#82 This week In MENA's Startup Scene!
Dive into the latest Startup News, Trends & Opportunities shaping the MENA region
Welcome back to MENA Startup Digest!
We are bringing you the latest round-up of startup news, updates, and opportunities in the MENA region.
Fundraising Roulette
Orbii (KSA/Fintech) secured $3.6M in a seed round led by Prosus Ventures, with backing from VentureSouq, Dash Ventures, Taz Investments, and Sanabil 500, to scale its AI-powered credit infrastructure and target $1B in SME loans across MENA by 2026.
Seraya (UAE/Proptech) raised $1.8M in a seed round led by a KSA-based family office and DLL, bringing total funding to $2.15M, as it scales its premium serviced apartments in Dubai with 92%+ occupancy and targets 50 units by end of 2025
Intella (Saudi Arabia/AI) secured $12.5M in an oversubscribed Series A led by Prosus to expand its Arabic speech-to-text AI, scale enterprise solutions, and grow across MENA
WheelsOn (UAE/Mobility) secured $12.5M in equity, fleet financing, and bank debt to expand its car rental platform, grow its fleet, and roll out AI-driven pricing and digital key features across the GCC
Fitting (KSA/Contech) raised $500K in a pre-seed round from a strategic angel investor to scale its construction supply chain platform and strengthen partnerships in Saudi Arabia
Justyol (Morocco/E-commerce) raised $1M in equity and inventory financing from an angel investor and Turkey’s Danis Group to expand its cross-border platform across North Africa
Addvocate.AI (Tunisia/AI) secured a strategic investment from 216 Capital to expand its AI-powered sales performance platform and accelerate international growth from its France-Tunisia base
Main Headlines
anb capital (KSA) and Lexham Partners (UK) launched a $200M MENA Tech Growth Fund to back late-stage and pre-IPO technology companies, with a focus on Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 digital transformation agenda
Progressio and Falak Startups (Egypt) launched a $10M Intellectual Property Venture Fund to commercialize patents and research-driven innovations across universities and scientific institutions
Qatar Investment Authority joined the $13B Series F round of US-based AI firm Anthropic, led by ICONIQ with participation from Fidelity, Lightspeed, BlackRock, and Goldman Sachs, to support global AI safety and enterprise expansion
Basata Holding (Egypt/Fintech) announced plans to deploy $7M in 2026 to strengthen its payments ecosystem, expand into Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Kurdistan, and grow its merchant network to 150,000
Khazna Data Centres (UAE) secured a $2.62B credit facility from ADCB and FAB to expand its UAE footprint, grow across MENA, and pursue global projects targeting 1GW capacity with AI-enabled infrastructure
Qatar Cabinet approved the establishment of a National Center for Artificial Intelligence under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to formalize and lead the country’s AI ecosystem
G42 (Abu Dhabi) announced plans to sell a 2% stake in Presight AI via an accelerated book build, expected to raise $100M+, reduce its holding to 68.5%, and boost free float ahead of potential FTSE index inclusion
Saudi Arabia and the UK signed $5.3B worth of investment agreements at the Great Futures Summit in London across 38 deals spanning mining, chemicals, and biotech, with a bilateral trade target of £30B by 2030
UAE Ministry of Finance issued new corporate tax decisions for Free Zones, expanding qualifying activities, clarifying treasury and financing rules, and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a competitive global business hub
Oman’s Financial Services Authority introduced the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) on the Muscat Stock Exchange to expand SME access to capital, support green finance, and promote innovation under a simplified regulatory framework
Oman Future Fund (Oman) launched an SME lending portfolio run with Beehive’s AI underwriting, targeting sub-2-week decisions and complementing OMR 1.249B invested across 45 projects
Madinah Angels (Global/Muslim Tech) launched as the first angel syndicate dedicated to Muslim founders and investors, announcing its first seed investment in REG-1, an AI-powered Regtech ecosystem led by Shak Ashraf
Monsha’at (KSA) launched the second Esterdad refund initiative worth SAR 1.5B to reimburse key government fees for startups in their first three years, with applications open until end of 2026 and disbursements running through 2028
Ecosystem Updates
Cultural Fund in Saudi Arabia launched Namaa Accelerators Handicrafts track aligned with Year of Handicrafts 2025, training 113 craft establishments and advancing 40 into a 14-week accelerator with mentorship and investor access to boost a SAR 1.5B market
500 MENA announced the 3rd cohort of Sanabil Startup Unlocked by 500 Global in Riyadh, selecting 17 startups, including FinFlow.AI, Najeeb.Ai, Scale by AI, and Zameeli, for a 5-day bootcamp with hands-on mentorship and workshops to prepare for Saudi expansion
