Kurencee builds the strategy, relationships, and infrastructure that help governments, companies, and founders create durable economic growth in overlooked markets.
Every region has demand, capital, and talent. Most waste it chasing the wrong models. Kurencee exists because economic infrastructure has to match regional reality not aspirational identity.
Founded at the intersection of government strategy and private sector execution, Kurencee operates through three integrated builds: the Optionality Lab, the Builders Network, and the Investment Fund. Together they form a flywheel design systems, connect builders, invest in what emerges.
Our work spans African markets, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States, with deep roots in ecosystems where government economic diversification and private sector innovation meet.
Strategy and execution engagements with governments, EDOs, and multinationals designing economic diversification, market entry, and ecosystem architecture.
Explore the LabA curated, invitation-based network of operators, founders, investors, and policymakers solving similar challenges across different markets. Not a community a working network.
Join the NetworkA forthcoming fund backing private sector companies at the intersection of government economic diversification and private sector innovation. Details available on request.
Coming SoonKurencee backs private sector companies that benefit from and accelerate government economic diversification programs.
Our thesis is simple: when a government commits capital to transforming its economic base, private sector companies aligned with that transformation have structural tailwinds most investors ignore. We invest with conviction in the markets we understand from the inside.
We invest in sectors governments have formally prioritized for diversification where policy, procurement, and capital are already flowing.
Software and infrastructure serving the industries governments are actively building: fintech, logistics, agritech, energy, healthcare in non-obvious markets.
Companies enabling physical and digital infrastructure buildout where that buildout is government-mandated and funded.
We don't fund Silicon Valley replicas. We back companies built for the market conditions, infrastructure, and consumer behavior of their actual geography.
Diaspora investors bring market insight, local trust, and global networks that traditional institutional capital cannot replicate. We syndicate with intention.
"Everyone should have access to milk and honey wherever they live. Your ability to create a better life shouldn't be determined by your passport."Kurencee Investment Philosophy
Economic optionality increases when regions build durable, diversified economic systems that allow businesses to form, scale, and retain value locally.
Strategy and execution for governments, EDOs, and multinationals. Economic diversification strategy, ecosystem architecture, and market entry advisory.
Explore the LabAn invitation-only network of operators, founders, civil servants, and capital allocators working across overlapping geographies. Built for execution, not just connection.
Join the NetworkA forthcoming fund backing private sector companies at the intersection of government economic diversification and private sector innovation. Details available on request.
Coming SoonStrategy and execution engagements for institutions building economic infrastructure. We design systems that match regional reality not imported templates.
End-to-end strategy for governments and EDOs committed to reducing single-sector dependency. Research, roadmap, and implementation architecture.
Designing partnership models, business enablement infrastructure, and the connective tissue between public institutions and private operators.
Advisory for multinationals entering non-obvious markets and startups expanding into regions where government alignment is a prerequisite for growth.
Curated matchmaking between corporates with specific problems and startups positioned to pilot solutions. 12-week structures, deal-adjacent outcomes.
Designing public-private partnerships that actually work with clear accountability, aligned incentives, and realistic implementation timelines.
Pattern recognition across markets. What works in Nairobi vs. Nashville. Proprietary insights from operators who've navigated similar challenges in different geographies.
National and regional governments designing economic diversification strategy. EDOs building startup ecosystems and attracting investment.
Large enterprises entering emerging or second-tier markets where government relationships, local context, and partnership architecture determine success.
Development finance institutions, universities, chambers of commerce, and regional bodies designing programs for economic inclusion and ecosystem growth.
A curated, invitation-based network of operators, founders, civil servants, investors, and institutional builders actively creating economic optionality in their regions. Not a community a working network.
8–12 person dinners in key cities: Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Cape Town, London, New York, and beyond. High-signal, intimate, and structured for real exchange.
Strategic intros between builders, institutional partners, and capital allocators. Partnership facilitation. Early access to opportunities before they're public.
