-fledged startups. From accidental invention to tech giants' game-changing products, intrapreneurship has proven its power to drive growth and adaptability.

What is intrapreneurship?

Intrapreneurship is a way of working that lets employees act like entrepreneurs, but from inside their own company. People who take on this role are self-motivated, proactive, and action-oriented individuals who take the initiative to develop innovative products or services. Unlike entrepreneurs, they operate within a company's safety net, which absorbs any failures or losses. 

The main difference between an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur is the level of risk. Entrepreneurs build a business from the ground up and carry all the risk themselves. Intrapreneurs, on the other hand, have the safety net of their company behind them. This support gives people the freedom to try new things and take smart risks without the fear of losing everything.

By creating this entrepreneurial environment, intrapreneurship helps both the company and its people. Employees get the space to test ideas, grow their skills, and build a career within the organization, while the company benefits from fresh thinking and new solutions. 

Intrapreneurship Vs. traditional entrepreneurship

Intrapreneurship differs from traditional entrepreneurship in key ways, starting with resources. In intrapreneurship, employees rely on company funding and tools, such as budgets, labs, or software provided by the organization. This gives them a strong base without needing personal investment. On the other hand, entrepreneurship relies on self-funding or personal networks, where founders often seek loans and contacts on their own.

On risks level, intrapreneurs share risks with their employer, as failures impact the company but not their personal finances or job security. Entrepreneurs face high personal risks, including debt, lost savings, or business failure, that can affect their livelihood directly.

Intrapreneurship begins internally with pilots or tests within the company, allowing ideas to grow safely before wider rollout. Meanwhile, entrepreneurship jumps straight to direct market entry, requiring immediate customer validation and full exposure from the beginning.

To tackle specific challenges, such as increasing productivity and cutting costs, Intrapreneurs must have a high level of skills, including leadership and innovative thinking, to take risks and drive innovation within the business. Successful intrapreneurs must also be comfortable with uncertainty, persistently testing their ideas until they achieve the desired results.

Benefits of intrapreneurship 

• Employee engagement. Intrapreneurship boosts employee engagement by giving workers ownership of projects. They feel valued when leaders support their ideas, which cuts turnover and raises job satisfaction. 
• Driving innovation. Employees spot needs and test solutions fast, using company resources. This leads to new products, ultimately driving fresh innovation inside companies. 
• Business growth. Intrapreneurship helps enter new markets without big startup costs. It also improves customer loyalty through better offerings.
• Talent retention. Companies keep top talent by offering challenge and growth. Workers stay when they can build, not just follow tasks. This could eventually save hiring costs and build skills.

Finally, intrapreneurship bridges the gap between employee potential and company success by sparking innovation from within. It turns everyday workers into drivers of change, delivering engagement, growth, and fresh ideas without the uncertainties of external ventures.

Looking ahead, intrapreneurship will only grow in importance as markets evolve and talent demands more than routine tasks. Companies that adopt it early gain a clear edge, turning their workforce into a powerhouse of ideas and execution.

Noha Gad

The startup journey is a thrilling race against time, talent, and competition. Founders pour everything into solving big problems, racing to turn ideas into products that change industries. In this hyper-connected era, where ideas spread faster than wildfire, stealth mode became a go-to tactic for founders who want to build without the spotlight. 

Stealth mode is not just about secrecy; it is a deliberate strategy. It means operating a startup quietly, keeping details about the product, technology, or even the company's full mission under wraps while you focus on execution. This is why many startups choose stealth mode. In today's hyper-competitive landscape, especially in fast-moving fields like AI, fintech, and deep tech, one leaked demo or viral tweet can invite rivals to race you to market. 

Why do startups operate in a stealth mode?

A stealth mode startup is a fledgling business working to bring a new product or service to market under a temporary state of secrecy. This strategy is designed to protect intellectual property — for sensitive inventions, algorithms, or biotech discoveries— limit outside scrutiny, and preserve a competitive advantage until launch. Startups also choose stealth mode to create space for focused building and to protect their edge before launch. 

Other reasons include:

• Controlling market timing andnarrative. Stealth enables founders to decide when to reveal their product and craft the story so launch day creates maximum impact.
• Fundraising and hiring strategy. For some investors, exclusivity can be a powerful tool. A stealth pitch can generate the urgency needed to close a deal. This approach is equally effective for attracting early talent who want to be part of something distinctive.
• Reducing distraction. By avoiding the spotlight, founders can keep the team focused on execution instead of chasing perception or fighting early criticism.
• Product readiness and iteration. Founders can refine a minimum viable product (MVP), test pricing and messaging, or explore design changes without the pressure of public scrutiny. Many stealth teams work with a small set of early customers or partners under confidentiality to gather targeted feedback.
• Control of public relations. When the startup is ready to launch, it can start with a strategic campaign, manage its public image, and build its reputation from scratch without a negative trail of public failures from the early stages of the project affecting it.

Types of stealth mode

Startups use different levels of stealth; each fits different needs. At the most basic level, there are two types of stealth mode:

• Total stealth. In this type, the company tries to keep all of its actions as secret as possible. To that end, the company may mislead the public about its true goals. It may maintain a website that does not disclose its personnel or location. It may even operate under a temporary name that doesn’t disclose its field of business. This mode is ideal for deep-tech, cybersecurity, AI, biotech, and patent-heavy startups.
• Partial stealth is lighter. The company shares some basics, such as product, funding, and clients, but keeps key details secret. This mode enables the startup to recruit talent publicly, while maintaining operational secrecy. It perfectly fits software-as-a-service (SaaS), fintech, and consumer startups that need brand presence but want to protect specific aspects.

The other types include:

•  In-company stealth. This mode involves an established company developing a new idea or product in secret. In such cases, the organization may either keep the project completely confidential or unveil it internally, ensuring it remains hidden from the public and the media.
• Time-based stealth. Startups often adopt this type in their earliest stages to develop and test concepts out of the public eye. Once the product is ready, the company launches it but then enters a quiet period, focusing on refining the offering based on feedback from its initial users.
• Brand stealth: It involves testing products quietly with customers while deliberately avoiding public brand-building. This approach is particularly well-suited to B2B tools and services.

Why stealth mode can hold startups back

Although stealth mode helps protect ideas, it can slow the startup down. Here are the main risks.

• Limited customer feedback. Gathering feedback in the early stages makes it easier to decide what works and what does not. That is why stealth mode startups often rely on input and consultations with experts, stakeholders, investors, or innovative testing methods.
• Challenges attracting funding. The secrecy of stealth mode startups makes finding and attracting investors challenging. For startups, it is harder to approach and convince investors without client feedback or publicity.
• Attracting attention. While stealth mode provides the benefit of being able to manage public image more easily, it also means that before the official launch and becoming more public, the company did not attract much organic attention. Thus, the launch campaigns and the activities after the official launch require more resources and effort from the marketing and PR teams compared to those startups that gain attention and become known while still developing their products. 

Finally, stealth mode is a strategic choice, not a permanent state. While it offers vital protection for ideas and focus during fragile early stages, founders must recognize when it is time to lift the veil. The ultimate goal is not secrecy; it is building something worth revealing. Used wisely, stealth provides the runway to refine, protect, and prepare. Used too long, it can starve a startup of the feedback, talent, and momentum it needs to truly take off.