#72 This week In MENA's Startup Scene!
Dive into the latest Startup News, Trends & Opportunities shaping the MENA region
Welcome back, MENA founders!
We're bringing you another comprehensive roundup, covering this week's most important funding deals, ecosystem shifts, and essential tech news from around MENA
Fundraising Roulette
Related (UAE/Loyaltytech) secured SAR 30M from Equivator to accelerate its loyalty‑and‑rewards platform expansion into Saudi Arabia and Europe
idea‑L (UAE/AI) closed a $1 M pre‑seed round to accelerate platform development, launch its GovToken, and expand its mentor network
Morni (KSA/Mobility) received an investment from STV’s newly launched $100 M NICE Fund to shift from roadside assistance to a full automotive ecosystem covering auctions, TPA insurance, garage networks, parts recycling, and expansion into the UAE
Ejari (KSA/PropTech) closed a new funding round to expand its Rent‑Now‑Pay‑Later solution across the Kingdom
Spekter Games (KSA/Gaming) secured a $5 M pre-seed round, led by Impact46, to launch its Telegram-integrated roguelite game, Spekter Agency
Roomz (Egypt/PropTech) raised a pre‑seed round led by Qora71 to scale its AI‑powered co‑living platform beyond Cairo across the MENA region
AgriCash (Egypt/Agritech) secured a pre‑seed round led by Alex Angels and several investors to advance its interest‑free BNPL model, crop insurance, and AI‑driven support for over 1,500 farmers
Nowlun (Egypt/Logistics) raised an additional $600K, bringing its total seed round to $2.3 M, led by Ingressive Capital, to accelerate development of its AI‑powered Smart Logistics Assistant
Global Ventures (MENA) led a €7.5 M seed round in French deep tech startup PoliCloud to scale its sovereign eco-friendly HPC and edge cloud infrastructure across Europe
Main Headlines
Qatar Investment Authority launched a $275 M market‑making fund to boost liquidity and attract investment into the Qatar Stock Exchange
Stryde (UAE) acquired Qora71 to form Stryde71, incorporating its 130+ angels and over $2 M deployed capital into a new VC arm on its DFSA-regulated platform
Aria Ventures (Egypt) launched a $1 M deep tech fund aiming to grow to $4 M over four years, targeting early‑stage startups in AI, biotech, robotics IoT via its DeepTecher venture studio initiative
Central Bank of Egypt issued new licensing and registration rules for payment system operators and service providers covering local and foreign players’ capital minimums, prior‑approval requirements, and a 12‑month grace period
Beltone Leasing secured a $20 M loan from the Egyptian Arab Land Bank to expand financing for MSMEs and fund green-energy projects across Egypt
World Bank approved over $1B for key projects in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, including $930 M for Iraq's railways infrastructure, $146M for restoring Syria’s electricity grid, and $250M for Lebanon’s public services infrastructure
Syria registered 5,768 new companies in the first five months of 2025, compared to around 88 in the same period in 2024, largely driven by Syrian‑owned trade and import‑export firms
Ecosystem Updates
Presight and Hub71 launched an AI accelerator for 10 MENA startups in Abu Dhabi focused on healthcare finance and climatetech applications
Sheraa (Sharjah) celebrated its latest cohort of graduates during Final Showcase Day, featuring 12 startups across EdTech, FemTech, and sustainability
Ruya and Ignyte partnered to deliver integrated support for UAE-based startups, combining accelerator programs with investment and advisory services
Saudi Ministry of Health partnered with Biolabs to launch a biotech accelerator to nurture early‑stage healthtech and biotech startups focused on diagnostics, therapeutics, and medical devices
Sunbulah launched the second cohort of its agri-tech accelerator in Saudi Arabia, connecting startups in Riyadh and Paris to scale solutions in precision agriculture and foodtech
ChemStarter launched MENA’s first green chemistry accelerator in Amman to support startups working on sustainable chemical processes and eco‑friendly materials
Orange Jordan announced the winners of its 2025 Inspiring Change Award, empowering women in tech through mentorship, training, and seed funding
Iraq’s Central Bank launched a major program to boost youth entrepreneurship, including grants, loans, and mentorship for startup founders under 35
Raya launched the final round of its FutureTECH Accelerator in partnership with GIZ to support startups in AI, IoT, and enterprise tech in Egypt
Tamkeen and Zoho partnered to drive digital transformation for Bahraini SMEs via cloud tools, training programs, and subsidized software licenses
OQX celebrated the graduation of its first accelerator cohort in Oman and signed a key deal with ITHCA to offer R&D facilities and commercial integration support
OECD and Egypt released a major report outlining policy recommendations to strengthen SME development and entrepreneurship across Egypt
Startups Highlights
UAE and Saudi innovators became finalists at the Global AI World Series Awards in Dubai, showcasing cutting‑edge solutions in healthcare, agritech, and cybersecurity
Tasaheel closed a landmark EGP 4.7B SME‑backed bond issuance to expand access to sustainable financing for underserved small businesses across Egypt
Valu made its debut on the Egyptian Exchange, becoming one of the first fintech firms to list, signaling strong investor confidence in Egypt’s digital finance sector
Noon launched a comprehensive summer support program for delivery riders across MENA, offering health coverage, training, and performance incentives to support its logistics network
Space42 (UAE) launched a new Thuraya Hotspot device to boost satellite connectivity for remote MENA regions
Lucid Motors to mass‑produce its mid‑size luxury SUV from its new facility in Saudi Arabia to meet growing regional EV demand
HeroGo (UAE) won AED 300K at the MAJRA Sustainable Impact Challenge to scale its IoT‑powered farm monitoring and sustainable agriculture solution
Altery MENA secured a DFSA license in Dubai’s DIFC to expand its digital asset and crypto trading services across the region
Codebase and Fuze partnered to enhance digital remittances in MENA by integrating blockchain‑based transfers with real‑time delivery and compliance tools
Basatne MENA and Likewize unveiled the Middle East’s first smartphone subscription program offering flexible monthly plans, upgrades, and full device protection
Techy Bytes
Tunisian engineers made history with their first-ever entry into the Battle of Robot global competition, showcasing advanced robotics and national innovation on an international stage
UAE and Saudi innovators were named among the finalists for the Global AI World Series Awards in Dubai
G42 hosted the Supercharge AI Summit in Abu Dhabi, bringing together global tech leaders, including Sam Altman and Brad Smith, to discuss the future of AI
Abu Dhabi completed its first autonomous drone delivery pilot, paving the way for large-scale unmanned logistics operations across the emirate
True Gamers opened four new gaming and esports hubs in Saudi Arabia as part of its regional expansion strategy targeting MENA’s growing esports market
Arab Open University and GBM forged a cybersecurity alliance to build digital resilience across education and public institutions through joint training and threat response programs
CRA (Qatar) launched a national campaign to boost digital literacy and cybersecurity skills, targeting students, professionals, and underserved communities across the country
QIB (Qatar) launched the country’s first Fintech banking experience for kids and teens, combining a mobile app with physical card tools to promote early financial literacy
Oman launched a new digital platform for property title deeds, enabling faster, secure, and fully digital access to real estate ownership records
Orange Jordan championed the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the ICT sector through dedicated employment programs, partnerships, and accessible technology initiatives
Starlink sought an official license to operate in Lebanon, marking a potential shift in the country’s satellite internet access and digital infrastructure
Zoho launched AI-powered Zia Hubs to help MENA businesses unlock insights from unstructured data using generative AI across multiple platforms
Google unveiled Gemini CLI, an open-source AI tool that brings multimodal capabilities directly to terminal environments for developers and engineers
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