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.
If you are an African graduate, professional and entrepreneur trying to get into venture capital, here are five African VC fellowships you should consider joining.
Lagos-based early-stage investment platform Microtraction has launched a bid to source more deals and identify “high-trajectory” founders.
It started as First Round Capital’s experiment. After all, founder Josh Kopelman had started his first company, Infonautics, while he was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. Partner Hayley Barna had started Birchbox while still at Harvard Business School.
Because many of the world's most successful tech companies were conceived by college students, recent graduates or dropouts, VCs and their limited partners have long tried to find a way to tap into that youthful creativity as early as possible.
The article confirms that Spain has a number of scouts working for top Silicon Valley and European funds (Sequoia, Accel, EQT, Index, etc.), though many keep a low profile
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.
A feature on Monk’s Hill Ventures’ new Scouts Program in Southeast Asia.
Sequoia Capital has funneled millions of dollars to scores of well-connected entrepreneurs and academics, who invest and look for ideas.
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!
