Rimal Semiconductors, a Saudi-based chip design startup, has raised a bridge funding round from Keheilan Asset Management alongside an undisclosed regional investor, bolstering its ambitions to expand its role in the global semiconductor ecosystem.
The new capital will advance Rimal’s plan to scale as a fabless semiconductor company—focusing on chip design while relying on international foundries for manufacturing. The startup already works with partners in Taiwan, South Korea, and China, and is now in talks with US foundries to further broaden its production footprint.
Rimal frames this distributed model as a strategic response to the increasingly fragmented semiconductor landscape, where US–China tensions continue to reshape supply chains and limit market access for many firms.
By keeping its intellectual property under Saudi ownership while diversifying manufacturing across multiple geographies, the company aims to ensure its chip designs can reach global customers regardless of where fabrication takes place.
The startup is also close to finalizing a distribution agreement with a regional partner covering Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and the UAE. The deal includes on‑the‑ground engineering teams to support clients in each market.
Rimal currently has six contracts in advanced stages, including one with a major Egyptian conglomerate. The projects span defence technologies, power grid systems, and data‑centre infrastructure—sectors where demand for specialized semiconductor solutions continues to accelerate.
