#62 This week In MENA's Startup Scene!
Dive into the latest Startup News, Trends & Opportunities shaping the MENA region
Hello and welcome back, MENA founders!
What a wild week! Massive funding rounds, slick M&A moves, key policy shifts and AI launches popping up everywhere. It’s been non‑stop action across the region!
Let’s dive right in!
Fundraising Roulette
Metric (UAE/FinTech) raised an Undisclosed 7‑figure Seed round from Sanabil 500 Global, Hub71, i2i Ventures, Plus VC, Epic Angels & Accelerate Prosperity to launch its Chief Financial AI “Max” and expand its AI‑driven financial co‑pilot across the MENAP region
AIREV (UAE/AI) secured an Undisclosed Series A investment from Venturewave Capital to accelerate its On‑Demand AI operating system’s global expansion
Sadq (KSA/Digital Trust) closed USD 1.46M Pre‑Series A round led by Unifonic Fund to scale its legally recognized digital‑signature platform across Saudi institutions
TruBuild (KSA/ConTech) raised $1M Seed round led by Wa’ed Ventures and Dar Ventures to de‑risk construction projects via AI‑powered early‑risk identification and automated documentation in support of Saudi Vision 2030
MSS Holding (Egypt/FinTech) secured $21 M from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to expand its payment‑infrastructure and card‑processing services across Egypt & Africa
VOVE ID (Morocco/RegTech) secured an Undisclosed investment from The Baobab Network to accelerate its AI‑driven KYC platform’s expansion across Africa & Middle East
Konnect (Tunisia) and PayTic (Morocco) received strategic investments from Visa to scale their digital‑payments platforms at GITEX Africa 2025
Emirates NBD (UAE) invested an Undisclosed strategic sum in BridgeWise (USA), which obtained its DIFC operating licence, to launch its AI‑driven investment‑intelligence platform in UAE
M42 (UAE) invested an Undisclosed Series B‑1 in Juvenescence (Global) to co‑develop AI‑enabled therapeutics for age‑related diseases
NEOM Fund (KSA) invested an Undisclosed sum in Liberation Labs to power Topian’s precision‑fermentation facility and boost Saudi food‑security and biomanufacturing capabilities
Dubizzle Group (UAE) acquired Property Monitor (UAE/PropTech) in an Undisclosed deal to strengthen its data‑rich tools for agencies and developers and expand its real‑estate footprint across MENA
Seesaw acquired Little Thinking Minds (MENA/EdTech) in an Undisclosed transaction to integrate Arabic‑literacy solutions into its PreK–12 learning experience platform across the region
ITHCA Group (Oman) and Yango Group (UAE) acquired Otaxi (Oman/Mobility) in an Undisclosed deal to accelerate the ride‑hailing platform’s digital transformation across all governorates in Oman
Main Headlines
Qatar (Qatar/Economy) pledged $7.5B to invest in Egypt’s economy
Abu Dhabi launched the Helm life‑sciences cluster, targeting biotech R&D, new medicines and digital health, projected to add AED 94B ($26B) to GDP by 2045 and create 30,000 job
ASB Capital & State Street Global Advisors (UAE) launched a Sharia‑compliant global equity fund to provide institutional, family‑office and individual investors with access to global equity markets
ADGM fined HAYVN Group (UAE) US$12.46M for unlicensed crypto activities and banned its CEO Christopher Flinos from performing any financial‑services functions in UAE
Saudi Investment Ministry announced that foreign direct investment has quadrupled over the past decade, reflecting the kingdom’s strengthened investment climate
DPI (UK) took over advising the $105M Nclude Fund to launch its DPI Venture Capital platform and bolster fintech innovation in Egypt
Egypt’s House of Representatives passed the long‑awaited Labor Act, granting four‑month paid maternity leave, enhanced job security with anti‑dismissal protections, specialized labor courts for rapid dispute resolution, and updated wage, leave and working‑hours provisions for some 30M workers
Ecosystem Updates
Fekretak Sherketak launched a Fast Track program to streamline startup licensing and provide training, mentorship, legal support and co‑working facilities to startups in Egypt
