Bloomberg: VC Firm Backed by Golub Family Office Starts Mideast-US AI Fund

A Saudi Arabia-based venture capital firm that’s backed by the family office of US billionaire Lawrence Golub is launching a $50 million fund to invest in artificial intelligence startups across the Middle East and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Wyld VC plans to focus on early-stage companies, with a view toward driving deeper ties between Gulf nations and the US that can help accelerate AI development, according to founder Tala Hasan Al Jabri.

“We are at a generational inflection point where the Bay Area’s technical breakthroughs need allies and partners who can help them accelerate their growth, and the GCC is uniquely positioned to provide both,” Al Jabri said. “The Middle East sees AI as the next oil.”

The fund plans to close its first deals soon after US President Donald Trump finishes a tour of Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

AI is expected to feature prominently on the agenda as both nations rush to draw investment and build data centers. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have made AI infrastructure central to their economic diversification strategies, but currently face restricted access to leading American-made technology.

“That’s going to be a big topic of discussion,” Al Jabri said.

She sees an opportunity for Wyld VC to capture any fresh AI momentum in the wake of Trump’s visit and tap into pro-AI policies in the Middle East to catalyze investment.

A key goal of its inaugural fund is to link startups in countries like Saudi Arabia with US talent and resources.

Al Jabri was a backer of Tabby, one of the Middle East’s first fintech unicorns.

Wyld VC is headquartered in Saudi Arabia and plans to open offices in the UAE and Silicon Valley. The firm is anchored by the Lawrence E. Golub Family Office, according to a statement. Golub is the CEO of private credit firm Golub Capital, which recently expanded its footprint in the Middle East by opening an office in Abu Dhabi.