Governata, a Saudi-based enterprise data management and governance startup, has raised $4 million in seed funding as organisations across the Kingdom accelerate preparations for AI adoption under tightening data regulation.
The round included participation from Joa Capital, abtal.vc, Sanabil Accelerator by 500 Global, Sadu Capital, Plus VC, Hyperscope Ventures, A-Typical Ventures, and Plug and Play, alongside a group of angel investors.
Founded in Riyadh in 2025, Governata builds AI-powered software designed to help public and private sector organisations manage, govern, and prepare data for AI-driven decision-making. The platform is positioned as the Kingdom’s first Saudi-made, Arabic-first enterprise data governance solution, built to align with regulatory requirements set by the Saudi Data & AI Authority, including the National Data Management Office (NDMO), National Data Index (NDI), and Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).
Governata was co-founded by Djamel Mohand, former COO of Foodics, alongside data governance specialists Jehad Senan and Khalid Almudayfir. Mohand previously helped scale Foodics into one of MENA’s largest restaurant management platforms, serving more than 30,000 restaurants across 25 countries, before stepping down in early 2025 to launch Governata.
Governata’s platform focuses on data classification, quality management, access controls, and regulatory compliance, positioning data governance as a prerequisite for effective AI adoption rather than a backend compliance exercise. The company is targeting organisations operating in high-accountability environments, where alignment with local data regulation is mandatory.
The new funding will be used to expand Governata’s customer base across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East, while accelerating product development. The company plans to integrate additional machine learning and generative AI capabilities into its platform, enabling faster enterprise decision-making while maintaining full data localisation and regulatory compliance.
Since beginning commercial activity in mid-2025, Governata says it has signed agreements with multiple government entities and large private-sector organisations in the Kingdom, and is building partnerships with technology providers and system integrators as demand for AI-ready data infrastructure grows.
