stc launches colab to build new digital businesses

stc has launched colab at LEAP 2026, giving the Saudi telecom group a dedicated unit to turn promising digital ideas into businesses of its own. Rather than only backing an outside startup, a venture builder spots a market gap, tests the technology and business model, then uses stc’s customer reach, infrastructure, and industry expertise to scale what works. Colab completes a three-part setup: InspireU helps early-stage founders grow, tali ventures invests in established technology companies, and colab builds ventures from the ground up. The move matters because it gives stc a more direct way to turn the assets of a large telecom operator into new sources of growth; the group points to STC Bank, which began as its stc pay digital wallet, as an earlier example of that path.