A clear path for operators and students who want to enter Gulf venture capital through fellowships or scout pools – what the programs involve, how to qualify, and the best articles to read first.
You may be a product manager in Riyadh, a climate expert in Abu Dhabi, or a computer‑science student in Muscat. Whatever your starting point, the goal is the same: you want to move from scrolling funding news to helping write the first check. The timing is right. Saudi Arabia attracted 56 percent of all MENA venture capital in the first half of 2025, banking $860 million across 114 deals according to MAGNiTT’s newest report Startup Scene . Much of that money landed at seed. Funds now lean on two talent pipes to reach founders even earlier.
Scout tracks give selected operators a pool of capital – usually US $50 000 to 100 000 – to deploy in sub‑US $25 000 tickets. Personal cash is optional and scouts keep ten to twenty percent of any upside. Fellowships invest in your time instead. Over eight weeks to a full year you attend live workshops on term‑sheet math, shadow diligence calls, and graduate with either a mock or real portfolio.
Consider four flagship options:
Investor‑education bootcamps also feed the pipeline. Sanabil VC Unlocked by 500 Global condenses a playbook for fund managers into four days and has become a fast credential for aspiring principals across the Gulf 500 Global.
Application funnels tend to involve a culture chat, a written memo, and a partner interview or mock investment committee. Acceptance rates hover near three percent, so polish your materials early.
Expect Monday evening term‑sheet classes, mid‑week deal debates, and Friday office hours with a general partner or alum. Scout tracks often require one qualified lead per month. Fellowship tracks culminate in a simulated investment committee where you defend the deal and map follow‑on reserves. Plan on ten focused hours weekly.
Ask three questions:
If the answers line up, draft a 100‑word bio that lists concrete wins, write a one‑page sector thesis with one proprietary data point – maybe why desert‑grown proteins can reach price parity by 2028 – build a simple cap‑table model in Google Sheets, and line up two founders who will vouch for you. Treat the application itself as your first investment memo.
Ten years ago, Sequoia Capital began quietly encouraging founders of its portfolio companies to consider which of their founder friends they might like to get behind financially.
Dorm Room Fund, a venture capital operation that launched to invest in student-led startups, has raised a new $10.4 million fund, per SEC filings. The filing marks Dorm Room Fund’s largest fund to date, and its first that appears to include investors beyond First Round Capital, the firm that first launched the student-focused operation in 2012.
Accel, the US venture capital (VC) giant, has launched a startup scouting program in Europe, building on the legacy of its US project. Scouts in the “Starters” program are allocated $200К each to find, invest in, and nurture European startups with growth potential.
Ada has ~100 “Ada Scouts” and 20 “Ada Angels,” each able to invest up to £50K in underrepresented entrepreneurs – resulting in 30% of Ada’s investments coming via scouts.
Lagos-based early-stage investment platform Microtraction has launched a bid to source more deals and identify “high-trajectory” founders.
Sifted found nine such programmes founded in Europe. They range from a few days to a few weeks, from free to thousands of euros.
Founders are extraordinarily busy, even for their own investors. A decade ago, they might have had relationships with a handful of VC partners as they scaled their businesses and raised additional rounds of capital.
Join the Superscout community!
🌍 Meet other scouts globally.
👀 Get first dibs on new scout programs and VC openings.
✨ Get feedback and investor recommendations for your deal memos.
✌️ Learn and grow together as a community!
