Saudi Arabia-based geospatial data company Gulf Business Technologies (GBT) has closed a $1.3 million (SAR 5 million) pre-seed funding round to accelerate its expansion across the Kingdom’s telecommunications and IT sectors.
The round was led by Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Zamil & Sons Investment Company, with participation from angel investors and investment firms, and was managed by SHORE Advisory Services.
Founded in 2014 by Yousef AlNafjan, GBT operates across the geospatial data (GIS) value chain through its subsidiaries Penta-KSA and Penta-Labs. Penta-KSA provides no-code GIS software that enables non-specialists to access, analyze, and act on spatial data, helping organizations break down silos and improve operational efficiency. Penta-Labs serves as the group’s deep-tech arm, developing advanced GeoAI and digital twin solutions for smart cities and large-scale digital transformation initiatives.
Announcing the funding, AlNafjan said the investment reflects growing confidence in GBT’s vision and execution. He noted that the round will accelerate the company’s growth and support its mission to transform complex spatial data into practical, user-friendly tools for decision-makers driving national digital transformation projects.
Walid Nassar, Managing Director at SHORE Advisory Services, said GBT addresses a clear gap in the deep-tech and spatial data market, a sector that is becoming increasingly critical to Saudi Arabia’s digital economy. He added that the company’s business model and positioning make it well placed to scale as demand for advanced geospatial analytics continues to rise.
The newly raised capital will be used to strengthen GBT’s infrastructure, expand its team, and accelerate the development and launch of a new generation of GeoAI products through Penta-Labs. These solutions are designed to deliver proactive, data-driven insights aligned with the evolving needs of the Saudi market.
Saudi Arabia’s geospatial analytics market is witnessing rapid growth, driven by Vision 2030 initiatives, smart city programs, and government-led digital transformation. The market is estimated at approximately $1.5 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2030, supported by mega-projects such as NEOM, Qiddiya, and the Red Sea Project, all of which require advanced spatial analytics and digital twin capabilities.
