Saudi Arabia-based AI infrastructure startup Think has raised more than USD 8 million in a pre-seed funding round. The funding underscores growing investor appetite for startups building the infrastructure that powers AI. Furthermore, it comes as Saudi Arabia expands its ambitions to become a regional AI hub.

The round was co-led by RAED Ventures and Wa’ed Ventures. It also saw participation from Dhahran Techno Valley’s venture capital arm and a group of angel investors.

Why You Should Care

As governments and businesses invest heavily in artificial intelligence, attention is shifting from AI models to the infrastructure required to run them efficiently. Think’s latest funding reflects growing investor interest in startups building the hardware and software needed to lower AI deployment costs while supporting data sovereignty and local AI ecosystems.

The Details

Founded by Ahmed AlSharif and Ammar Enaya, Think is an AI infrastructure and deeptech startup. It aims to reduce the cost and complexity of AI infrastructure while improving efficiency

Moreover, its approach to AI infrastructure combines intelligent software with high-performance hardware. With this, it aims to tackle technical bottlenecks in AI deployments today, including cooling, power efficiency, and GPU utilisation.

“Our customers want the benefits of AI without the spiralling costs, security concerns, and dependence associated with hyperscale cloud providers,” said Ammar Enaya, co-founder of Think. 

Looking ahead with the funding, it aims to support team expansion, manufacturing scale-up, product development, and international growth initiatives. It also seeks to accelerate deployments across Saudi Arabia and expand its presence across the GCC and selected global markets. Additionally, it plans to accelerate the development of ILM as a standalone software platform. 

The Ripple

Think’s funding reflects a broader shift in where AI investment is flowing. While much attention has focused on companies developing AI models and applications, investors are also backing businesses building the infrastructure needed to support those technologies.

The round also highlights Saudi Arabia’s continued push to strengthen its AI ecosystem. Alongside investments in AI talent, cloud infrastructure, and sovereign computing, startups developing the underlying technologies for AI deployment are attracting greater investor interest.

What to Watch

With fresh capital in place, Think’s next milestone will be scaling commercial deployments and expanding beyond Saudi Arabia. Its ability to expand across Saudi Arabia and the GCC will provide a clearer indication of demand for locally developed AI infrastructure.

AI infrastructure is emerging as a fast-growing investment category. The next phase for companies like Think will be proving that enterprise customers are willing to invest in alternatives to traditional cloud-based AI deployments.

Future funding and customer adoption will indicate whether this segment develops into one of the region’s next major startup categories.