News & Insights

We are pleased to share that Inc. Arabia has featured Growth Catalyst Investment Management following the recent announcement of Jada Fund of Funds' commitment to Growth Catalyst Fund I.

The article highlights the growing importance of growth equity in Saudi Arabia and the role it plays in helping established, founder-led businesses scale, strengthen governance, and prepare for their next stage of growth.

At Growth Catalyst, our mission is to bridge the financing gap for high-potential Saudi companies by partnering with exceptional management teams and creating long-term value through active ownership and operational excellence.

As Saudi Arabia's private capital ecosystem continues to mature, we remain committed to supporting businesses that will contribute to the Kingdom's economic diversification and Vision 2030 ambitions.

Jada Fund of Funds has committed to Growth Catalyst Fund I, a Saudi private equity fund targeting SR750 million ($200 million) to invest in mid-market companies across the Kingdom.

Jada, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, is acting as an early institutional backer of the fund at its first close.

The announcement, which did not disclose the size of Jada's commitment, comes as government-backed investors continue to support the expansion of Saudi Arabia's private capital market through commitments to new investment vehicles.

In recent months, Jada Fund of Funds backed Stride Ventures Debt Fund V to broaden private debt financing, while the SIDF Investment Co. invested in Khwarizmi Ventures Fund II to support technology startups, underscoring a wider effort to develop a full spectrum of funding options for Saudi businesses.

Growth Catalyst Fund I is a sector-agnostic vehicle licensed by the Capital Market Authority. It will invest in established and late-stage Saudi companies with proven business models and growth potential.

The fund seeks to help portfolio companies accelerate growth, strengthen governance and improve operational capabilities, preparing them for potential exits through strategic transactions or capital markets.

Bandr Alhomaly, CEO and managing director of Jada, stated that "growth equity occupies a vital space in any mature private capital ecosystem" and expressed confidence in growth equity opportunities within Saudi Arabia.

The announcement follows an investment in the same fund in April by Saudi Venture Capital, a subsidiary of the SME Bank, which is part of the National Development Fund.

The value of SVC's investment was not disclosed.

SVC reported in March that its cumulative commitments had reached $1.2 billion across 65 funds, helping attract $5.9 billion from investment partners.

Jada said the recent commitment supports its efforts to back emerging fund managers, develop regional investment talent and strengthen Saudi Arabia's private capital market.

The fund's focus on high-growth Saudi small and medium-sized enterprises aligns with the Kingdom's economic diversification objectives under Vision 2030, according to the statement.

Turki Al-Dayel, founder and CEO of Growth Catalyst, expressed pleasure at welcoming Jada as an anchor investor, noting the support reflects confidence in their strategy and the opportunity within Saudi Arabia's mid-market segment.

Jada was established to support Saudi Arabia's private capital ecosystem through commitments to venture capital, private equity and private debt strategies.

The statement said expanding growth-equity options was an important step toward supporting a full range of financing solutions for enterprises at every stage of maturity as Saudi Arabia deepens its capital markets and attracts increasing levels of foreign and domestic institutional investment.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Jada Fund of Funds, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, established to develop Saudi Arabia's private capital ecosystem across venture capital, private equity, and private debt, has announced its strategic commitment to Growth Catalyst Fund I, a Saudi-based private equity fund licensed by the Capital Market Authority with a targeted fund size of SAR 750 million (USD 200 million), focused on scaling high-potential mid-market companies across the Kingdom.

The commitment reinforces Jada's continued catalytic role in the private equity ecosystem, with Jada acting as an early institutional backer of Growth Catalyst Fund I in its first close.

Growth Catalyst Fund is a sector-agnostic private equity vehicle that seeks to support portfolio companies in accelerating growth, strengthening governance frameworks, and enhancing operational capabilities, positioning them for long-term value creation and potential exits through strategic transactions or capital markets.

"Growth equity occupies a vital space in any mature private capital ecosystem, supporting companies that have proven their model and are ready to scale. Our commitment to Growth Catalyst Fund I reflects our confidence in the growth equity opportunities within Saudi Arabia and our deliberate focus on developing the next generation of fund managers who will help shape the Kingdom's investment landscape," said Bandr Alhomaly, CEO and Managing Director of Jada.

Jada's commitment to Growth Catalyst Fund I reflects its ongoing support for emerging fund managers, reinforcing its role in strengthening the private capital ecosystem and developing regional investment talent. Growth Catalyst's focus on accelerating high-growth Saudi SMEs aligns with the Kingdom's economic diversification ambitions under Vision 2030.

"We are pleased to welcome Jada Fund of Funds as an anchor investor in Growth Catalyst Fund I. Their support reflects strong confidence in our strategy and in the opportunity within Saudi Arabia's mid-market segment. We look forward to partnering with founders and management teams to help scale high-potential Saudi businesses and contribute to the continued development of the Kingdom's private sector in line with Vision 2030," said Turki Aldayel, Founder and CEO of Growth Catalyst.

As Saudi Arabia continues to deepen its capital markets and attract increasing levels of foreign and domestic institutional investment, expanding growth equity options is an important step toward supporting a full spectrum of financing solutions for enterprises at every stage of maturity.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Growth Catalyst Fund, a Saudi private equity fund specializing in mid-market companies, has announced the completion of its first close with total capital commitments of SAR 360 million, within a target fund size of SAR 750 million.

The first close drew support from leading government entities, investment institutions, and endowments, alongside a group of institutional investors, family offices, and individual investors — reflecting strong confidence in the fund's strategy and the growth opportunities it targets.

Turki Al Dayel, Founder and CEO of Growth Catalyst Investment Company and Fund Manager, said: "The first close marks an important milestone in the fund's journey and reflects the confidence our investment strategy has earned from investors and partners. We look forward to deploying capital into promising opportunities that support the growth of Saudi mid-sized companies, strengthen their ability to scale, and create sustainable value."

