Ghada Ismail

When you’re building a startup, it’s easy to get caught up in the exciting stuff: user growth, building your product, closing deals. But behind the scenes, there’s one number quietly counting down your time: burn rate.

Burn rate is simply how fast you’re spending money every month. It tells you how long your cash will last before you need to bring in more, whether from investors or revenue.

Think of your startup like a plane on a runway. The longer the runway (your cash), the more time you have to take off (hit traction or raise your next round). But the faster you burn through cash, the shorter your runway gets. And if you don’t take off in time, you crash.

What Is Burn Rate, Really?

In simple terms, burn rate shows how much money your startup spends every month just to keep running.

There are two versions you should know:

• Gross Burn Rate: This is your total monthly spending on salaries, rent, tools, marketing, etc.
• Net Burn Rate: This is what really matters. It’s how much you’re losing each month after subtracting any revenue.

Example: If your startup spends SAR 400,000 per month and earns SAR 100,000 in revenue, your net burn rate is SAR 300,000. That’s the amount disappearing from your bank account every month.

Why Burn Rate Matters More Than You Think

Your burn rate isn’t just an accounting number; it’s your survival clock.

Let’s say you raised SAR 3 million. If your net burn rate is SAR 300,000 per month, you have 10 months of runway. That’s 10 months to hit a major milestone, raise another round, or start turning a profit.

If you don’t? You run out of cash. And when the money’s gone, your options shrink fast.

That’s why investors ask about your burn rate early in any conversation. It tells them how you manage money and how soon you’ll need more.

How to Calculate Your Runway

The formula is simple:
Runway = Cash in the Bank ÷ Net Burn Rate

Here’s a quick example:

• Cash: SAR 1,200,000
• Net burn: SAR 150,000/month
• Runway: 8 months

Knowing this helps you plan ahead, whether that means starting fundraising early or making some cost cuts to buy more time.

How to Tell If Your Burn Rate Is Too High

Here are a few warning signs:

• You’re hiring a big team before proving product-market fit
• Your marketing spend is high, but customer retention is low
• You’re scaling too soon, before demand is steady
• You’re counting on future funding that hasn’t landed yet

If any of these sound familiar, it might be time to recheck your numbers and adjust your spending.

How to Keep Burn Rate Under Control

Managing your burn rate doesn’t mean cutting everything to the bone. It means spending wisely and keeping room to adapt. Here’s how:

1. Track it regularly
   Make burn rate part of your monthly reviews. Don’t wait until the bank balance gets drastically low.
2. Spend where it matters most
   Focus on things that push the business forward, like improving the product or acquiring users in smart, cost-effective ways.
3. Plan for delays
   Fundraising almost always takes longer than expected. If you think you have 9 months of runway, act like it’s only 6.
4. Adjust as things change
   As your revenue grows or expenses shift, update your burn rate and runway.
5. Avoid fixed costs early on
   Use freelancers, co-working spaces, and flexible tools until you really need to commit.

What This Means for Startups in Saudi Arabia

As Saudi Arabia’s startup scene grows, so does investor attention to burn rate. With more funding opportunities—from VCs to government programs like Monsha’at and Saudi Venture Capital—founders have access to capital, but also more pressure to use it wisely.

Today, local investors expect founders to show not just ambition, but capital discipline. Managing your burn rate smartly sends the message: “We’re building something valuable and we’re doing it responsibly.”

Wrapping things up…

Burn rate might sound like a dry finance term, but it’s one of the most important numbers for any founder to understand. It keeps you grounded. It helps you plan. And most importantly, it helps you stay in control of your startup’s future.

Because no matter how great your idea is or how big your market could be, if you run out of money, you run out of time.

Gary Ng, CEO of viAct

“A 14-Second Warning That Changed Everything”  

It was a regular day at a high-rise construction project in Abu Dhabi when one of our AI-enabled video analytics systems triggered an alert. A worker had unknowingly stepped into an active lifting zone, while a tower crane was mid-operation.

From the moment of unauthorized entry to the moment the AI-generated alert reached the site supervisor’s device, exactly 14 seconds had passed. 

That was just enough time for the supervisor to intervene and redirect the worker. No injuries occurred, no operations were halted. But this situation could’ve gone drastically wrong.

That near-miss incident stayed with me. Not because the system worked, but because it showed me what was truly at stake: human lives, reputational trust, and operational continuity. 

In that moment, I realized something essential. What we’re building at viAct is not just about AI that sees — it’s about AI that listens.

Understanding Before Automating

The construction world today requires safety systems that can move beyond the hassles of manual inspections, paper logs, and delayed incident reporting. While many industries have leapt toward automation, the human dynamics of construction make it impossible to fully automate decision-making.

