A long, welcoming avenue lined with highly scented fig, orange and mulberry trees. A barista preparing perfectly pale green-graduated matcha lattes. A meltingly tender wagyu sandwich. An evening of electronic music and fascinating conversation. I think it’s safe to say that the Outliers Builders Summit 2025 in the heart of Riyadh was no ordinary VC event.

It was a day crammed with a compelling and fascinating programme of talks, conversations and interactive events hosted by leading lights of what I can only describe as the ‘creative VC community.’ This diverse group of luminaries was drawn together in one place in Saudi Arabia to share ideas and experiences so exciting I kept having to hold myself back from joining in with their brilliant debates.

But then, I should have known that anything Outliers do was always going to surprise and delight. From the branding and web design project we completed for them earlier this year to shaping the look and feel of every aspect of this extraordinary event, memorable and determinedly distinctive experiences are at the core of their approach to everything.