Misk Launchpad Program

Misk Launchpad Program is an interactive educational system offered by Mohammed Bin Salman Foundation 'Misk' under the Misk Entrepreneurship track, in collaboration with the business development platform 'Rise Up'. Its first edition was launched in 2021.

The program supports visionaries and entrepreneurs in developing and accelerating their businesses until the business idea becomes a minimum viable product (MVP) ready for launch, in addition to establishing an initial customer base.

Misk Launchpad Program aims to support visionaries and entrepreneurs to enter the market by: assisting in designing the product appropriately for the market, understanding customers' behavior, solving related issues, and validating ideas with customers, in addition to gaining support in public relations and marketing, building relationships, learning from participants, building a testable and improvable product, as well as understanding regulatory and legal requirements, interacting with leading companies and financial institutions, receiving advice from experts and entrepreneurs, accessing investors networks, and connecting companies with investment opportunities.

Beneficiaries of the Misk Launchpad Program acquire several skills, such as: concept validation, the capability to design a business model, creating opportunities to communicate with professionals and experts, financial and administrative accounting, understanding the legal and regulatory environment, mastering idea pitching and marketing and sales techniques, in addition to the ability to create a product prototype (wireframing and prototyping).

To apply for the Misk Launchpad Program, several criteria should be met, including the following: the applicant must be Saudi or a resident who wishes to establish and launch their product in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and must present a prototype of the idea or the product or the company they desire to launch in the Kingdom, and that it be technically supported. The applicant is also required to complete attendance at lectures and workshops and must be proficient in spoken and written English.

The first edition of the Misk Launchpad Program 2021 encompassed a virtual (remote) training journey that lasted about three months. During the first stage, trainees received mentorship and education services to design and build their projects, and then some of the participating ideas were nominated to be presented as primary products. Upon program graduation, the financial support stage begins to develop the product and pitch it to investors, aiming to support the project.

The second edition of the Misk Launchpad Program 2022 included virtual and in-person lectures, workshops, and consultations, spanning approximately eight weeks. The program aimed to assist entrepreneurs in transforming their ideas into primary products.

The second edition concluded with an exhibition held at the 'City Hub' in Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Non-Profit City on August 15, 2022. The exhibition showcased participants' projects and featured discussions among entrepreneurship experts.

The third edition of the Misk Launchpad Program held in 2023 featured a diverse range of activities, including workshops and lectures targeting entrepreneurs in various fields, in addition to mentorship sessions. The program spanned ten weeks and was divided into three main stages: idea design, idea development, and idea pitching.

At the conclusion of the third edition of the Misk Launchpad Program, an exhibition was held at the 'City Hub' in Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Non-Profit City on January 31, 2023. The exhibition witnessed the participation of about seventy entrepreneurs, in addition to the launch of approximately 160 startup companies in several fields, such as sustainability, human resources, financial technology, health technology, the retail sector, smart cities, and entertainment.

In its fourth edition, the Misk Launchpad Program included several programs targeting visionaries, entrepreneurs, and those interested in developing their ideas. These programs were presented virtually (remotely) in English.

The programs included lectures, workshops, mentorship sessions, and communication opportunities. They were spread over approximately ten weeks and divided into three main stages: idea design, idea development, and idea pitching. After the conclusion of the first stage, about one hundred companies qualify for the idea development and idea pitching stages.