Kurencee invests in and builds infrastructure for private sector companies positioned at the intersection of government economic diversification and lasting regional growth.
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 NetworkBacking private sector companies positioned at the intersection of government economic diversification priorities and private sector innovation in emerging and overlooked markets.
The FundKurencee 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 NetworkBacking private sector companies positioned at the intersection of government economic diversification programs and private sector innovation.
The FundStrategy 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 designed to make it easier to build, test, and scale. A curated list of the most interesting opportunities right now.
Maintained by Kurencee · Last updated: February 2026 · Know something missing? DM us on LinkedIn
Every EU member state must have an AI regulatory sandbox operational by August 2026. These provide controlled environments to develop and test AI systems with regulatory guidance before market release, with limited regulatory relief for participating companies.
First EU country to pilot an AI sandbox (2022). Led by the Secretariat of State for Digitalization and AI.
Among the first to publicly communicate sandbox plans under the AI Act.
Experience with data protection sandboxes; hosted the AI Action Summit in 2025.
Regulatory Sandboxes Innovation Portal launched May 2025. Active Innovation Prize program.
Datatilsynet regulatory sandbox operational since 2020.
One of the world's first (2015). Model for global sandbox design.
Regulatory sandbox specifically for AI as a Medical Device.
Government funding for regulators to establish pro-innovation sandboxes for real-world AI testing.
First US AI sandbox (S.B. 149, 2025). Regulatory mitigation for participants.
Responsible AI Governance Act (2025). Sandbox administered by the Department of Information Resources.
Focus on corporate governance, biotech, healthcare, chemicals, and finance.
Regulatory Sandbox Program for innovative financial services.
US AI Action Plan recommends federal agencies establish AI sandboxes or “AI Centers of Excellence.”
Partnership with NVIDIA for federal agencies to experiment with AI deployment.
Built specifically to gather insights on LLM evaluation gaps. Overseen by IMDA and AI Verify Foundation.
Focused on agentic AI risks including data leakage and prompt injection vulnerabilities.
1 GW AI campus in Abu Dhabi, partnership with G42, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. First phase in 2026.
Planned as the largest AI campus outside the US. Backed by OpenAI, NVIDIA, and local sovereign wealth.
$3.5 billion investment for “AI-first” government. Includes sovereign cloud, 200+ AI solutions across departments, “AI for All” training program.
Government HPC access for startups to reduce model training costs.
Full ecosystem: Access Program (office, housing, health insurance, startup credits up to AED 500K+), Hub71+ AI (specialist AI ecosystem), Hub71+ ClimateTech, Hub71+ Digital Assets, Hub71+ Life Sciences.
Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy program to fast-track 30 startups to billion-dollar valuations by 2026.
R&D grants for startups aligned with UAE national priorities.
Innovation and business growth funding.
Sector-focused incubation and acceleration.
Data centers, semiconductor ecosystems, and AI company investments.
$5 billion AI Zone for training, cloud adoption, and AI innovation.
Advanced AI data centers, hybrid AI across edge and cloud, semiconductor design center.
$10 billion partnership for a global AI hub in Saudi Arabia.
Intensive program for data and AI startups. Empowerment, resources, and connections to global investors.
Up to $140K non-dilutive funding. Open to Saudi and international startups with plans to expand to Saudi. 263+ startups backed, $160M+ collectively raised.
Hybrid accelerator, incubator, and angel investment firm for tech founders.
Targeting $42.7 billion AI-driven GDP contribution by 2030 (7.7% of GDP).
$300 million venture fund for semiconductor and AI startups. Includes AI chip design labs.
Governance, technology, data, infrastructure, ecosystem, and talent.
1.5 billion dinars (~$11M) for AI, cybersecurity, and robotics startups.
Planned for 2025–2026.
57,702 students across 74 AI master’s programs in 52 universities.
8,000 Algerians trained in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and AI.
Established 2023.
Adopted July 2024.
Keeps African data on African infrastructure (previously 80% of traffic routed through Europe/US).
Equity-free program with up to $350K in cloud credits. Hybrid format, April–June 2026 cohort.
Positioned as East Africa’s tech and innovation hub, with active government strategy for digital services and startup infrastructure.
Next week: An interactive quiz to help founders match their venture (sector, stage, needs) with the regions and programs best suited for them.
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.
United States (Global operations)
West Africa · East Africa · Gulf · UK · Europe · US