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Saudi Venture Capital (SVC), the government-backed fund of funds that has been the single most significant institutional catalyst in Saudi Arabia's venture ecosystem since its establishment in 2018, has appointed Nora Alsarhan as CEO effective 1 July, succeeding Dr Nabeel Koshak who has led the organisation since its founding. Koshak will remain on the board.
Alsarhan joined SVC in June 2019 as investment director and has since risen through CIO and deputy CEO roles, overseeing the firm's investment strategy, governance and portfolio performance. Before SVC, she spent two and a half years at Monsha'at (the Saudi SME authority) as equity funding director and manager, and four years at EY in transaction advisory services in Riyadh. She is a Kauffman Fellow and holds board positions at Bupa Arabia's investment committee and the Saudi Pro League's nomination and remuneration committee.
Under Koshak, SVC has invested in more than 65 funds spanning venture capital, private equity, venture debt and private credit, which in turn backed more than 1,000 startups and SMEs. Venture capital deployment in the Kingdom grew approximately 26 times between 2018 and 2025, with Saudi Arabia topping MAGNiTT's regional rankings for the third consecutive year in 2025 at $1.7 billion across 257 transactions.
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