Saudi Arabia Unveils 10 Startups Decided on for DISAI 2026 AI Innovation Program – TechAfrica Information
All through this system, members will obtain professional mentorship from Qualcomm and Aramco, get entry to technical platforms and gear, have the benefit of entrepreneurship training, IP, patenting coaching, and interact with prospective traders and trade companions.
Qualcomm (via its subsidiary Qualcomm Applied sciences Global, Ltd.), Aramco (via aramcoSAIL – Saudi Sped up Innovation Lab), Saudi Arabia’s Analysis, Construction and Innovation Authority, and HUMAIN introduced the startups decided on for the 2026 version of the Design in Saudi Arabia with AI program (DISAI 2026).
DISAI was once first introduced throughout LEAP 2025; to help deep-tech startups development AI-enabled answers within the Kingdom. Development at the 2025 inaugural cohort, the 2026 program attracted greater than 124 programs from throughout Saudi Arabia, reflecting rising momentum in AI, the Web of Issues (IoT) and complex wi-fi inventions around the nationwide startup ecosystem.
DISAI 2026 is designed to help high-potential startups from thought via commercialization, with hands-on steerage throughout product design, construction and highbrow belongings (IP) technique. This yr, this system expands its technical choices, enabling startups to expand and prototype on a longer set of platforms — together with Arduino® UNO™ Q and the lately introduced Arduino VENTUNO™ JQ in addition to Qualcomm AI accelerators akin to AIC200 and business AI gateway platforms.
Collaborating startups will have the benefit of Qualcomm Applied sciences’ technical and highbrow belongings (IP) mentorship, aramcoSAIL’s business experience, and Saudi Arabia’s Analysis, Construction and Innovation Authority’s strategic steerage — supporting product readiness, commercialization pathways, and ecosystem construction throughout Saudi Arabia’s abruptly evolving era panorama. Participation within the DISAI 2026 program is matter to of completion of same old program necessities, together with native registration, as a part of the chosen startups’ engagement.
Moreover, DISAI 2026 version has prolonged to incorporate collaboration with the Kingdom’s nationwide AI champion, HUMAIN, to increase get entry to to AI infrastructure and construction sources. This will come with inference cloud credit, webhosting better fashions on HUMAIN infrastructure, get entry to to AI‑enabled PCs with on‑software acceleration and related technical help.
The 10 decided on startups are:
Circula, a Saudi startup, gives an AI-powered circular-economy platform automating business waste restoration and compliance.
Crosscall, a French startup, supplies Rugged AIoT trackers for 450 MHz business and worker-safety networks.
Deqa AI, a Saudi startup, gives an AI-powered undertaking automation and decision-support platform for operational potency.
Dexabot, a Canadian startup, focuses on business safety and surveillance the usage of drones and drone fleets.
Virtual Petroleum, a Saudi startup, created a unmarried edge-AI business sensor to exchange a couple of legacy sensors and simplify Business 4.0 digitization.
Digital Photonics, a Saudi startup, gives a LiDAR-based edge-AI site visitors virtual dual for good intersections and mobility analytics.
Finix Programs, a Saudi startup, supplies a Modular business IoT edge controller to retrofit legacy apparatus for good tracking.
Nommas.ai, a Saudi startup, gives an AI “factory brain” enabling high quality inspection, predictive upkeep and security on the edge.
SDM, a Saudi startup, gives a Multi-disease AI diagnostic platform the usage of scientific imaging for early detection.
Tawkeed, a Saudi startup, gives an On-prem, Arabic-first AI record intelligence platform compliant with Saudi data-sovereignty laws.
“Having successfully graduated the first cohort of Design in Saudi with AI (DISAI) startups, in collaboration with Qualcomm and Saudi Arabia’s Research, Development and Innovation Authority in 2025, Aramco is proud to continue collaborating with Qualcomm, Saudi Arabia’s Research, Development and Innovation Authority, and now HUMAIN for the second installment of this flagship program. DISAI has not only allowed us to support and engage unique and technically advanced startups, but also inspired us to scale to a larger corporate program for open innovation, inviting global startups and innovation players to engage on Aramco’s industrial challenges and solve them with industrial AI technologies. The next installment of the DISAI program will attract entrepreneurs from the region and globally to strengthen the ecosystem, focusing on industrial AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced communications.”
– Ahmad O. Al-Khowaiter, Government Vice President Generation & Innovation, Aramco
“DISAI reflects the strength of Saudi talent and the impact of strategic partnerships in advancing innovation, particularly in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence. The program demonstrates the Kingdom’s growing leadership in enabling AI-driven solutions that address real-world challenges across priority sectors, from industry and energy to healthcare and sustainability. It also highlights the importance of building end-to-end capabilities from ideation and design to prototyping and commercialization within a supportive and collaborative ecosystem. At Saudi Arabia’s Research, Development and Innovation Authority, we remain committed to empowering startups to scale advanced technologies into high-impact, globally competitive solutions, while strengthening national capabilities, fostering knowledge transfer, and accelerating the development of a sustainable, innovation-driven economy aligned with Vision 2030.”
– Dr. Yazeed Alaskar, Performing Vice Governor of Innovation Ecosystem Construction Sector at Saudi Arabia’s Analysis, Construction and Innovation Authority
“With Aramco, Qualcomm, and Saudi Arabia’s Research, Development and Innovation Authority as key strategic partners, this program reflects the strength of collaboration across the innovation ecosystem. By empowering startups to design and deploy advanced, locally relevant AI solutions, DISAI is helping build a resilient and globally competitive technology landscape. Fostering deep partnerships between global technology leaders and emerging entrepreneurs is essential to unlocking the region’s full potential in AI and deep tech.”
– Dr. Yaser Al-Onaizan, Deputy CEO & President of AI Merchandise, HUMAIN
“Saudi Arabia is building one of the world’s most ambitious deep‑tech ecosystems, and we are proud to support this momentum through the second year of the DISAI program. As the Kingdom advances its Vision 2030 objectives — and marks 2026 as the Year of AI — initiatives like DISAI play a critical role in translating national ambition into real‑world innovation. In collaboration with Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s Research, Development and Innovation Authority, and HUMAIN, we are supporting innovators as they move from breakthrough ideas to deployment by combining world‑class engineering, edge and data center AI platforms and a clear path to commercialization.”
– Wassim Chourbaji President, Center East and Africa, and Senior Vice President, Govt Affairs, Europe, Center East and Africa, Qualcomm
“We warmly welcome ten Saudi startups to the DISAI 2026 program. The edge-AI solutions emerging from this cohort — privacy‑aware, real-time, and increasingly multimodal, — signal a new level of technical maturity and the potential to reimagine workflows across sectors. IP remains fundamental to long-term value creation, and we are pleased to see strong momentum in this area, supported by Arabic‑language IP training through L2prosaudiarabia.com.”
– Sudeepto Roy, Vice President, Engineering, Qualcomm Integrated
The DISAI program runs from April via November 2026, culminating in a finale match the place startups will show off product prototypes and services and products. All through this system, members will obtain professional mentorship from Qualcomm and Aramco, get entry to technical platforms and gear, have the benefit of entrepreneurship training, IP, patenting coaching, and interact with prospective traders and trade companions.
Along side DISAI, Qualcomm has introduced a unfastened on-line studying program hosted at L2prosaudiarabia.com, designed to equip startups, SMEs, and researchers with talents to give protection to, commercialize, and scale their highbrow belongings. By means of strengthening IP literacy and sensible expertise, this system targets to unencumber financial worth and help a extra powerful nationwide innovation ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.
