Apply now to be in the top 50 selected companies to present at the Arabian Tech Tour 2015: Deadline June 30, 2015

Tech Tour and the International Venture Club have put out an open call to innovative tech companies in the Middle East and international companies ready for expansion in the Middle East. Companies seeking investment for expansion are encouraged to apply to present to top VCs, Corporates and Business Angels at the 2015 Arabian Tech Tour, to be held in Jeddah and Riyadh, November 1-3, 2015. The event will showcase the top selected 25 emerging companies from the region and top 25 growth companies from Europe, in the ICT, cleantech and life sciences sectors. The Tech Tour has been responsible for many successful investor-matching events in Europe and emerging geographies around the world, this however will be the first event organized in the Middle East.

Innovation and technology development are integral to Saudi Arabia’s long-term vision as set out in the National Science, Technology and Innovation Plan (NSTIP). The chief goal of the plan is to create a knowledge-based economy. Saudi Arabia has already put many initiatives and support systems in motion to develop the country’s human resource capacities, to set up research and innovation facilities in universities as well as fund innovation and enhance the legal framework to support IP creation. One of the key sectors for Saudi Arabia is cleantech, with plans to invest $140 billion over 20 years in solar, nuclear, and other renewable energy resources.

“Fostering an agile and vibrant climate for innovation and leveraging the globalization of knowledge by promoting collaborations is integral to our mission as a university. We are very pleased to host the inaugural Arabian Tech Tour and help introduce international venture investors to Saudi Arabia’s best entrepreneurial talent,” said Nicola Bettio, Head of Innovation Fund, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

Company Registration – why should you register?

• No charge to apply, to attend the event, and to present – selection is based on merit only
• Exposure to expert selection committee, who will select companies according to their potential market impact
• Opportunity to present to and network with a group of 80+ International investors

Registration

Applicants can register for the Summit at http://www.techtour.com/arabian/applications

As part of the process applicants will submit a corporate presentation together with the registration form. The deadline for applications is June 30.

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be assessed on the uniqueness of their technology, the strength of their business model, vision, and capability to execute on the business plan and the quality and track record of their management. Submissions will be reviewed by the selection committee, which are comprised of senior business leaders from various backgrounds including venture capital, technology, research and economic promotion.

Rewards for Finalists

The 50 selected finalists will each have an opportunity to present their business plans to senior investors from global venture capital and private equity funds, and executives from corporations, as well as academics. In addition, they will benefit from networking opportunities, local and international media exposure and potential opportunities to secure funding.

About The Tech Tour

The Tech Tour was founded in Geneva in 1998 in response to the growing interest in emerging technology companies in various European regions. The Tech Tour brings together investors and high-tech entrepreneurs through its highly successful events - Regional Tech Tours that cover multiple cities in a particular European region and Tech Summits that focus on a particular industry vertical. The Tech Tour focuses on selecting the highest quality companies for its events and as a result selected companies have been very successful in obtaining funding. The Tech Tour over the years has built a very strong and inter-connected community of Entrepreneurs, Investors, Government influencers, Industry experts and Advisers. This community comes together regularly to network, collaborate and to invest their time and money in furthering the high-tech innovation ecosystem in Europe. www.techtour.com/arabian