LEAP 2026 ends with $1 million startup prizes and $15 billion in deals

LEAP 2026 closed in Riyadh after four days of tech announcements, startup pitches and new partnerships, capped by $1 million in Rocket Fuel prizes. The event drew more than 1,300 speakers, 1,300 investors and over 1,500 exhibitors as Saudi Arabia pushed to deepen its role in the global technology ecosystem.

Why it matters: - LEAP has become a major landing point for global tech capital, founders and policymakers in Saudi Arabia. - The event's scale and the $15 billion announced on Day One underscore Riyadh's push to position itself as a regional hub for technology investment and startup growth. - The startup competition and new memorandums of understanding show how LEAP is being used to connect innovation, capital and national strategy.

What happened: - LEAP 2026 concluded in Riyadh after four days of technology announcements, investment, partnerships and startup activity. - The closing day awarded $1 million across seven Rocket Fuel prizes. - The event featured 1,323 speakers and 1,397 investors from 1,027 firms across 72 countries. - Those investors represented $18.3 trillion in assets under management. - More than 1,500 exhibitors took part, including over 750 global companies. - A total of 1,294 companies participated across the exhibition and startup programme. - Day One opened with more than $15 billion in technology investments and strategic partnerships announced. - Additional commitments followed across digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, startup funding and emerging technology.

The details: - The Rocket Fuel Finale put 10 startups on the Main Stage after they advanced from 100 semi-finalists. - The semi-finalists came from more than 25 countries and represented over 40 nationalities. - Finalists were judged on seven criteria, including innovation, scalability, traction, societal impact and the strength of the founding team. - The judging panel included Armineh Baghoomian of Partners for Growth, Talal Alasmari of Ra'ed Ventures, JF Gauthier of Startup Genome and Robin Schneider of HUMAIN. - The LEAP Award, the $250,000 grand prize, went to Waspito, a Cameroon-headquartered AI-powered software company focused on healthcare access through teleconsultations and digital systems. - Imagine Devices won the $150,000 Shooting Star Award. - Ferveret won the $150,000 Scaling Star Award. - SarsatX won the $150,000 Into New Worlds Award. - Melt Water won the $150,000 Tech for Humanity Award. - Carevision won the $100,000 LEAP Landing Award. - Kanz won the $50,000 Founder Award, selected with the LEAP audience. - The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Nourah Cloud and SeeCubic AIMAGINEX KSA signed a memorandum of understanding to establish AIMAGINEX. - AIMAGINEX is planned as a global nexus for AI-powered applied immersive media technologies. - The hub and AI centre of excellence is valued at $104 million. - The initiative is meant to bring together government, academia and industry to accelerate development, commercialization and adoption of applied AI and immersive digital media. - The initiative supports Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom's position as a global centre for digital innovation. - LEAP received 653 applications for its 2027 startup programme.

Between the lines: - The event is no longer just a showcase for product launches; it is also functioning as a deal-making platform tied to Saudi Arabia's broader economic agenda. - The focus on founders, capital access and cross-border scaling suggests LEAP is trying to convert conference attention into long-term business activity in Riyadh. - The AIMAGINEX agreement signals that the public sector, universities and industry are being brought into the same innovation pipeline.

What's next: - Organizers are already preparing for LEAP's sixth edition. - Tahaluf leadership said the next event will aim for deeper international reach and more opportunities for companies and founders to access capital and new markets. - The 653 startup applications for 2027 suggest strong early demand for the next program cycle. - More companies and founders are expected to look at Riyadh as a place to build and scale, not just present products.

The bottom line: - LEAP 2026 ended as a larger-than-ever proof point for Riyadh's ambitions to become a global technology meeting place, funding hub and startup gateway. - More information