Nuelink at LEAP 2026: Highlights, Insights & the Future of Social Media Automation

LEAP 2026 officially kicked off on August 31, but for us at Nuelink, the journey started much earlier.

Weeks before we stepped onto the exhibition floor in Riyadh, we were already deep in briefings, founder bootcamps, matchmaking sessions, and more than a few conversations about what to expect. There were pitches to prepare,  profiles to polish, and meetings to schedule.

This year, Nuelink joined the DCO, The Digital Cooperation Organisation, startup delegation at LEAP, giving us the chance to showcase what we're building, meet founders and investors, connect with potential partners, and get a closer look at the opportunities emerging in Saudi Arabia's tech ecosystem.

And LEAP turned out to be much more than four busy days at a booth.

Between pitching Nuelink, sitting down with founders and business leaders, joining DCO conversations, and exploring what it actually takes to expand into the Saudi and global markets, every day brought something different.

Getting Ready for LEAP: The Weeks Before the Event

LEAP may have started on August 31, but our calendars were already filling up weeks before that.

The first stop was a DCO briefing on August 10 focused on startup participation. It was the practical stuff you need before a big event: exhibitor onboarding, logistics, marketing assets, and, most importantly, investor matchmaking. 

We also learned that DCO was finalizing a deal book that would be shared with more than 65 investors and observers. Suddenly, LEAP felt a lot more real.

A week later, we joined the LEAP Founder Bootcamp: From Interest to Investment. This one was less about logistics and more about getting into the right mindset. The session focused on how investors think and how founders can better prepare for VC conversations. 

Then came the final stretch.

On August 27, we joined a LEAP x DeepFest webinar covering everything from optimizing our company profile on the LEAP app to using the Lead Retrieval Tool and scheduling meetings with prospects. 

At that point, we completed our exhibitor registration and officially got access to our digital badge and exhibitor entry. The pitch was ready, the meetings were lined up, and our spot on the exhibition floor was waiting for us.

Next stop: Riyadh!

Day One: First Meetings, First Impressions

After weeks of preparation, briefings, and getting everything ready, it was time to actually experience LEAP. Our home for the event was pod H1A.P515, right in the middle of the action, with a full schedule of meetings ahead of us.

Nuelink’s founder, Bilal, met Brahim Boukaskas, Business Developer at Total Specific Solutions. From there, the afternoon moved quickly. We met Omar Srour, Founder of FoxHat, followed by Komal Riaz, Founder of Hoff & Mazor and Aun Raza, AI Architect at TON (Telegram), one of the many social channels we support on Nuelink. 

There was also plenty happening around us. We had the pleasure of joining a Blossom panel on soft landing in Saudi Arabia, offering insights into what it actually looks like for founders entering the Kingdom. It was a fitting topic.

And that was only Day One.

Day Two: Putting Nuelink on the Pitch Stage

If Day One was about getting into the rhythm of LEAP, Day Two was about putting Nuelink in front of a much bigger audience.

Tuesday was the second day of the DCO DealZone, with the focus shifting toward strategic visibility. And for us, the biggest moment of the day came.

Taking Nuelink to the Stage

We joined the DCO Startup Pitching 2 session alongside startups including FADL Invest, I4RLab, Halala Plus, and others. After all the preparation around investor conversations and elevator pitches in the weeks leading up to LEAP, this was our chance to put it all into practice.

Pitching Nuelink in this setting was different from explaining the product to someone at the booth. You have a limited amount of time to communicate what you're building, why it matters, and where you're going next. No pressure, right?

Once the pitch was done, it was straight back into matchmaking mode.

We met Somesh Putatunda from Ctruh, while also having the opportunity to sit in on sessions from NTDP and MISA focused on helping startups expand and launch in Saudi Arabia. These sessions added another perspective to many of the conversations happening throughout LEAP.

Later that afternoon, we joined the DCO startup delegation at the Investor & Founder Stage for a meeting with the DCO Secretary-General, Deemah AlYahya. Being part of the delegation gave us another opportunity to connect beyond the exhibition floor and see the broader ecosystem DCO was bringing together at LEAP.

And the day still wasn't over.

That evening, we headed to the AstroLabs Saudi Connect 2026 event, where the focus was on Saudi expansion and growth. After a full day of pitches and meetings, it was a chance to continue the conversation in a different setting, and hear directly about what it takes for startups to make the move from interest in Saudi Arabia to actually building and growing there.

Day Three: Beyond the Booth

Day Three was part of the DCO Portfolio Activation, and it took us beyond the exhibition floor. One of the highlights came in the morning, when we were invited to a closed-door DCO Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on “Strengthening Online Content Integrity.”

We also met Abdullah Asad, Technical Lead at SoftVerx, followed by a meeting with Faisal Tahir, Founder & COO of Algorithm.

And that was perhaps the most interesting part of Day Three.

We weren't just talking about what Nuelink does. We were listening to what founders, businesses, investors, and ecosystem leaders were working on, what they were looking for, and where they saw opportunities.

After two packed days of meetings and pitching, those conversations gave us a slightly bigger picture of where Nuelink could fit into the ecosystem.

Day Four: Wrapping Up, But Not Really Saying Goodbye

The final day continued with another session focused on Saudi soft landing, this time covering everything from setting up and entering the market to contracting in the Kingdom. We also had the chance to attend another Blossom panel, “Soft Landing Success in Saudi Arabia: Insights from Founder Somi.” 

And that's probably the best way to end a conference like LEAP. You leave with a badge that's no longer needed, a calendar full of new contacts, and a much longer list of conversations to continue.

The exhibition may have been over, but for Nuelink, the interesting part was just beginning.

Until Next Time!

And just like that, LEAP 2026 came to an end.

Four days, countless conversations, a pitch, matchmaking meetings, workshops, roundtables, and a whole lot of coffee later, we left Riyadh with much more than we came with.

A big thank you to the DCO team for bringing Nuelink into the Startup delegation and creating so many opportunities to connect with founders, investors, and the wider tech ecosystem.

And to everyone who stopped by, sat down with us, asked questions, shared an idea, or simply wanted to know what we're building at Nuelink, thank you. These conversations are what made the week worthwhile.

LEAP might be over, but the conversations aren't.