C4IR Saudi Arabia awarded ten global winners of the Quantum for Society Challenge at The Garage during World Quantum Day, and announced plans to establish a Quantum Valley hub to drive quantum innovation in line with Vision 2030
Deloitte Middle East released the results of its 2025 Technology Fast 50 program, ranking the fastest‑growing tech firms across the Middle East
Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development trained over 35,000 Emirati citizens in entrepreneurship through its nation‑wide training and consultancy programs to empower new business founders
Arab National Bank (ANB) launched its first fintech accelerator in partnership with Plug & Play—featuring the Goal Program, to support early‑stage Saudi fintech startups with investment, mentorship and global expansion pathways
TAMWIL Com & Flat6Labs partnered to deliver a joint accelerator and co‑investment program offering seed funding, mentorship and training to Moroccan startups
Monsha’at launched an entrepreneurship & SME support program in the Al Bahah region in Saudi
Siltak Program launched a micro‑grant and training initiative to empower youth micro‑enterprises, boost financial inclusion and build entrepreneurial skills in Yamen
InDrive & Intelak partnered to bridge funding gaps for Egyptian startups via co‑investment, mentorship and ecosystem‑building support
Startups Highlights
Presight (UAE/AI) plans international expansion of its AI‑powered data‑analytics busines across the Gulf, Southeast & Central Asia and Latin America
Quiqup (UAE/Logistics) entered the Saudi logistics market, launching its core fulfilment and delivery services in Riyadh with strategic support from the Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund after doubling its business in two years
Wafeq (UAE/FinTech) partnered with Comfi to embed invoice‑financing into its accounting platform, unlocking up to AED 2M in working capital per SME and committing $5M in disbursements
Kilow (Saudi Arabia/HealthTech) launched its Arabic‑language weight‑loss app, combining GLP‑1 medication, real‑time tracking and lifestyle coaching tailored to Saudi habits, ahead of a regional rollout and upcoming funding round
Zain launched the Bede mobile‑wallet platform in Sudan, offering transfers, bill payments, airtime top‑ups and cash in/out via feature and smart phones
Techy Bytes
Lebanon unveiled the LEAP digital‑transformation strategy, a five‑year plan to integrate AI across Education, Justice and Health, enact enabling legislation and forge strategic partnerships to become a regional tech hub
ICACP developed an AI‑powered facial‑recognition digital‑ID system to replace physical Emirates ID cards within a year
Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications & IT launched the Digital Accessibility Guide Oman, a comprehensive framework for mobile‑app and website developers to embed accessibility standards from day one
Tamkeen partnered with Invita to integrate Nasmaakum, a sign‑language mobile app, into its services, empowering hearing and speech‑impaired users to access support and bridging the inclusion gap in Bahrain
AWS & Manara collaborated to train 2,500 software engineers across MENA in cloud and AI skills, backed by a $3.6 M AWS investment over two years
e& UAE launched an autonomous, AI‑powered drone‑based telecom‑tower inspection system controlled via its new Drones Operations Centre, boosting safety, speeding up inspections and enabling real‑time structural‑anomaly detection
Saudi Ministry of Interior & SDAIA launched Tasreeh, a unified digital Hajj‑permit platform integrated with Nusuk and Tawakkalna, streamlining issuance and verification for pilgrims, workers and volunteers under Vision 2030
Federal Judge ruled that Google illegally monopolized the adtech market and opened the door to potential breakup or behavioral remedies to ensure fair competition
OpenAI (USA/AI) launched the o3 and o4‑mini reasoning models, featuring chain‑of‑thought across math, coding, science and visual inputs plus web‑browsing, code‑execution and image‑processing tools
That’s a wrap for this week!
We hope this week's digest of the latest funding, insights, and ecosystem news helps you stay ahead in the fast-paced MENA region.
Stay tuned for more insights next week