Sukna Ventures

🚀 As we kick off the new year, we’re shining a spotlight on Saudi Arabia and the GCC—emerging as key players in the global private markets industry. 🌍 In the coming weeks, we’ll dive into insights from regional leaders on what’s shaping the industry, opportunities for international investors, and how these markets stand out from Europe and the US. This week, we’re featuring Waleed A. Alballaa, General Partner at Sukna Ventures, discussing the evolution of VC in the region, strategies for sustainable growth, and tips for starting your VC journey in Saudi Arabia. Read his insights here >> http://spr.ly/6046vqiTk #SuperReturn #SaudiArabia #GCC #privatemarkets

Finishing this year strong! 🚀 Buntar Aerospace has been honored with the "Startup of the Year" award by the InnovationDevelopment Fund. In just a year and a half, we’ve transformed from a bold idea into a rapidly growing startup that’s gaining recognition — and this is only the beginning! But that’s not all! 🎉 We’ve also been named the "Best Protective Aerial Startup," making us proud two-time winners in a single day. The journey continues as we push forward, aiming for even greater heights. Stay tuned—this is just the takeoff! ✈️ #Buntar #Aerospace #Ukraine #Startup #Award

Transforming Creative Ideas into Valuable Products.. We are launching the Saudi Innovation Grants Program, in collaboration with the National Technology Development Program to empower SMEs and entrepreneurs in transforming groundbreaking scientific research into practical solutions. These solutions aim to address national challenges and drive sustainable economic growth. Apply now: https://lnkd.in/e_RKyeaf

🎉 Mozn has made it to the #RegTech100! 🎉 We’re excited to announce that Mozn has been recognized as one of "The World’s Most Innovative RegTech Companies" by RegTech100 for 2025! The prestigious eighth annual RegTech100 list highlights companies driving innovation in the financial sector. This recognition solidifies FOCAL's role as an industry leader, revolutionizing the financial landscape with its cutting-edge technology. This recognition is just one of many milestones that showcase FOCAL as an industry leader, driving innovation and shaping the future of finance. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gWS2xBY 🎉 "مُزن" ضمن قائمة #RegTech100! 🎉 يسرنا أن نُعلن عن اختيار "مُزن" لقائمة "أكثر الشركات الابتكارية في العالم" من التقنيات التنظيمية (RegTech)  لعام 2025! تُبرز هذه القائمة الروّاد المبتكرين في القطاع المالي، مما يعزز من مكانة "فوكال" كحلاً رائداً يساهم في تحول القطاع المالي بدعم تقنياته المتطورة. يُعتبر هذا التكريم إنجازًا بارزًا يُظهر "فوكال" كقائد في هذا المجال، حيث يقود الابتكار ويشكل مستقبل القطاع المالي. للمزيد: https://lnkd.in/gWS2xBY

يسعدنا في #بنك_الجزيرة الإعلان عن توقيع مذكرة تفاهم مع "شركة سُكنى" لتعزيز الابتكار والاستثمار والنمو الاقتصادي من خلال شراكات استراتيجية مع الشركات الناشئة والشركات الكبرى والحكومات في برامج مبتكرة. هذه الشراكة تدعم رؤيتنا الاستراتيجية في تعزيز الابتكار ودعم قطاع الفنتك. نتطلع معًا إلى فتح آفاق جديدة، ودفع حدود الابتكار، دعم وتمكين شركات التقنية المالية و الابتكار في الخدمات المالية We are excited at Bank AlJazira to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sukna Ventures to drive innovation, investment, and economic growth by partnering with startups, corporates, and governments on innovation programs. This partnership aligns with our strategic vision to enhance innovation and support the growth of the fintech industry. We look forward together to opening new horizons, pushing the boundaries of innovation, and supporting and empowering fintech companies and innovation in financial services.

Had a chat with a studio head of a $500M+ revenue game. The shocking part? During our discussion about player monetization, they mentioned using basic demographic targeting. Age, location, spending patterns. Standard stuff. Then I asked about behavior-based segmentation. Silence. $500M generated lifetime without tracking behaviors. 🥲 so much potential. Here's why this matters: Players tell their story through actions, not attributes:  1. Resource management style  2. In-game progression speed  3. Challenge completion rates  4. Social interaction patterns  5. Currency spending habits  6. Competition participation  7. Time between sessions  8. Premium feature usage  9. Preferred game modes 10. Battle strategy choices 11. Social team dynamics 12. First purchase timing 13. Daily active windows 14. Resource allocation 15. Response to losses 𝘪𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 100+, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵. The studio was tracking 5-6 parameters. Top-grossing games? They analyze 100+ using AI. AI doesn't just segment players. It understands their gaming personality. Reality check: Your players make 100s of micro-decisions every session. Each one tells you something about who they are... ...and what THEY value. If you have limited AI expertise in-house: 1/ You can develop in-house for $. 2/ Partner with a third-party provider like Elevatix. If you want option 2: Click ‘Book an appointment’ at the top of this post to see if I can help.

What a wonderful and insightful start to the first-ever Saudi-Swiss Fintech Forum in Riyadh! Fintech is a sector in which we at Hyphen have taken a great interest, and we believe plenty of opportunities are waiting to be capitalized upon. I was privileged to lead the investor panel, which was an exciting experience, and I am glad to have been able to share insights that I have picked up from my work with those operating in this sector. Thank you once again to Emad Kashgari, Waleed A. Alballaa, Chris Rynning and Andreas Iten Our discussion made it clear that there is a strong interest and need to increase collaboration between Swiss and KSA entities on knowledge and talent transfer. I am looking forward to seeing the next steps and journey from here...

وقَّعت #توال اليوم ضمن مؤتمر Connected World KSA اتفاقية مع Atheer CT وبحضور وكيل وزارة الاتصالات والبنية التحتية م. بسام البسام وزارة الاتصالات وتقنية المعلومات،Ministry of Communications and Information Technology، بهدف تطوير شبكات الاتصال من خلال دمج تقنيات الاتصال عالية الأداء والموثوقية.

نظراً لكون المملكة العربية السعودية هي الوجهة الرائدة لاستثمارات رأس المال الجريء في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا، فإن الشركات الناشئة والمنشآت الصغيرة والمتوسطة السعودية، تحصل على التمويل اللازم للابتكار، عبر مجموعة متنوعة من القطاعات الرئيسية. ويستعرض الشريك العام في Sukna Ventures كيف تُرسِّخ الشركة مكانتها في مستقبل المملكة عبر الاستثمارات المستهدَفة في مجال التحول الرقمي وغيره، وذلك ضمن تقرير #بيبان24 للاطلاع على التقرير: https://lnkd.in/ee4DXe39

As the leading destination for venture capital (VC) investment in #MENA, #Saudi-based startups and #SMEs are getting the funding they need to innovate across a variety of key sectors. Read the #Biban24 report to learn how local VC firms like Sukna Ventures are staking their claim in the Kingdom’s future through targeted investments in digital transformation, among other things. To view the report: https://lnkd.in/ehSZjKDr