This is where I believe AI has a different role to play in construction safety, not in replacing oversight, but in improving understanding. AI doesn’t simply monitor for violations — it learns context over time. 

For instance, a site in Hong Kong received repeated alerts from a certain scaffold section. On investigation using video analytics, it turned out workers were stepping into the zone frequently due to poor tool placement. 

At another AI-enabled monitoring site in Singapore, over 92% of PPE non-compliance cases were accurately detected and automatically tagged in the centralised dashboard, reducing manual inspection time by nearly 40%. 

Humanizing the Tech That Protects Frontline Workers

We often talk about “data-driven” environments, but for workplace safety to evolve in construction, we need “people-driven” tech. Our team has always believed that contextual intelligence is what sets safety AI apart . 

“It is the ability to understand the why, not just report the what.”

For example, during a highway bridge construction project in Malaysia, a video analytics system identified heat-induced fatigue patterns by observing workers’ posture slouching and time spent in high-temperature zones. This insight led the contractor to reschedule their shifts during peak afternoon hours, reducing incidents of heat stress by over 65% in just two weeks.

These repeated instances across global sites are reminders that technology performs best when it pays attention to real-world workflows, fatigue patterns, environmental risks, and frontline feedback.

And that’s exactly what we’ve done at viAct. We’ve utilised mechanisms to listen to workers’ concerns, integrate feedback loops from EHS teams, and fine-tune the 100+ AI modules in response to ground-level realities. 

Rethinking Oversight: From Surveillance to Collaboration

In a traditional model for workplace safety, effective management often meant periodic walkthroughs, post-incident audits, or checklist-based compliance. But these protocols, while necessary, often fall short of the agility required on fast-paced construction sites.

What we offer instead is a system that interprets behavior in real time, not just capturing violations but identifying risk patterns before they escalate. At a large metro tunnel site in Singapore, for instance, AI video analytics flagged recurring unsafe access near a confined work chamber. 

The AI’s interpretation wasn’t just visual — it recognized a repeat behavior and suggested re-zoning. Following the alert, the EHS team made sure to redefine the access protocols and recorded a 70% drop in zone violations within three weeks.

This is how contextual intelligence works. It’s not surveillance. It’s collaborative safety, where AI supports, not supervises.

The Way Forward in 2025

Construction is evolving. And so is its way of managing workplace safety. The push for smarter, safer, and more efficient job sites is no longer optional — it’s essential. Yet the transformation doesn’t lie in abandoning human oversight, but in enhancing it with AI-driven technology.

The question isn’t “How can we control every risk?”

It’s “How can we understand risks better before they escalate?” At viAct, we believe that the answer starts with listening.

And we’re here to keep listening — to workers, to safety officers, to supervisors, and to every voice that keeps the foundation strong.

Kholoud Hussein 

In the world of venture capital and startup financing, the term “down round” often signals a red flag. It represents more than just a lower valuation—it reflects shifts in market sentiment, growth expectations, and investor confidence. For founders, employees, and investors alike, a down round can carry significant economic, operational, and psychological consequences.

But what exactly does a down round mean, why does it happen, and what are its implications?

Defining a Down Round

A down round occurs when a startup raises capital at a valuation lower than that of its previous funding round. For example, if a company raised Series A at a $100 million valuation but then raises Series B at a $70 million valuation, the Series B round is considered a down round.

This means that the new investors are buying equity at a lower price than previous investors did. It also implies that the company’s perceived value has declined since its last funding, even if revenue or user growth has continued.

Why Do Down Rounds Happen?

A disconnect between expectations and outcomes typically triggers down rounds. Several common causes include:

1. Missed Growth Targets

If the company failed to meet revenue or user growth milestones projected during earlier funding rounds, investors may reassess its valuation downward.

2. Market Conditions

External economic conditions—such as a downturn in the tech sector, rising interest rates, or investor risk aversion—can reduce appetite for high-valuation deals.

3. Overvaluation in Previous Rounds

Startups sometimes raise capital at inflated valuations due to hype, competition among VCs, or overly optimistic projections. These valuations may not be sustainable.

4. Cash Flow or Profitability Concerns

If the company has a high burn rate and limited runway, it may have little bargaining power, forcing it to accept less favorable terms.

What Are the Impacts of a Down Round?

