Savvy Games Group Partners With NEOM For Accelerator Programs

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
Savvy Games Group and NEOM have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to integrate their respective gaming startup incubator programs, the Nine66 Incubator and the Level Up Accelerator.
02
The partnership creates a formal pipeline where startups graduating from the Savvy Nine66 program transition into the NEOM Level Up Accelerator for advanced support.
03
Both Savvy Games Group and NEOM are owned and operated by the Saudi Arabian government’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), as part of the Vision 2030 initiative.
04
NEOM’s Level Up Accelerator claims to have supported over 45 Saudi startups with 15 investments and a 100% portfolio survival rate.
05
The collaboration aims to grow the domestic gaming ecosystem and create jobs to help diversify the Saudi Arabian economy away from oil-based revenue.
06
NEOM’s accelerator program has previously facilitated 170 jobs and the Kingdom’s first international publishing deal between Fahy Studio and UK-based publisher Kwalee.

Summary

Savvy Games Group and the Saudi Arabian mega-city project NEOM have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to integrate their respective gaming accelerator programs. This partnership aims to create a streamlined pipeline for gaming startups within the Kingdom, where graduates of the Savvy Nine66 Incubator will transition into the NEOM Level Up Accelerator for advanced support. Both entities are owned and operated by the Saudi Arabian government’s Public Investment Fund, aligning this collaboration with the broader National Gaming and Esports Strategy under Saudi Vision 2030.

The initiative focuses on fostering a domestic gaming ecosystem by providing resources for prototype validation, investor engagement, and business scaling. NEOM reports that its Level Up Accelerator has previously supported over 45 startups, facilitated 15 investments, and enabled the creation of more than 170 jobs. The program also claims a 100% survival rate for its portfolio companies and has successfully facilitated the Kingdom’s first international publishing deal for a domestic startup.

While the financial terms of the agreement remain undisclosed, the partnership serves as a strategic effort to diversify the Saudi economy away from oil-based revenue streams. By focusing on sectors such as gaming, esports, and entertainment, the government seeks to cultivate new, future-facing job markets. This development occurs within the context of ongoing international scrutiny regarding the Saudi government’s use of such investments to bolster its global image, a practice frequently criticized by human rights organizations.