Numu Angels (KSA) hosted the Spark Angel Event in Riyadh, connecting 200+ investors and entrepreneurs, featuring five startup pitches from fintech and automotive ventures, and announcing a larger follow-up event this December
Hub71 welcomed a record AI-intensive Cohort 17 of 26 startups from 12 countries, collectively funded with $223M+, 81% AI-driven, and eligible for up to AED 500K in incentives (with top performers up to AED 1M)
Sheraa announced 12 shortlisted startups for Access Sharjah Challenge 2025 from 4,600+ applications across 90+ countries, offering a Startup Readiness Sprint and AED 250K pilot contracts per track ahead of a September 9 Pitch Day
Abu Dhabi Business Women Council and du signed an MoU to equip women-led SMEs with discounted connectivity and digital tools, supporting innovation and participation in the UAE’s digital economy
Sharjah Business Women Council (UAE) launched an initiative to sponsor eight women-led startups at Expand North Star 2025 in Dubai, covering premium booths, automatic entry into the $214K Supernova Challenge, and access to category prizes such as Sustainability Leaders and Fintech Disruptor
TiE Dubai (UAE) announced 11 women-led startup finalists for the TiE Women MENA Pitch Event, set for September 10 at in5 Dubai, with the winner advancing to the regional finals
Jahez and Kuwait Innovation Center concluded Kuwait’s first Food Innovation Hackathon, engaging 19 teams to tackle food sector challenges with tech-driven solutions, awarding Project Wasel, Project Lamma, and Dynamic Pricing as winners in line with Kuwait Vision 2035
AB Xelerate (Jordan) concluded its 3rd bootcamp with 10 regional AI startups from Jordan, KSA, UAE, Egypt, and Palestine, crowning Wittify.ai as winner, with InvoiceMate and Veehive as runners-up
Afkar Plus introduced the Dukan Afkar initiative in Hama, offering its fully equipped hall free of charge for community-led events and knowledge-sharing sessions, reinforcing its role as an incubator for entrepreneurship and local impact
Aram Lab (Syria) unveiled the country’s first interactive startup ecosystem map, created by local and diaspora Syrians to clarify actors across ideation, growth, funding, and regulation
Madinet Masr and Orange Corners (Egypt) celebrated the 2024 cohort graduation, supporting 130 startups across Delta and Upper Egypt with €4K grants each and programs emphasizing inclusion and job creation expected to exceed 3,000 roles
MCIT (Egypt) launched the first Digitopia Competition with EGP 10M in prizes across software & AI, gaming & digital arts, and cybersecurity, targeting participants aged 10–35 from students to entrepreneurs,
Ministry of Economy & Finance in Morocco launched the pilot Gender Lens program in Souss-Massa with Tamwilkom and GIZ to boost women-led SMEs via training and preferential financing up to MAD 5M at 2% for up to 7 years
Riyada opened a new Entrepreneurship Center in Sohar, serving 22,250 registered enterprises in North Al Batinah with co-working spaces, mentorship, training, and financing opportunities, bringing Riyada’s nationwide network to 29 centers
Big Geeks X Challenge 2025 in Cairo concluded with Ecoshell and Biolumnicare winning grand prizes of EGP 30K each, and Online with U taking first prize of EGP 10K; 24 teams competed, with Vortex and Manbat fast-tracked into pre-incubation
Suez Canal University (Egypt) organized a Start Your Own Business program for 32 youth, offering seven training modules covering business planning, market exploration, money management, and scaling, reinforcing entrepreneurship as a pillar of the national economy
Innovation Factory (Morocco) concluded its second edition, crowning 9 youth-led social ventures from 470+ applicants and awarding 6-month tailored incubation
DeepTech Entrepreneurship Summit concluded in Egypt with 40 projects, 10 finalists, and wins for Energtic, Palm Shield & Exomotion, bridging research–industry via Electronics Research Institute and Edafa VC
Startups Highlights
Ninja (KSA) is reportedly preparing for an IPO at a $1.5B valuation, reflecting the growing maturity of Saudi’s tech ecosystem as firms like Tabby and Emkan Finance also line up listings
Noon (UAE/KSA) is considering a dual IPO in Saudi Arabia and the UAE within 24 months, contingent on profitability, as it explores autonomous delivery, M&A, and expansion into new markets
Suplyd and Poultry Sync (Egypt) were selected among the Top 20 semi-finalists in Africa’s Business Heroes competition, standing out from 32,000+ applicants with scalable solutions in foodtech and agritech
SEEN (KSA) launched a digital hub to simplify the journey for newcomers, expats, and visitors in Saudi Arabia, offering life setup packs, categorized services, and an upcoming AI assistant
