MASNA Ventures, LLC, or MASNA, is Saudi Arabia's first defense venture capital fund. It is founded by Lucien Zeigler and Nehal Farooqi. The firm launched in 2026 with a target of approximately $100 million for its first fund, backing early-stage defense and dual-use technologies while supporting localization of manufacturing in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking about the firm’s strategy, Zeigler said MASNA aims to “translate technological edge into defense superiority by backing world-leading, trusted U.S. and allied technologies and scaling their manufacture in Saudi Arabia.” In comments to AGBI, he described the fund as structured to align venture investment with Saudi Arabia’s defense industrial policy, noting that localization requirements are reshaping how foreign defense technology companies approach the Kingdom’s market.
He has also emphasized that MASNA is designed not only to provide capital but to help portfolio companies navigate industrial partnerships and regulatory pathways, positioning localization as a strategic growth lever.
The Twenty30 Podcast is a bi-weekly podcast hosted by Lucien Zeigler and Dr. Hanaa Almoaibed. Each podcast features Zeigler and Almoaibed discussing current events in Saudi Arabia and interviewing Saudi Arabian changemakers. The podcast premiered April 21, 2024.
Lucien Zeigler (born 1985) is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and defense industry executive. He is co-founder and General Partner of MASNA Ventures, Saudi Arabia’s first defense-focused venture capital firm, and Chief Executive Officer of REDSALT Defense, a U.S.–Saudi defense technology and industrial acceleration platform . He is also the creator and co-host of The Twenty30 Podcast, an English-language series examining Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation and global innovation trends .
Pradip Vinubhai Zalavadiya (born 8 October 1999) is an Indian politician who has been in office in India since 2017. Pradip Zalavadiya has been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Gujarat from 2017 to 2026. Currently, the VICE PREDENT "Puna East- YOUTH BJP(SURAT)" .