#71 This week In MENA's Startup Scene!
Dive into the latest Startup News, Trends & Opportunities shaping the MENA region
Welcome back, MENA founders!
We’ve rounded up all the latest from the MENA startup scene, including fresh funding rounds, main startup news, key ecosystem updates, and the most exciting shifts in tech and innovation across the region
Fundraising Roulette
Nawy (Egypt/PropTech) raised $23M in debt financing to scale its tech-enabled property search and transaction platform and fuel operational growth
Octane (Egypt) raised $5.2M in a round led by regional and global investors to digitize fleet payments and fuel management for logistics operators across MENA
Prop-AI (UAE/PropTech) secured $1.5M in a pre-seed round led by Plus VC to enhance its AI-driven real estate solutions and support its go-to-market strategy across the GCC
Saturnx (UAE/Fintech) secured a $3M seed round led by White Star Capital to enhance its stablecoin-powered payments platform and expand across emerging markets
Octa (UAE/Fintech) secured a $20M credit facility from Sukna Fund to fuel its expansion across the MENA region and strengthen its embedded finance infrastructure for businesses
Yazles (UAE) sold its MENA operations to gaming adtech firm Napptix in a strategic exit aimed at expanding Napptix’s presence in the region’s fast-growing mobile advertising sector
Darwinz AI (KSA/AI) raised $325K in a seed round to grow its AI copilot platform, designed to help enterprises automate workflows and boost productivity across the MENA region
Talenteo (Algeria/HRtech) secured a new funding round backed by 216 Capital to enhance its recruitment and talent management platform and expand across Francophone Africa
Valu (Egypt/Fintech) received a strategic direct investment from Amazon, positioning it for IPO readiness and further growth in Egypt’s BNPL and digital financial services market
iSchool (Egypt) acquired SEEDS (KSA), expanding its AI-powered education offerings and solidifying its footprint in the Kingdom’s growing EdTech landscape
NAMA Ventures (KSA) backed Finbar (UK) with a £250K pre-seed investment to support the development of its AI-powered financial research platform and enable its expansion into MENA markets
Middle East Venture Partners led a $2M seed round for Xfolio (KSA) to simplify portfolio management and drive growth in the region’s evolving wealthtech sector
NTDP (KSA) granted a $2M fund to US-based Kneron to boost the development of edge AI hardware
UAE and Qatar sovereign funds invested in Applied Intuition (USA) to bolster strategic exposure to autonomous mobility technologies
Main Headlines
Endeavor Catalyst announced plans for a $300M Fund VI to focus on scaling high-growth MENA startups through follow-on investments and global investor access
Al Sulaiman Group (KSA) acquired fintech player Taajer Finance to enter the Kingdom’s financial services sector
MIS (KSA) exited its early stake in Anthropic, capitalizing on the AI company’s soaring valuation and delivering strong returns amid the global AI investment surge
EDGNEX by NEOM (KSA) announced a $2.3B investment to develop a massive new data center in Jakarta, Indonesia
PIF (KSA) launched a new company to develop and operate the infrastructure for Riyadh Expo 2030
Humain (KSA) launched a new division, Humain Create, to accelerate AI-driven innovation across media, gaming, and advertising
MSMEDA (Egypt) partnered with fintech platform Flind to inject EGP 200M into Egypt’s SME sector through a new digital lending program focused on underserved businesses across the country
Egypt and the EU launched a $5.8B Green Investment Platform to support climate-resilient infrastructure, renewable energy, and sustainable growth in North Africa
Jordan secured a €35M grant from the German government to support job creation by fostering entrepreneurship and startup development across the Kingdom
Oracle announced the launch of a new R&D center in Casablanca to nurture local tech talent and strengthen the country’s role as a regional innovation hub
Idlib (Syria) launched its first Economic Free Zone to attract investment, reactivate trade routes, and support post-liberation economic recovery across northwest Syria
Ecosystem Updates
Riyadh jumped 60 spots to break into the world’s top 25 startup ecosystems
NayaOne unveiled Saudi Arabia’s first fully locally hosted fintech sandbox platform, enabling startups, banks, and regulators to securely build and test financial innovations within the Kingdom’s digital finance ecosystem
Netaj (Iraq) launched Nawat, the country’s first venture studio, to incubate and build high-potential startups in underserved Iraqi markets
Amman Arab University teamed up with fintech firm Dinarak to nurture Jordan’s startup ecosystem through new joint programs in digital finance, entrepreneurship, and innovation skills development
Qatar FinTech Hub announced the winners of its 2025 FinTech Hackathon, spotlighting breakthrough solutions in digital banking, SME financing, and AI-powered financial services
MBRIF Accelerator (UAE) showcased its ninth cohort during Demo Day, highlighting a new wave of innovative startups tackling key sectors from sustainability to fintech
Sanabil Accelerator by 500 Global welcomed its ninth batch of high-growth MENA startups in Riyadh
BINA Incubator (Libya) signed a strategic partnership with Tripoli Municipality to support early-stage entrepreneurs
Madinah-Tech (KSA) launched a new initiative to nurture urban tech startups focused on smart cities, mobility, and sustainability
OnDemand and 42 Abu Dhabi kicked off a national challenge to empower UAE talent to build AI agents
Startups Highlights
Careem suspended its operations in Pakistan, citing sustained economic challenges, currency devaluation, and a difficult business environment
Stake (UAE) partnered with Pay-to-Card to allow investors to use credit cards for fractional real estate investments
Swypex (Egypt) launched the country’s first approval-based corporate card, enabling businesses to streamline expenses, improve controls, and shift towards fully cashless operations
Arrw (Egypt) launched in Alexandria as the city’s first licensed ride-hailing platform offering hyper-local transportation solutions tailored to Egyptian commuters
Fawry (Egypt) recorded significant trading volume on the EGX as its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) shares became actively traded
SpacePoint partnered with Advanced Rocket Technologies to strengthen space education across MENA
Trango Tech (UAE) launched WareGo, an AI-powered cloud warehouse management system designed to serve GCC markets with real-time inventory tracking, smart forecasting, and automated supply chain optimization
Techy Bytes
UAE achieved a new milestone in space tech with the successful development of its first locally built satellite propulsion system
Abu Dhabi launched Binaa, the region’s first AI-powered building permit platform, designed to streamline approvals and reduce licensing time for construction projects
G42 (UAE) partnered with US-based Liquid AI to strengthen edge AI infrastructure across the region and accelerate real-time, device-level intelligence deployment
Dubai’s Museum of the Future unveiled the 2025 edition of its Future Heroes Summer Camp, designed to inspire and equip young innovators through hands-on tech and science activities
Qatar-based Ibtechar partnered with AI Crafters to accelerate AI-driven transformation in Qatar’s public and private sectors through collaborative projects and skill-building programs
Tasheel (KSA) partnered with Egypt’s NowPay to launch Now Access, a wage processing platform designed to streamline salary disbursements and boost financial wellness for employees
Meta partnered with the UAE Digital Wellbeing Council to roll out new safety measures on Instagram
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabia’s esports ambitions as the global ambassador for the $60M+ Esports World Cup
ITIDA (Egypt) rolled out a nationwide summer internship program to prepare over 10,000 students for careers in Egypt’s rapidly growing tech sector
Algeria launched 40 new digital specialties across universities and training institutes and unveiled its first Sovereign Cybersecurity Strategy
X is transforming into an all-in-one financial hub with plans to integrate investment, trading, and payment features
WhatsApp upgraded its Business App with advanced tools tailored for MENA startups, including enhanced messaging, automation, and analytics features
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