Playbooks from operators who've navigated similar challenges. Pattern recognition across markets. Direct access to people solving the problems you're facing.
Membership is invitation-based. Everyone contributes this is not for consumers of other people's work.
People building businesses in overlooked or emerging markets founders and execution leads with real skin in the game.
Government officials and policy designers actively shaping economic strategy who understand that execution separates vision from outcome.
Investors backing infrastructure, job creation, and regional growth including diaspora investors deploying capital into origin markets.
EDO leaders, development finance professionals, and ecosystem architects designing the systems that make private sector growth possible.
Multinationals expanding into non-obvious markets who want real on-ground intelligence and vetted local partners not just market reports.
Everyone in the Network contributes. We don't host consumers of other people's work. Interdependence, not just connection.
Kurencee is building a fund to back private sector companies positioned at the intersection of government economic diversification programs and private sector innovation.
B2B SaaS and infrastructure-adjacent services in sectors governments have formally prioritized for diversification fintech, logistics, agritech, healthcare, and energy in non-obvious markets. We don't fund copies. We fund companies built for where they actually operate.
Governments across Africa, the Gulf, and emerging markets are deploying tens of billions into economic diversification. The private sector companies aligned with these priorities have structural tailwinds most institutional investors are only beginning to notice.
We don't discover these companies from a distance. The Optionality Lab generates deal flow through on-the-ground engagements. The Builders Network surfaces founders before they're raising. We invest in what we've seen work from the inside.
Diaspora investors bring market insight, on-ground trust, and global networks that traditional institutional capital cannot replicate. We syndicate with intention building co-investor relationships that add more than money to our portfolio companies.
Regions around the world are competing to attract AI builders through sandboxes, infrastructure investments, startup programs, and regulatory frameworks. A curated guide to the most actionable opportunities right now — with enough detail to decide if it’s worth a deeper look.
Maintained by Kurencee · Last updated: March 2026 · Know something missing? DM us on LinkedIn →
Every EU member state must establish an AI regulatory sandbox by August 2026 under the EU AI Act. These offer a controlled environment to build and test AI systems with regulatory guidance — and limited regulatory relief — before full market release. Best suited for high-risk AI applications that need a compliance pathway.
First EU country to launch an AI sandbox (2022). Operated by AESIA (Spanish AI Supervisory Agency). Open to companies across all sectors. Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.
Among the first EU countries to publicly commit to sandbox infrastructure under the AI Act. Coordinated through the Dutch data protection and digital infrastructure authorities.
Prior experience running data protection sandboxes via CNIL. Hosted the AI Action Summit in February 2025, reinforcing its position as a top EU AI policy hub. Strong ecosystem for enterprise and deep tech AI.
Regulatory Sandboxes Innovation Portal launched May 2025. Coordinated across federal and state regulators. Active Innovation Prize program for AI use cases in manufacturing, health, and mobility.
Datatilsynet sandbox has been operational since 2020 — one of the most established in Europe. Focused on responsible AI and data protection. Open to Norwegian and international organizations.
EU AI Act Article 57 sets out the legal framework for all member state sandboxes, including eligibility, duration, and the regulatory relief available to participants.
The UK has been a global sandbox pioneer since 2015. Post-Brexit, it is actively positioning as the most pro-innovation regulatory environment for AI outside the US — with sector-specific sandboxes across finance, health, and emerging tech.
One of the world’s first fintech and AI sandboxes (2015). Allows companies to test products with real consumers under a temporary regulatory exemption. Widely used as a model for sandbox design globally. Open to authorized and unauthorized firms.
A regulatory sandbox specifically for AI as a Medical Device (AIaMD). Provides early engagement with the MHRA to test AI health products before formal regulatory submission. Critical pathway for health AI companies targeting the UK and international markets.
Published January 2025. Commits government funding to help UK regulators build pro-innovation, real-world AI testing environments across sectors including energy, transport, and financial services.