While down rounds are sometimes necessary to secure continued funding, they come with serious consequences:

• Equity Dilution: Existing shareholders, including founders and employees with stock options, may see their ownership percentages shrink. New investors often demand anti-dilution protections, further complicating equity structures.
• Valuation Signal: A down round sends a negative signal to the market. It suggests that the company’s growth trajectory or profitability potential is in doubt, which may impact future fundraising efforts.
• Employee Morale: Stock options lose value in a down round, which can damage employee motivation, especially in startups where equity is a key component of compensation.
• Governance Shifts: New investors may negotiate stricter governance rights, board seats, or liquidation preferences that can limit founder control.

Can a Company Recover From a Down Round?

Absolutely. While a down round reflects short-term valuation pressure, it does not necessarily indicate failure. Some of the most successful companies—including Facebook, Airbnb, and Slack—experienced funding challenges or valuation resets at various stages.

Recovery depends on how the company responds:

• Refocus on unit economics and core business fundamentals
• Reduce cash burn and extend runway
• Strengthen product-market fit
• Realign with investors through transparent communication

Some companies use a down round as a strategic reset, shedding unrealistic expectations and recalibrating for sustainable growth.

Conclusion: A Tough Pill, Not a Death Sentence

A down round is a clear signal of recalibration in a startup’s valuation journey. While it carries economic and reputational risks, it’s not the end of the road. For founders, the key is to understand the reasons behind the valuation cut, maintain stakeholder confidence, and execute a path back to growth.

In a volatile funding environment—especially in post-2022 markets marked by investor caution and tighter capital—down rounds have become more common, and less stigmatized. Transparency, discipline, and adaptability remain the entrepreneur’s best tools for weathering the storm.

Noha Gad

Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem has witnessed a remarkable transformation in recent years, driven largely by the Vision 2030 initiative aimed at diversifying the national economy and reducing oil dependency. This ambitious strategy stimulated a dynamic entrepreneurial environment by fostering innovation, supporting new business ventures, and encouraging private sector growth. The Saudi government launched various programs, funding initiatives, and regulatory reforms to establish a fertile ground for startups to thrive across different sectors, notably fintech, digital health, technology, and more.

The Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at) plays a pivotal role in fostering startups within and beyond Saudi Arabia by providing critical upskilling, training, funding-related, and franchising services. In its latest quarterly report, Monsha’at highlighted that over 9,800 businesses benefited from Monsha’at Support Centers during the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, while more than 9,400 trainees availed themselves of Monsha’at e-Academy. Through its Support centers across the Kingdom, Monsha’at aspires to assist startups in preparing for international expansion.

Along with upskilling businesses, the authority launched the Tomoh Funding Program to empower the next generation of Saudi startups through robust financial enablement packages. In Q1-25, the market cap of Tomoh-backed on Nomu recorded $6.6 billion, accounting for 41.8% of the total Nomu market cap.

Additionally, Monahsa’at launched the Promising Innovative Enterprises/Ventures program to foster Saudi startups seeking global expansion. This program aims to facilitate the entry of local enterprises to global markets by enabling the participation of 18 Saudi startups in international exhibitions and accelerators to enhance their investment opportunities through regional and international expansion.

Monsha’at co-hosted and participated actively in the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) and the Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) as part of its commitment to linking Saudi startups with the global entrepreneurial ecosystem, providing exposure, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities to accelerate their growth and international reach.

Further, the authority initiated BIBAN, the global platform that bridges between local startups and global investors, ultimately fostering the global expansion of Saudi SMEs.

Key challenges facing Saudi startups in navigating global markets

Although the Saudi government exerts many efforts to back emerging enterprises to get off the ground and expand, these startups face several obstacles in navigating global markets. These challenges are:

• Understanding cultural nuances. Middle Eastern markets are deeply rooted in traditions and values that influence consumer behavior. Understanding cultural nuances and consumer behavior directly impacts startups’ ability to gain trust and connect with customers and succeed in diverse environments. This step helps startups seeking expansion in global markets to build trust and relationships, align business practices, and enhance cross-cultural teamwork.
• Regulatory Hurdles. Saudi startups must navigate and understand the regulatory complexities in global markets to ensure smooth operations, legal compliance, and sustainable growth. This step will enable startups to avoid operational delays, ensure compliance with legal laws, build credibility, and adapt to ethical and cultural norms. 
• Funding and investment barriers. Saudi startups may find it hard to access sufficient and appropriate funding, especially those lacking local ties. They can overcome this obstacle through a combination of government-backed programs, venture capital initiatives, and strategic partnerships.
• Building local talent. Talent acquisition and retention are critical factors to have the right skilled workforce. Startups must understand the aspirations and expectations of a workforce that values career growth and meaningful contributions. They can also focus on training programs to upskill employees and integrate their expertise with local market insights.
•  Logistics and infrastructure constraints directly impact startups’ ability to compete, scale, and deliver value internationally. By overcoming them, startups can easily gain access to the market and enhance global competitiveness, boost cost efficiency and scalability, and attract investments. To do so, startups must adopt technology and utilize AI-powered tools to optimize operations.
• Market competition and fragmentation. Entering new global markets often means competing with established local players who have deep market knowledge and brand loyalty. Saudi startups must differentiate themselves and offer unique value to gain traction. 

