Vision Ventures
Vision Ventures is a Dammam-based, sector-agnostic venture capital firm founded in 2016 that invests in Pre-Seed to Series A tech startups across the MENA region. It manages three funds with 60+ portfolio companies, operating an entrepreneur-led model with active board participation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersDammam, Saudi Arabia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Vision Ventures does
Vision Ventures is a sector-agnostic early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, founded in 2016 by Kais Al-Essa and Haitham Bu-Aisha — the entrepreneurs behind Sahara Net, Saudi Arabia's first ISP. The firm invests in Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A technology startups across the MENA region, typically taking lead investor positions with active board participation and providing hands-on operational and managerial advisory. The firm targets sectors including fintech, SaaS, healthtech, ecommerce, insuretech, foodtech, and cybersecurity, and has built a portfolio of 60+ companies supported through offices in Riyadh, Cairo, and Amsterdam.
The investment platform is anchored by the "By Entrepreneurs, for Entrepreneurs" philosophy and the Mazaya Vision Program, which delivers exclusive perks, C-level recruitment support, regional expansion assistance, and access to follow-on capital. Portfolio companies have collectively generated 113.7 billion SAR ($30.1B) in GMV in 2024, representing 77% YoY growth, and for every $1 Vision Ventures invests, portfolio companies raise $33 in follow-on capital. The firm has demonstrated notable return profiles, including a 225x return on its investment in Salla — reported as the largest VC exit in MENA — and has been recognized as the most active VC in Saudi Arabia and one of the top two in MENA.
The firm generates revenue through two primary streams: management fees charged to limited partners for managing investment funds (Saqr Fund I launched in 2018 and Saqr Fund II in 2022), and carried interest from successful portfolio exits. The platform has expanded through cross-border initiatives such as the December 2025 'Bawabat' accelerator partnership with ITHCA Group, the technology investment arm of Oman Investment Authority.
Vision Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vision Ventures
- Legal name
- Vision Ventures
- Website
- https://visionvc.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Vision Ventures is a Dammam-based, sector-agnostic venture capital firm founded in 2016 that invests in Pre-Seed to Series A tech startups across the MENA region. It manages three funds with 60+ portfolio companies, operating an entrepreneur-led model with active board participation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vision Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)
Keywords
Where Vision Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dammam
- HQ country
- Saudi Arabia
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices4 records
Markets served
Vision Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Management Fees: VC fund management fees charged to limited partners for managing investment funds.
- Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest from successful portfolio exits, with a notable 225x return on Salla marking the largest exit in MENA.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Vision Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vision Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests Pre-Seed to Series A capital into MENA-based tech startups, typically taking lead investor roles with active board participation. Beyond capital, the firm delivers managerial and operational advisory, assists in regional expansion across KSA and MENA, supports C-level recruiting, and provides access to follow-on capital and international markets. The firm manages two GP/LP funds (Saqr Fund I launched in 2018 and Saqr Fund II launched in 2022) and supplements investments with the Mazaya Vision Program perks for portfolio companies.
Product overview
Vision Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that operates as a fund manager with two active investment funds (Saqr Fund I launched in 2018 and Saqr Fund II launched in 2022). The firm provides capital investment and hands-on operational support to portfolio companies, supplemented by the Mazaya Vision Program which offers exclusive perks for portfolio companies. The investment approach covers multiple sectors including fintech, SaaS, healthtech, foodtech, ecommerce, insuretech, and other technology segments across the MENA region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Saqr Fund I First GP/LP venture capital fund launched in 2018, focused on investing in early-stage startups in the MENA region.
- Saqr Fund II Second GP/LP venture capital fund launched in 2022, continuing investment strategy in early-stage MENA startups across fintech, SaaS, healthtech, and other technology sectors.
- Mazaya Vision Program Exclusive portfolio support program providing perks, benefits, and resources to portfolio companies to help them unlock their potential.
Quantifiable outcome
- 113.7 billion SAR ($30.1B) GMV generated by portfolio companies with 77% YoY growth
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Vision Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Vision Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Vision Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ITHCA GroupcoreITHCA Group, the technology investment arm of Oman Investment Authority, partnered with Vision Ventures for the 'Bawabat' accelerator program helping Omani startups enter the Saudi market. The partnership includes up to $100,000 in funding support and regional market entry assistance for selected startups.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Vision Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Algebra Ventures: Egypt-focused early-stage VC. Geographic peer — same MENA early-stage thesis but with Egypt-specific portfolio overlap (Vision Ventures has a Cairo office).
- Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP): UAE-based MENA early- and growth-stage VC with similar sector-agnostic tech focus. Participated in Spare's $5M pre-Series A alongside Vision Ventures; operates at overlapping stages.
- Flat6Labs: MENA-wide seed-stage VC and accelerator. Operates in similar Pre-Seed/Seed segment with regional geographic overlap and comparable founder-support model.
- Wa'ed Ventures: Aramco-backed early-stage Saudi VC. Co-led Rewaa's $45M Series B with Vision Ventures and competes for similar Saudi tech deals, but with deeper balance sheet from corporate parent.
- Shorooq Partners: UAE-based early-stage VC investing across MENA with strong fintech/AI specialization. Comparable stage focus and ticket size, with adjacent but more specialist positioning.
- Beco Capital: UAE-based early-stage VC with MENA-wide focus on tech-enabled businesses. Similar sector-agnostic and stage-aligned approach; overlapping LPs and co-investor base.
- Raed Ventures: Saudi-focused early-stage VC investing Pre-Seed and Seed in MENA startups. Direct competitor in the same Riyadh/KSA deal flow, often co-invests alongside Vision Ventures (e.g., Deep.SA round).
- B&Y Venture Partners: MENA-focused early-stage VC with comparable sector-agnostic tech thesis. Direct peer in deal sourcing and stage (Pre-Seed to Series A) across the GCC and wider region.
- 500 Global (MENA): Global early-stage accelerator/VC with active MENA fund. Competes for the same Pre-Seed/Seed founders and participated in Spare and Madeed rounds alongside Vision Ventures.
Broad incumbents
- Sanabil Investments: PIF-backed Saudi venture investment platform deploying large-scale capital into global and MENA startups. Much larger balance sheet and broader mandate; co-investor rather than direct peer but increasingly competitive at the same stages.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vision Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceVision Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vision Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Vision Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vision Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments111 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vision Ventures
What does Vision Ventures do?
Vision Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests Pre-Seed to Series A capital into MENA-based tech startups, typically taking lead investor roles with active board participation. Beyond capital, the firm delivers managerial and operational advisory, assists in regional expansion across KSA and MENA, supports C-level recruiting, and provides access to follow-on capital and international markets. The firm manages two GP/LP funds (Saqr Fund I launched in 2018 and Saqr Fund II launched in 2022) and supplements investments with the Mazaya Vision Program perks for portfolio companies.
Is Vision Ventures a public or private company?
Vision Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vision Ventures founded?
Vision Ventures was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Vision Ventures based?
Vision Ventures is headquartered in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in the Middle East region.
How does Vision Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are Vision Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Algebra Ventures, Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), Flat6Labs, Wa'ed Ventures, Shorooq Partners, Beco Capital, Raed Ventures, B&Y Venture Partners and 500 Global (MENA). Sanabil Investments is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Vision Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vision Ventures.
What industry is Vision Ventures in?
Vision Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B), with a secondary code of FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.