Exel by Merak Concludes Second Gaming Accelerator Cohort with $5.1 Million Investment
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Exel by Merak, a subsidiary of Merak Capital and Saudi Arabia’s premier innovation platform company, has concluded the Demo Day for its second gaming accelerator cohort, marking the completion of a 13-week program and a total investment of USD 5.1 million allocated to 17 startups through the Merak Gaming Fund via the Exel Gaming Accelerator.
Hosted in Riyadh, Demo Day brought together founders, investors, and industry stakeholders. Participating studios presented their companies and showcased the games developed during the program, highlighting clearer product direction and enhanced commercial readiness.
Cohort 2 was delivered through hundreds of hours of hands-on support led by an in-house team of globally experienced specialists based in Riyadh throughout the program. The team worked closely with founders to guide product decisions, strengthen publishing readiness, and advance commercial execution.
The accelerator also engaged 18 globally experienced mentors who collaborated end-to-end with participating studios, traveling to Riyadh to share practical insights. In parallel, senior practitioners from the global gaming industry contributed international benchmarks and operational expertise in product quality, production discipline, and go-to-market execution.
Exel has appointed Faisal Sedrani as Chief Executive Officer, continuing his leadership as the platform enters its next phase of growth and expands its mandate as a multi-sector innovation company aligned with Vision 2030.
Faisal Sedrani, Chief Executive Officer of Exel by Merak, said:
“Exel’s objective is to support innovation in the Kingdom by enabling entrepreneurs and contributing to the development of supportive environments for innovation. Our work focuses on identifying opportunities within promising sectors and supporting their growth. We began by focusing on the gaming sector, supporting founders and studios as they build and scale game development capabilities within Saudi Arabia.”
The firm also announced that Cohort 3 will begin in Q2 2026, continuing its focus on early-stage and scaling gaming startups while addressing key sector gaps.
Launched under the $80 million Merak Gaming Fund (MGF), part of the Gaming and Esports Sector Financing Program overseen by the National Development Fund in collaboration with the Social Development Bank and the Saudi Esports Federation, the initiative supports the National Gaming and Esports Strategy and the Ignite Digital Content Program in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.
Since its launch, Exel has supported more than 100 gaming studios through its bootcamp and accelerator programs, including international teams operating within the Kingdom.
