Riyadh, September 9, 2025 – NanoPalm, a Saudi biotech startup, has been crowned the national winner of KPMG’s Global Tech Innovator competition in Saudi Arabia. The victory secures NanoPalm a spot at the global finals in Lisbon, Portugal, this November, where it will compete against innovators from more than 20 countries.
Now in its fifth year, the competition celebrates ambitious early- and growth-stage ventures capable of reshaping industries through technology. NanoPalm impressed judges with its pioneering in vivo gene therapy platform built on programmable lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Its proprietary manufacturing process enables stable, self-targeting LNPs designed to overcome limitations of current delivery methods, with the potential to transform drug delivery and gene therapy.
The judging panel praised NanoPalm’s innovative use of artificial intelligence, its scalability, and its potential global healthcare impact. Delivering the winning pitch, Aljohara Ababtain, Senior Deep NanoTech Researcher at NanoPalm, said: “At NanoPalm, we’re building the future of gene therapy: programmable, accessible, and born from Vision 2030’s biotech ambition. Our AI platform powers fast and safe drug delivery systems to transform the future of medicine.”
Other finalists included AILA, Digital Petroleum, Lisan, Mirai Solar, Plastus, Saher Flow Solutions, SARsatX, and Sparklehaze, evaluated on criteria such as disruption, innovation, market potential, traction, and pitch quality.
Samer Abdallah, Head of ICT Sector at KPMG Middle East, congratulated all participants, saying: “We are proud of the finalists for their vision and drive to address real-world challenges. Best of luck to NanoPalm in representing the Kingdom at the global finals.”
NanoPalm’s win reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing role in biotech innovation under Vision 2030, and positions the company to showcase its breakthrough gene therapy solutions on the global stage.