AI regulation in the US is playing out primarily at the state level. Several states have created formal sandbox programs offering regulatory mitigation, while the federal government is developing AI testing infrastructure through MITRE and agency-level initiatives.
First US state AI sandbox (2025). Provides regulatory mitigation for companies testing AI products in Utah. Broad scope across industries. Designed to attract early-stage AI companies establishing a US regulatory footprint.
Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (2025). Sandbox administered by the Texas Department of Information Resources. Focused on B2B and enterprise AI deployment. Strong alignment with Texas’s growing tech and energy sectors.
Focused on corporate governance, biotech, healthcare, chemicals, and financial services. Particularly relevant for companies already incorporated in Delaware seeking a regulatory testing pathway in their jurisdiction of record.
Administered through Pennsylvania’s Department of Banking and Securities. Focused on innovative financial services. Open to fintech and AI-fintech startups seeking a US regulatory runway before broader launch.
Currently gaining traction in Congress. Would create a national regulatory sandbox framework for AI developers — the first federal-level safe harbor for AI testing in the US. Worth watching closely if you are building for enterprise or government markets.
Partnership with NVIDIA providing federal agencies with a dedicated environment to evaluate and deploy AI systems. Relevant for companies targeting US government contracts or seeking federal validation of their AI stack.
Singapore is one of the most AI-ready environments globally — high digital infrastructure, strong regulatory clarity, and a government that actively co-invests in AI evaluation tools. Strong gateway to Southeast Asian markets.
Built to fill LLM evaluation gaps. Overseen by IMDA and the AI Verify Foundation. Provides standardized testing frameworks for generative AI products. Open to startups and enterprises globally.
Launched 2025. Focused specifically on agentic AI risks: data leakage, prompt injection, and autonomous decision-making vulnerabilities. Designed for companies deploying AI agents in enterprise or regulated environments.
The UAE is making the largest per-capita AI infrastructure investment in the world. Between sovereign wealth-backed data centers, OpenAI’s first international campus, and one of the most active startup ecosystems in emerging markets, this is the Gulf’s most immediate opportunity for AI builders.
1 GW AI campus in Abu Dhabi developed by G42’s Khazna Data Centers with OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, and SoftBank. The first 200MW phase is confirmed completing in 2026. Part of G42’s “Intelligence Grid” vision connecting the UAE with Asia, Europe, and Africa.
$3.5 billion government investment across sovereign cloud infrastructure, 200+ AI solutions across government departments, and the “AI for All” workforce training program. Creates a large, captive B2G market for qualified AI vendors.
Government-subsidized HPC access for startups to reduce the cost of model training and inference. Lowers barriers for AI companies looking to establish a presence in the UAE without significant upfront compute investment.
Full-stack startup ecosystem. The Access Program covers office space, housing, health insurance, and startup credits up to AED 500K+. Specialist tracks include Hub71+ AI, Hub71+ ClimateTech, Hub71+ Digital Assets, and Hub71+ Life Sciences. One of the most comprehensive founder packages globally.
Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy initiative to fast-track 30 startups to billion-dollar valuations by 2026. Provides market access, investor introductions, government partnerships, and branding support.
Abu Dhabi Investment Office provides R&D grants and market facilitation for startups aligned with UAE national priorities including AI, health, and sustainability. Cash incentives tied to job creation and R&D spend in Abu Dhabi.
Government-backed incubation and acceleration focused on frontier technology sectors. Runs Dubai Future Accelerators — a direct co-development program pairing startups with UAE government entities as pilot clients.
Saudi Arabia is deploying capital at a scale few regions can match. Vision 2030 has created a massive, government-backed demand signal for AI across energy, logistics, healthcare, and government services — with HUMAIN as the primary vehicle for international AI partnerships.
$5 billion partnership creating an AI Zone for cloud adoption, model training, and AI innovation. Includes AWS infrastructure investment and joint go-to-market programs for enterprise AI deployment across KSA.
