Launch follows announcement of the commercial partnership in October 2024
Manama, Bahrain,February 2025 – Investcorp, a leading global alternative investment firm, has launched its commercial partnership with Awaed, the first commission-free Saudi trading platform.
As of today, investors on Awaed will be able to gain access to pre-IPO Saudi and GCC companies by investing in Investcorp Saudi Pre-IPO Growth Fund (the “Fund”) on the Awaed platform.
The launch was announced at LEAP 2025 last week with a signing ceremony attended by Mashaal AlJomaih, Managing Director and CEO of Investcorp Saudi Arabia Financial Investments Company (“ISAFIC”), and Adel Alateeq, Chief Executive Officer of Awaed.
Investcorp is one of the first global asset managers to set up a strategic fintech commercial partnership of this kind in the Middle East, democratizing the alternative investments space. Awaed is a leading digital investment platform in Saudi Arabia and is the first fintech in Saudi Arabia to receive a full license from the Saudi Capital Markets Authority.
This pioneering initiative will increase the avenues of investment for investors, providing access to the Fund. The Fund is dedicated to investing in a diversified portfolio of companies at a “pre-IPO” stage of development in Saudi Arabia, providing investors with an opportunity to gain exposure to growing and market-leading businesses in the Kingdom. It forms part of the “Investcorp Golden Horizon” platform, which was announced in April 2024 with an anchor commitment from the China Investment Corporation, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds.
Data from Riyad Bank reveals that the Saudi private sector started 2025 with its best performance in ten years. The Saudi Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), which measures the performance of companies in the non-oil private sector, reached 60.5 in January, the highest recorded figure since September 2014[1], with companies observing higher sales volumes due to positive economic conditions and the acceleration of infrastructure projects.
The Fund has already made investments in three market leading companies:
- Trukker: MENA’s leading cloud-based freight platform, with operations across several countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and across Europe.
- NourNet: a leading independent provider of IT solutions in Saudi Arabia, offering connectivity and information and communications technology services to a wide range of clients in Saudi Arabia.
- Salla: a leading SaaS e-commerce enablement platform in Saudi Arabia.
Mashaal AlJomaih, CEO of ISAFIC commented: “With this partnership, investors now have an additional gateway to investment opportunities and can access the returns potential associated with private markets. Our commercial partnership with Awaed will actively contribute towards the thriving economy of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by improving accessibility to investment products for investors, with the aim of building the personal wealth of the population.”
Adel Alateeq, Chief Executive Officer, Awaed, commented: “At Awaed, we believe in the importance of empowering retail investors through a smart and innovative platform that provides access to top-tier investment opportunities. Through this partnership with Investcorp, we have taken a step forward toward realizing our vision by enabling investors in the Kingdom to invest in Investcorp Saudi Pre-IPO Growth Fund, which focuses on companies with significant growth potential such as Salla, NourNet, and Trukker, among others across various sectors. This agreement strengthens investors’ ability to diversify their portfolios and gain exposure to thriving economic sectors that contribute to sustainable growth.”
Nahar Houthan, Managing Director, Deputy CEO of ISAFIC, commented: “By partnering with Awaed, we offer access to companies with growth potential in attractive sectors, including consumer, healthcare, logistics and business services, all delivered with convenience and transparency. As the asset management sector continues to digitalize, offering these new solutions enhances the client experience and keeps investors front-of-mind.”
About Investcorp:
Investcorp is a global investment manager specializing in alternative investments across four asset classes: Private Equity (Mid-Market Buyouts, Growth Investments, and GP Staking), Real Assets (Infrastructure and Real Estate), Credit (CLOs, Broadly Syndicated Loans & Structured Credit, and Middle-Market Direct Lending), and Liquid Strategies (Absolute Return Investments and Insurance Asset Management).
Since our inception in 1982, we have focused on generating attractive returns for our clients and seeking to create long-term value in our portfolio companies by adopting a disciplined investment process, employing talented professionals, and utilizing the resources of a global institution with an innovative approach.
We invest capital in our products and strategies, aligning interests with our clients and other stakeholders. We pursue sustainable value creation through our investments and in the communities in which we operate and take pride in partnering with clients to deliver tailored solutions for their needs.
Today, Investcorp manages approximately $53 billion in assets, including assets managed by third party managers. Investcorp has 14 offices in the US, Europe, GCC and Asia, including, India, China, Japan and Singapore and employs approximately 500 people from 50 nationalities globally.
