• Exel by Merak awarded USD 5.1M to 17 startups during Demo Day, concluding its 13-week second gaming accelerator cohort.
• The Riyadh-based program provided product guidance, publishing readiness, commercial support, and access to 18 global gaming industry mentors and experts.
• Backed by Merak Gaming Fund, the initiative aims to scale local studios and strengthen Saudi Arabia’s game development ecosystem and innovation capacity.

Exel by Merak

Exel by Merak, a subsidiary of Merak Capital, has awarded 17 startups collectively an investment of USD 5.1 million. This is part of its Demo Day for its second gaming accelerator cohort, marking the completion of a 13-week program. The investment came from the Merak Gaming fund through the Exel Gaming Accelerator.

“Exel’s objective is to support innovation in the Kingdom by enabling entrepreneurs and contributing to the development of supportive environments for innovation. Our work focuses on identifying opportunities within promising sectors and supporting their growth. We began by focusing on the gaming sector, supporting founders and studios as they build and scale game development capabilities within Saudi Arabia,”said Faisal Sedrani CEO of Exel by Merak. 

Accelerator 

Hosted in Riyadh, Demo Day brought together founders, investors, and industry stakeholders, with participating studios presenting their companies and showcasing the games developed during the cohort.

Cohort 2 was given support, led by an in-house team of globally experienced specialists for the full duration of the program. The experts supported product decision-making, strengthened publishing readiness, and advanced commercial execution.

The program also engaged 18 globally experienced mentors who worked end-to-end with participating studios. In parallel, the cohort benefited from input from senior practitioners across the global gaming industry.