Merced Launches Saudi Arabia's First Private Investment Fund for Sustainability

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, October 25, 2022 (Newswire.com) - Merced has announced the launch of its sustainability fund, with a fund size of $100 million, to be the first to establish a non-governmental investment fund specialized in sustainability technologies and applications.

The establishment of the fund follows the Kingdom's commitment to sustainability through its Vision 2030 and $1.5 trillion investment strategy as well as its booming economic growth and development. Saudi Arabia's economy continues to outperform almost all other countries (including the G20) and there is a high level of interest in global companies coming to Saudi Arabia to establish businesses and meet this growing demand.

The focus of the fund will be mainly on food/agriculture and quality of life sectors (tourism, mobility, energy, education, healthcare). The fund is perfectly positioned to bring foreign investment into the Kingdom and provide the support necessary to grow a new generation of SMEs to build upon programs like Vision 2030. The Merced Sustainability Fund leverages the unique entrepreneurial and private industry expertise of its team (including NASA, NEOM, Red Sea, AMAALA, Jahez, etc.) to source high-growth companies globally for investment and lead the next generation of private investment into Saudi Arabia to support governmental programs using private venture capital to help build a layer of SMEs that typically generate 60-90% of jobs and GDP.

Mr. Abdullah Al-Nooh, Executive Director, and Founding Partner at Merced, stressed that the fund's focus is on attracting high-growth investment opportunities globally in relevant sustainable technology companies to establish offices and production facilities in the Kingdom. "We're excited to help build the economy of tomorrow while having a positive impact on people's quality of life today."

Michael Slage, Merced's Founding, partner, said: "We believe that sustainability provides one of the biggest opportunities to disrupt large under-innovated industries in Saudi Arabia. New infrastructure and technologies can be implemented sustainably on a size and scale found nowhere else in the world and become a blueprint for the rest of the world to follow."

High-profile relationships are key to the Fund's investment strategy, and Merced has developed an extensive network within the region to be able to identify specific opportunities, source investments to meet those needs, and provide support for companies to be able to establish a presence in the region and service those opportunities. Merced also provides a Value-Add Program to companies to ensure their success in meeting every challenge in doing business in the region.

About Merced Venture Capital

Merced is a venture capital firm located in Saudi Arabia created by two of the largest family offices in Saudi Arabia whose current investments generate more than $1B annually in traditional industries like agriculture, real estate, and hospitality. Merced's mission is to extend that success by launching investment funds focused on the next generation of industries, including sustainability, fintech, tourism, pre-seed, and other high-tech sectors that can benefit from unique market opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region.

Source: Merced