$10 billion partnership with the Public Investment Fund to build a global AI hub in Saudi Arabia. Includes data center investment, workforce training, and a joint AI research program.
Up to $140K in non-dilutive funding. Open to Saudi and international startups with a credible plan to expand to Saudi Arabia. 263+ startups backed to date, with $160M+ collectively raised. One of the strongest non-dilutive programs in the region.
Saudi Data and AI Authority runs intensive programs for data and AI startups. Provides access to government datasets, regulatory guidance, and introductions to enterprise and sovereign investors in the KSA ecosystem.
Hybrid accelerator, incubator, and angel investment firm. Provides capital, mentorship, and co-working for tech founders targeting the Saudi and broader GCC market. Strong local investor network.
Egypt is building one of the most ambitious AI strategies in the Arab world, targeting AI as a meaningful driver of GDP by 2030. With 100M+ population, a young talent base, and growing Chinese and Gulf capital presence, it is a market worth watching closely.
Second edition of Egypt’s national AI plan. Targets $42.7 billion in AI-driven GDP contribution by 2030 (7.7% of GDP). Six-pillar framework covering governance, technology, data, infrastructure, ecosystem, and talent development.
$300 million joint venture fund for semiconductor and AI startups in Egypt. Includes the establishment of AI chip design labs, creating rare deep-tech infrastructure for the continent.
Primary government body for tech sector development. Runs grants, export support, and incubation programs for Egyptian and foreign tech companies. Entry point for companies looking to establish operations in Egypt.
Algeria is an underradar opportunity — the second largest country in Africa by landmass, with a young, highly educated population and growing government investment in digital infrastructure. Still early stage but moving quickly.
1.5 billion dinars (~$11M) dedicated fund for AI, cybersecurity, and robotics startups. Part of a broader 500+ digitalization projects pipeline planned for 2025–2026.
57,702 students currently enrolled across 74 AI master’s programs in 52 universities. One of the largest AI graduate pipelines on the continent — creating a strong case for R&D operations.
8,000 Algerians trained in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and AI through Huawei’s ICT Academy. China-Algeria Joint Laboratory for AI established 2023, signaling deepening bilateral tech cooperation.
The African Union is building continental-level AI and data infrastructure — shifting the narrative from individual country plays to a coordinated economic bloc with 1.4 billion people and the world’s youngest population.
Adopted July 2024. Establishes a coordinated framework for AI governance, infrastructure investment, and talent development across 55 member states. First continental-level AI policy instrument in Africa.
Infrastructure initiative to route African internet traffic through African servers — previously 80% of African data was processed through servers in Europe or the US. Critical for data sovereignty and reducing latency for AI applications on the continent.
Equity-free program with up to $350K in Google Cloud credits, plus direct mentorship from Google engineers. Hybrid format. Applications open for the 2026 cohort. Particularly strong for AI and ML startups in seed to Series A.
Rwanda punches well above its weight as a startup and policy environment. Kigali is increasingly the preferred East African base for regional expansion — business-friendly, low corruption, and English-speaking.
Primary body for Rwanda’s tech sector. Coordinates between government, investors, and startups. Entry point for companies seeking soft landing in East Africa, government partnerships, or access to regional expansion programs.
One-stop shop for investment facilitation. Rwanda has some of the fastest company registration processes in Africa. RDB actively recruits technology companies and provides market entry support, including connections to government procurement.
Coming soon: An interactive quiz to help founders match their venture (sector, stage, needs) with the regions and programs best suited for them. Join the Builders Network to be notified when it launches.
We are most useful to people who are serious about building economic infrastructure not just writing about it.
Kurencee operates globally, with active presence across African markets, the Gulf, Europe, and the United States.
info@kurencee.com
United States (Global operations)
West Africa · East Africa · Gulf · UK · Europe · US