{"id":4382,"date":"2026-09-07T10:14:49","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T07:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/?p=4382"},"modified":"2026-09-07T10:14:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T07:14:49","slug":"leap-2026-marks-the-conclusion-of-the-9th-edition-of-the-startsmart-competition-and-the-launch-of-its-10th-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/news\/entrepreneurs-advancement\/leap-2026-marks-the-conclusion-of-the-9th-edition-of-the-startsmart-competition-and-the-launch-of-its-10th-edition","title":{"rendered":"LEAP 2026 Marks the Conclusion of the 9th Edition of the StartSmart Competition and the Launch of its 10th Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Community Jameel Saudi Foundation celebrated the conclusion of the ninth edition of the StartSmart Competition on the main stage of LEAP 2026 at the Malham Events Center. Four standout startups were awarded cash prizes and a comprehensive growth package\u2014including tech mentorship, marketing support, media exposure, investor networking, and lifetime membership in the StartSmart Network. The ceremony also marked the official launch of the competition\u2019s tenth edition, featuring a newly evolved model targeting early-stage Saudi startups across four vital tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Organized in strategic partnership with the National Technology Development Program (NTDP) and the Digital Entrepreneurship Center (CODE) under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, with the Savola World Foundation as the prize sponsor, the ninth edition focused on early-stage technology and artificial intelligence (AI) ideas. Out of more than 1,000 applications nationwide, 40 high-potential ideas were selected for an intensive two-month incubator program. Participants received hands-on training to translate their ideas into functional AI prototypes, alongside masterclasses in go-to-market execution, operations, financial modeling, and venture scaling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"\"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

The 9th Edition Winners included the 1st Place, Nathra: A predictive health data analytics platform designed to assess non-communicable disease risks and enable early medical intervention. The 2nd Place went to Vendelligent: An AI-driven retail platform combining automated smart kiosks with a digital marketplace to deliver personalized product discovery and actionable store analytics. The 3rd Place was ApolloByte: A cloud-based engineering platform that merges visual CAD design with logical workflows to streamline product design, dynamic costing, and feasibility analysis. Finally, the 3rd Place (Co-Winner) was Jmaa: A collaborative commerce platform that leverages group purchasing power to aggregate consumer demand and secure competitive wholesale pricing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Mohammed Abdulgaffar, Executive Director of Initiatives at Community Jameel Saudi, commented: “Since launching Start Smart in 2016, our mission has been to equip Saudi entrepreneurs with the mentorship, resources, and ecosystem access needed to convert bold ideas into high-impact businesses. As the Kingdom\u2019s startup ecosystem has matured, Start Smart has evolved alongside it. Focusing this ninth cohort on AI and deep tech reflects our commitment to aligning our tools with national priorities and building competitive Saudi enterprises that generate lasting economic and social value.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking Ahead: The 10th Edition Building on this momentum, the upcoming tenth edition transitions to a new model designed to scale established business models and increase sector readiness. The program will accept entries across four priority tracks aligned with Saudi Vision 2030: Health, Environment, Industry, and Social Entrepreneurship.<\/span><\/p>\n

Registering interests for the tenth edition are now open to Saudi entrepreneurs and founders. For program details and application submissions, visit<\/span> www.startsmartsaudi.com\/programs\/competitions<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Community Jameel Saudi Foundation celebrated the conclusion of the ninth edition of the StartSmart Competition on the main stage of LEAP 2026 at the Malham Events Center. Four standout startups were awarded cash prizes and a comprehensive growth package\u2014including tech mentorship, marketing support, media exposure, investor networking, and lifetime membership in the StartSmart Network. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":4383,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4382"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4382"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4397,"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4382\/revisions\/4397"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.communityjameelsaudi.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}