Madinah Tech, a first-of-its-kind municipal accelerator and urban innovation sandbox in the MENA region, has officially launched. The initiative is powered by Actual VC, 24SIX9, and AHOY, in partnership with the Municipality of Madinah Region.
This launch marks a bold step in advancing urban innovation, smart city solutions, and public service transformation—firmly aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
A Sandbox for Real-World Innovation
Madinah Tech is more than just an accelerator — it’s a living, breathing testbed. It offers startups and innovators the opportunity to test and deploy advanced technologies directly in Madinah’s urban landscape. The goal: improve public services and enhance daily life for citizens through smarter, data-driven solutions.
A Purpose-Driven Program Model
The accelerator runs on a three-stage model, designed to take ideas from early-stage concepts to market-ready solutions:
- Team-Idea Fit – Identify strong founding teams and validate their ideas
- Product-Market Fit – Refine solutions to address actual community or market needs
- MVP & Execution – Build a minimum viable product and secure funding to scale
Each stage is structured to provide critical feedback, mentorship, and resources that help startups grow with purpose.
World-Class Support in the Heart of Madinah
Participants in the program will benefit from a rich ecosystem of support. The accelerator is hosted in a dedicated urban innovation space within the city and offers:
- ✅ Access to advanced tech infrastructure for development and testing
- ✅ Mentorship from global experts and experienced operators
- ✅ Direct links to investor networks to secure early-stage and growth capital
- ✅ Strategic partnerships with world-class institutions including:
- Stanford StartX
- University of Cambridge
- NYU Tandon School of Engineering
This unique blend of local relevance and global reach makes Madinah Tech a launchpad for solutions that can scale across cities in the region and beyond.
Enabling Vision 2030’s Smart City Goals
Madinah Tech aligns fully well with Vision 2030’s smart city ambitions, aiming to transform Saudi Arabia’s urban centers into sustainable, technology-enabled environments. The accelerator supports this by fostering:
- Innovation in public services
- Sustainable urban development
- Entrepreneurial growth in civic tech
According to Jamil Shinawi, CEO of AHOY,
“Madinah Tech is a strategic step to change how startups are built and supported in the region. By combining local resources and global expertise, we’re creating fertile ground for innovation and empowerment.”
Now Open for Applications
Entrepreneurs, researchers, and technologists working in the following fields should apply:
- ✅ Smart Cities
- ✅ Urban Tech
- ✅ Sustainability and Infrastructure
Madinah Tech is not just building the future of cities—it’s giving innovators the tools to create it.
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