Article 1
The state of deep tech venture building in Saudi Arabia.
An ecosystem report on the state of deep tech in the Kingdom. By the Fountech Labs team, coming Q4 2026.
Pre-registration is open ahead of Race 2027 (Q1 2027). Register your interest in The Qualifying Races or The Championship Races.
Saudi Arabia's deep tech venture building programme
The Innovation Races
We assess, build and back the ventures behind the Kingdom's next economy. One programme, run as two interconnected races: The Qualifying Races take early ventures from the lab to a verified TRL 6; The Championship Races take the strongest from TRL 7 to investment.
The Qualifying Races are open year-round. The Championship Races, Race 2027, opens Q1 2027. Places are limited.
Our flagship programme · Race 2027
The Innovation Races
Two interconnected races. The Qualifying Races take ventures from TRL 4 to a verified TRL 6. The Championship Races take TRL 7 to investment.
2
interconnected races
40
teams at the Qualifier
10
finalist places
Q1 2027
applications open
Powered by TACTIC · objective assessment in minutes
The Qualifying Races
TRL 4-6 · virtual · always open
The Championship Races, Race 2027
TRL 7-9 · annual · 10 finalist places · applications Q1 2027
What is The Innovation Races
Three things: Find. Build. Back.
The Innovation Races is a structured, data-driven programme that takes deep tech research and early-stage ventures and carries them toward investment. It runs as two interconnected races. The Qualifying Races are an always-on, virtual feeder: ventures at TRL 4-6 progress at their own pace until they reach a verified TRL 6. The Championship Races are an annual, time-boxed cohort for the strongest ventures at TRL 7-9, built into investable companies and backed.
The two races meet at the Qualifier Event, where Qualifying Races graduates join direct entrants to compete for the Championship Races cohort.
We are not a foreign programme operating in the Kingdom. Fountech Labs builds deep tech ventures here, on the ground, with a team in Saudi Arabia.
Two interconnected races. One always-on engine, run every cycle.
Who The Innovation Races is for
Researchers and early ventures (TRL 4-6).
Start in The Qualifying Races: virtual, self-paced, free to enter, and build toward a verified TRL 6.
Investment-ready ventures (TRL 7-9).
Enter The Championship Races directly, or arrive through The Qualifying Races, and compete for the Race 2027 cohort.
Institutions, investors and Partners.
Back the Kingdom's most rigorously assessed deep tech pipeline across both races.
If you are not sure where you sit, contact the team. We would rather have a direct conversation than have you guess.
What accepted teams receive
Your place is earned through assessment. What you receive depends on the race.
The Qualifying Races
In The Qualifying Races, every participant gets verified progression toward TRL 6 at no cost, with Partner-funded access to TACTIC. Graduates earn grant support (details to be announced) and automatic entry to the Championship Races Qualifier Event.
The Championship Races
In The Championship Races, finalists receive an intensive, team-specific venture build and, for the highest performers, earned investment, with terms to be announced. Every graduate keeps a full assessment record and permanent membership of the TIR Founder Network.
Places open
Early Access Founders
Watch this space.
The first Early Access Founders are being confirmed now: research teams and founders from Saudi Arabia's leading institutions, starting in The Qualifying Races ahead of the public launch. They will be announced here.
A limited number of Early Access places remain open.
Who we're looking for
The Innovation Races is for deep tech ventures rooted in science or engineering, building in Saudi Arabia, and scored against Vision 2030 priority sectors. Wherever your venture sits between TRL 4 and TRL 9, there is a race for you.
Advanced Manufacturing
AI and Robotics
Biotech and Life Sciences
Clean Energy
Materials Science
Space and Aerospace
Water Technology
The Qualifying Races: open now. The Championship Races, Race 2027: applications Q1 2027.
The founding cohort
The ventures that come through Race 2027 will be the founding cohort of the TIR Founder Network, and every graduate, from both races, becomes a permanent member for the life of their company.
Race 2027 is the first Championship Races. Places are limited.
The Deep Tech Reports
Fountech Labs' editorial platform. Original analysis of deep tech venture building in Saudi Arabia, written by the people running the programme.
Article 2
Why we structured The Innovation Races as two races.
The design decisions behind the two-race model. By the Fountech Labs team, coming Q4 2026.
Article 3
Assessment before selection.
Why rigorous, evidence-based assessment should come before backing decisions in deep tech. By the Fountech Labs team, coming Q4 2026.
Partner with The Innovation Races
Partners get structured access to the cohort across both races, co-branding throughout the programme, and a seat at the Qualifier Event and Demo Day. There are two ways to partner: as a Corporate Partner or an Ecosystem Enabler Partner. Partners also fund free assessment access in The Qualifying Races.
The Championship Races. Race 2027. Q1 2027.
The Innovation Races. Pre-registration is open now.
The Qualifying Races run year-round. The Championship Races, Race 2027, takes up to 40 teams to 10 finalist places.