Think AI Startup Launches in Riyadh, Targeting GPU Efficiency and AI Infrastructure Bottlenecks

Think AI startup launched today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, founded by former Sandsoft CTO Ahmed AlSharif and technology sales veteran Ammar Enaya. The company focuses on building unified software and hardware artificial intelligence infrastructure that addresses performance bottlenecks including cooling, power efficiency, and GPU utilisation.

From Games to AI: The Engineering Philosophy Behind Think

AlSharif spent 16 years in engineering and technical roles at PlayStation, EA, and Meta before pivoting to AI infrastructure. He said his background in extracting maximum performance from constrained hardware directly informed Think’s approach.

“I’ve spent close to two decades as a software engineer and engineering leader, and the games industry has been optimising GPUs and extracting maximum performance from constrained hardware for over forty years. So in reality, my core discipline was to solve compute problems.”

Ahmed AlSharif, Co-Founder and CEO, Think

AlSharif added that the rapid expansion of data centres and AI platforms has driven shortages and rising costs for memory and GPUs. He said Think applies the same engineering philosophy from the games industry to address what the company frames as a GPU efficiency challenge rather than a hardware procurement problem.

Think AI Startup Co-Founder Brings 30 Years of Regional Sales Experience

Co-founder Ammar Enaya brings more than 30 years of experience leading sales teams at technology companies across the Middle East. His previous roles include positions at Cisco, HPE Aruba, and Vectra AI.

“With Think, we have a huge opportunity to work with companies that see the potential for AI, but are constrained by the rising cost of hardware, the dominance of a handful of cloud-based AI companies, and concerns around the security and sovereignty of their data and infrastructure.”

Ammar Enaya, Co-Founder, Think

Enaya stated that conversations with companies across the region confirmed that infrastructure challenges affect organisations of all sizes. He said the response has validated Think’s focus on AI sovereignty and data privacy without reliance on traditional data centres or cloud dependencies.

Patents Pending and LEAP Debut Planned for August 2026

Think has patents pending on several new products. The company plans to unveil these products at LEAP, a technology exhibition held in Riyadh, scheduled for August 31 to September 3, 2026. The event serves as a major showcase for technology companies operating in the Middle East.

The company has been bootstrapped by its two founders to date. However, Think is actively exploring an initial funding round to support the rollout of its new products. The company has already signed several memoranda of understanding with prospective partners.

AI Sovereignty and the Regional Infrastructure Challenge

Think’s stated mission is to make AI infrastructure affordable, sustainable, and accessible. The company targets organisations, enterprises, and governments seeking to achieve AI sovereignty with full cybersecurity controls and data privacy. Think is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The launch positions Think within a growing regional conversation about reducing dependence on a small number of dominant cloud-based AI providers. Moreover, the company’s focus on GPU efficiency aligns with broader concerns about the cost and availability of computing hardware for AI workloads globally.