To overcome these challenges, startups must adopt the “Act local, think global” approach, which targets adapting products and marketing to local markets while maintaining global standards. They must also invest heavily in digital transformation and innovation to stay competitive internationally, while leveraging government programs, accelerators, and global exhibitions to gain exposure.

Startups further need to forge strategic partnerships with local entities and stakeholders in target countries, in addition to building robust legal and regulatory expertise or local advisory to navigate complexities.

Finally, Saudi startups are increasingly recognized as promising players in the global entrepreneurial landscape, demonstrating remarkable resilience and innovation despite facing significant challenges in their international expansion efforts. They can navigate complex hurdles, such as funding limitations, regulatory intricacies, and talent acquisition, supported by robust government initiatives and a dynamic ecosystem. Their ability to leverage strategic programs, such as Monsha’at’s international expansion projects and participation in global platforms like the EWC, underscores their growing ambition and capability to compete on the world stage.

A key element in the success of the Saudi startups abroad is their commitment to cultural adaptation. Respecting and understanding local customs, consumer behaviors, and business etiquette are essential to building trust and establishing meaningful connections in diverse markets. This cultural intelligence exceeds language translation; it includes tailoring products, marketing strategies, and customer experiences to resonate authentically with target audiences.

Kholoud Hussein 

In a rapidly digitizing world, the demand for powerful, secure, and sustainable AI infrastructure is no longer optional—it’s essential. OmniOps, founded in 2024, has quickly emerged as a national pioneer in this space, becoming Saudi Arabia’s first dedicated AI infrastructure technologies provider. The company has recently secured SAR 30 million in funding to accelerate the deployment of sovereign AI inference clusters and strengthen its R&D capabilities. Positioned at the intersection of innovation, compliance, and sustainability, OmniOps is tackling some of the most pressing challenges faced by enterprises and government institutions in their AI transformation journeys.

What sets OmniOps apart is its commitment to building local, production-grade infrastructure tailored to the Kingdom’s regulatory and operational needs. With a client base already including Saudia Airlines and CNTXT, and strategic partnerships with global tech giants like NVIDIA and Google Cloud, OmniOps is well on its way to becoming a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and its National Strategy for Data and AI. In an exclusive interview with Sharikat Mubasher, Mohammed Altassan, CEO of OmniOps, shares how the company is balancing high performance with sustainability, navigating regulatory frameworks, addressing talent gaps, and charting a course for regional and international growth.

OmniOps recently closed a funding round of SAR 30 million. What are the core goals behind this raise, and how do you plan to allocate the investment to scale your operations?

This funding round is focused on accelerating the deployment of our sovereign AI inference clusters across the Kingdom and investing in our next-generation AI inference software layer. The capital will be allocated toward expanding our infrastructure footprint, enhancing our R&D capabilities, particularly around sustainable AI Infrastructure architecture, and scaling our engineering team to support growing demand across sectors such as aviation, finance, and government. 

We're also investing in client enablement and partnerships to ensure our customers can unlock real-world value from our infrastructure.

Founded in 2024 as Saudi Arabia’s first AI infrastructure technologies provider, what market gap did you identify that led to the creation of OmniOps?

We identified a critical gap in sovereign AI infrastructure. While demand for AI solutions is rising across Saudi Arabia, enterprises lacked access to high-performance, locally hosted infrastructure that complied with data residency requirements. Most available options were either international clouds with limited regional presence or generic infrastructure not optimized for AI workloads. To add to that, public and private institutions are adopting artificial intelligence at a phenomenal rate which is creating a heavy load on their infrastructure and resources. 

OmniOps was created to address this, offering Saudi-built, production-grade infrastructure optimized for AI inference and compliant with local regulations.

Your focus on building sustainable AI infrastructure is a key differentiator. How do your solutions balance energy efficiency with computing power at scale?

We’ve developed proprietary GPU overbooking methods that enable us to achieve a 50% reduction in power consumption while boosting inference efficiency by up to 14 times. This means we can offer clients the computational performance they need for AI workloads, without the environmental and operational costs traditionally associated with AI Infrastructure. Our clusters are designed to be both high-performance and energy-conscious, enabling sustainable AI development at scale.