The fund targets profitable, founder-led Saudi companies that have reached pivotal stages of growth and transformation, supporting them in strengthening governance, building institutional capabilities, and accelerating growth and expansion — enhancing their readiness for an initial public offering, strategic exit, or institutional ownership transition.

The fund's strategy aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 by supporting private-sector growth, deepening capital markets, and increasing the contribution of small and mid-sized enterprises to the national economy. It pursues a diversified approach across vital sectors including industrials, technology, healthcare, consumer, and business services.

Growth Catalyst Fund is managed by Growth Catalyst Investment Company, a licensed Saudi investment firm regulated and supervised by the Capital Market Authority, led by a Saudi team with deep expertise and extensive networks across private capital markets regionally and globally.

Growth Catalyst Investment Company has announced that Saudi Venture Capital (SVC) has committed as a cornerstone investor in the Growth Catalyst Fund — the firm's flagship Saudi-focused private equity vehicle, targeting growth-stage businesses across the Kingdom and the broader GCC.

The fund is positioned to support founder-led Saudi enterprises at a critical stage of expansion, with sector focus across healthcare, education, renewable energy, food and beverage, and industrials — areas central to the Kingdom's Vision 2030 transformation agenda.

Turki Al-Dayel, Founder and CEO of Growth Catalyst Investment Company, said: "Mid-sized companies represent a key driver of the Saudi economy, particularly during the transition toward institutional maturity. The fund is specifically designed to support these companies through long-term capital and an active investment approach focused on value creation."

The latest MAGNiTT MENA Venture Capital: H1 2026 Review provides valuable insight into the evolving private capital landscape across our region.

While the headlines point to US$1.35 billion raised across 214 transactions, the underlying story is one of increasing discipline. Capital is becoming more selective, concentrated behind higher-conviction opportunities, and increasingly supported by regional investors.

These trends matter well beyond venture capital.

At Growth Catalyst Investment Management, we believe a stronger and more disciplined venture ecosystem creates a healthier pipeline of businesses that can successfully transition into growth equity and private equity. Companies with proven business models, strong governance, scalable operations, and sustainable profitability are precisely the businesses that will shape the next phase of the region's economic transformation.

As Saudi Arabia and the broader GCC continue to deepen their institutional capital base, we remain optimistic about the long-term opportunity for growth equity investors partnering with exceptional management teams to scale market-leading businesses.

Congratulations to the MAGNiTT team for another insightful contribution to the regional private capital ecosystem.

Growth Catalyst Investment Management Company is pleased to have contributed to the H1 2026 Saudi Arabia Private Capital Report, published by PitchBook in collaboration with Saudi Venture Capital (SVC).

The report brings together perspectives from leading participants across the Kingdom's private capital ecosystem, including Athary Almubarak, Chief Strategy Officer at SVC, Abdulaziz Al Omran, Founder and CEO of Impact46, and Turki Al-Dayel, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Growth Catalyst Investment Management Company.

The report highlights the continued evolution of Saudi Arabia's private capital market, reflecting increasing institutional participation, greater market depth, and the emergence of specialized investment managers supporting the Kingdom's economic transformation.

Growth Catalyst believes Saudi Arabia's mid-market is entering a defining phase, with institutional private equity playing an increasingly important role in providing growth capital to established, high-potential businesses. The firm is proud to have contributed its market perspectives to this industry report and to support the continued development, transparency, and institutionalization of Saudi Arabia's private capital ecosystem.

Read the full report: H1 2026 Saudi Arabia Private Capital Report - PitchBook

For GCC private markets, that isn't a warning. It's the opening.

McKinsey's 2026 Global Private Markets Report is blunt: the conditions that once amplified returns, cheap leverage, falling rates and expanding multiples, have passed.

Alpha will no longer come from the market carrying you. It has to be made, through discipline, operational value and access.

That shift doesn't weaken the case for the Gulf. It sharpens it.

When beta disappears, the edge moves to managers who underwrite carefully and allocators who know exactly where their capital is going.

On that test, GCC private markets aren't the risky corner of the portfolio. They're one of the most structurally advantaged.

The numbers:

→ Middle East and Africa private equity is set to grow from about $46bn to $84bn by 2031, a 10.8% CAGR (Mordor Intelligence)

→ 94% of global asset owners now invest in private markets, up from 86% a year earlier (Northern Trust)

→ MENA sovereign wealth is heading toward $8.8tn by 2030, from $5.6tn today, deployed counter cyclically (Global SWF)

→ Saudi Arabia alone accounts for 30.6% of the MEA private equity market (Mordor Intelligence)

And on 1 February 2026 the Capital Market Authority removed the Qualified Foreign Investor regime, opening the market to all categories of foreign investors.

The capital is committed. The access is widening.

This is the environment Growth Catalyst was built for.

We back founder-led, profitable Saudi businesses in the $20-40m revenue band, the underserved upper mid-market where dedicated capital is scarce, and scale them past $100m through governance, professionalisation and operational upgrades, not financial engineering.

A concentrated portfolio. Disciplined entry. Deep in-Kingdom access, 85% Saudi, fully aligned with Vision 2030.

In other words: discipline, operational value and access. The exact levers McKinsey says will define the next decade of returns, applied in the market best positioned to reward them.

The question is no longer whether to be in GCC private markets. It's who you build alongside.

An analysis of how regulatory reforms and economic diversification are creating unprecedented entry points for institutional capital into family-owned enterprises.

Examining the correlation between sovereign economic strategies and the rise of mid-market private equity as a primary driver for non-oil GDP progression.