One of your strategic pillars is developing sovereign AI inference clusters that meet local compliance standards. How do you ensure regulatory alignment without compromising on technical performance?

Compliance is integrated into our infrastructure by design from day one. We help clients store their data on-premises (on-prem), in the cloud, or in a hybrid cloud set up as is needed for compliance and best performance. At the same time, we’ve built a software and hardware stack that delivers enterprise-grade performance, with no trade-off on speed or scalability. Our regulatory alignment is not a limitation—it’s a strength that allows us to serve sectors with high compliance demands, such as healthcare, finance, and aviation.

You’ve partnered with global tech leaders such as NVIDIA, Google Cloud, and IBM. How do these partnerships enhance your technical capabilities and support your long-term product vision?

These companies provide the critical infrastructure that powers most essential sectors globally. OmniOps builds upon and collaborates with their foundational technologies to create our specialized solutions. This integration allows us to optimize our platform for the latest advancements, ensuring our Inference Optimizer delivers maximum performance gains. By working closely with these technology leaders, we enhance Saudi organizations' access to world-class AI infrastructure while maintaining compatibility with global standards.

With clients like Saudia Airlines and CNTXT already on board, which additional industries are you targeting? How do you tailor your infrastructure solutions to meet the specific demands of different sectors?

Our approach begins with understanding each sector's unique challenges, regulatory requirements, and AI maturity. For example, in education, we are designing an infrastructure that supports personalized learning environments that can handle the increasing adoption of AI, while ensuring student data privacy and security. This sector-specific approach allows Saudi organizations to implement AI that directly addresses their unique operational needs while maximizing return on infrastructure investments.

How does OmniOps’ strategy align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the National Strategy for Data and AI, particularly regarding digital sovereignty and local content development?

OmniOps is directly aligned with Vision 2030’s goals of building a digital economy rooted in local innovation. Our sovereign AI infrastructure advances the Kingdom’s digital sovereignty by ensuring that critical data and models remain within national borders. We also contribute to local content development by hiring and training Saudi talent, partnering with local universities, and investing in R&D initiatives that position the Kingdom as a leader in AI infrastructure.

What are the main challenges you face in building AI infrastructure in the Kingdom, and how are you addressing those hurdles—whether technical, regulatory, or talent-related?

One of the main challenges is the availability of specialized AI infrastructure talent, which is why we invest heavily in training and upskilling. We also navigate evolving regulatory frameworks by working closely with relevant authorities to ensure full compliance while advocating for innovation-friendly policies. On the technical side, the biggest hurdle is delivering global-level performance locally, and our R&D focus ensures we meet and exceed those standards.

Are there plans for regional or global expansion? If so, which markets are you prioritizing, and what’s your approach to entering them?

OmniOps is actively forming strategic partnerships with leading players in the AI infrastructure space. Several of these partners are exploring Saudi Arabia as a key market and view OmniOps as their conduit for entry and expansion in the region. In parallel, these relationships are creating reciprocal opportunities for OmniOps to establish a presence in the U.S. market through their networks and infrastructure.

We are also targeting the European market, with a strategic entry point through our Moroccan office. Our approach focuses on identifying and aligning with the right partners to accelerate market access and regional growth across the continent. 

Finally, what is your long-term vision for OmniOps? How do you plan to maintain leadership in the evolving landscape of AI infrastructure across Saudi Arabia and beyond?

Our vision is to become the foundational layer of AI infrastructure across the region—empowering enterprises and governments to build and scale intelligent applications securely and sustainably. We’ll maintain leadership by continuing to innovate in energy-efficient AI infrastructure, expanding our AI inferencing, and growing a strong ecosystem of local talent and strategic partners. Ultimately, we aim to help shape a future where Saudi Arabia is not just a consumer of AI but a global contributor to its development.

In conclusion, OmniOps isn’t just building AI infrastructure—it’s laying the groundwork for Saudi Arabia’s digital sovereignty, global competitiveness, and future leadership in artificial intelligence. By marrying technical performance with regulatory compliance, and innovation with sustainability, the company is aligning itself perfectly with the core tenets of Vision 2030. Its sector-specific solutions, talent development initiatives, and plans for global expansion demonstrate a comprehensive strategy to not only support but also shape the AI landscape in the Kingdom and beyond.

As OmniOps looks ahead, its long-term vision is bold yet grounded: to become the foundational layer of intelligent systems across the region. In doing so, the company is helping reposition Saudi Arabia not merely as a consumer of cutting-edge AI technologies, but as a global contributor and innovator in this critical domain.