Sorbet (UAE) crossed $500K in payment volume within five months of beta launch, onboarding ~1,500 users to its stablecoin neobank for freelancers and startups, with plans to expand services and global-first payment tools
Aqari (UAE) processed 2,000+ digital transactions in its first six months, adding 42K+ new units and 2M sqm of land to Sharjah’s real estate database as part of the emirate’s digital transformation
TradeHub (Egypt) shut down after raising $1.4M, with founders returning remaining capital to investors following two pivots and challenges achieving product-market fit
Qushour and Nahj won first and second place in the Injaz Oman 2025 university category, with Qushour set to represent Oman at the regional Injaz Al-Arab competition
Qlub (UAE) partnered with Mastercard, which also made a minority investment, to expand its QR-based payment platform across 3K+ restaurants and 3M+ users in the GCC hospitality sector
Bokra (Egypt) relaunched its Sharia-compliant savings app with AI-driven features, serving 45K+ clients and 2K+ first-time sukuk investors, after securing a landmark FRA license for non-banking financial services
Hubpay (UAE) partnered with RAK Properties to enable international clients to purchase real estate in Ras Al Khaimah using digital assets like USDT, Bitcoin, and Ethereum, with all transactions processed through Hubpay’s ADGM-regulated and VARA-licensed framework
Open For Application
StartUp Bahrain Weekend (5th Ed.) | Bahrain
54-hour startup marathon at AUBH for 250+ founders/devs/designers (Oct 9–11, 2025); mentorship, networking, cash prizes up to BD 1,000, and fast-track into programs
Forward·Inc Scale-Up (12 months) for Syrian Founders | Jordan
Tailored growth program for Jordan-registered, Syrian-led tech/tech-enabled startups: 1:1 coaching, investor matchmaking (EU/GCC/US), global visibility
Web3 Unleashed #3 Hackathon (DMCC × Bybit) | UAE
Global Web3 competition with new DeFAI/DeSci tracks, $140K prize pool; top 5 pitch live in Dubai (Nov 26
Govern It Smartly Hackathon | Oman
48-hour national hackathon (Salalah) to build digital governance solutions; multidisciplinary youth teams, expert mentoring
1000 Fikra (1000 Ideas) | Morocco
Nationwide training caravan with free Rebel Business School workshops, mentorship, and funding up to 200,000 MAD
AIX Hack | Qatar
Doha Oct 24–26 @ QSTP: dual CXO summit + hackathon with AI bootcamp, expert mentorship, cash prizes & cloud credits
Creators Ventures Accelerator (w/ 500 Global) | UAE
10-week hybrid accelerator for creators & creator-economy startups with access to an AED 50M fund, hands-on mentorship, and a demo at the 1 Billion Followers Summit — priority deadline: Sep 12, 2025; final: Oct 3, 2025 (program: Oct 27–Jan 12, 4 weeks in-person Dubai)
Tamara AI Hackathon 2025 | Saudi Arabia
48-hour AI creativity sprint in Riyadh to produce a 90-sec, production-ready AI video — event: Sep 11–13, 2025
Pitch Lounge – Foodpreneurs Collective (Pitch + Networking) | UAE
F&B founders: online pitch lounge (Sep 11) + Dubai breakfast networking (Sep 15, DWTC) — pitch slots limited; free registration for networking
Arab Innovation Award | Regional
Honors individuals, startups & institutions delivering sustainable, high-impact innovation; winners get recognition, media promotion, networking, 1-year membership
Techy Bytes
du (UAE) launched the world’s first Arabic Telecom LLM, built in-country with Microsoft, Nokia, Khalifa University’s 6G RC & ITU, to use in target internal ops like complaint handling and device troubleshooting
Khalifa University (UAE) secured a U.S. patent for a reconfigurable hybrid robotics system, to be licensed to Dexter Robotics for applications in aerospace, automotive, and advanced manufacturing
Presight launched NewsPulse on Microsoft Azure Marketplace, an AI-powered news intelligence assistant processing 500K+ daily articles in 100+ languages with subscriptions from $99/month
InnoTech & bp Oman launched the fourth cycle of FabTech Mobile Lab, doubling capacity and adding VR, IoT, and AI to engage 600+ students across Omani schools
Saudi Arabia conducted its first drone delivery trial for postal parcels, a GACA–TGA initiative to cut delivery times and modernize logistics in line with Vision 2030
INSEAD & SC Ventures launched Lexarius, an AI-powered EdTech venture from Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, combining avatars and agentic AI for experiential role-play learning in leadership, sales, and customer service across 20+ languages
OpenAI acquired Statsig for $1.1B in stock, bringing experimentation tech in-house to accelerate ChatGPT and Codex development, while reshuffling leadership to focus on applications and science
Snapchat rolled out Imagine Lens, a text-to-image AI generator exclusive to Snapchat+ Platinum and Lens+ subscribers, letting users create and edit Snaps with custom prompts
Google fined €2.95B ($3.5B) by the EU for abusing adtech dominance, the bloc’s second-largest antitrust fine; Google plans to appeal while facing parallel U.S. scrutiny
Amazon launched Lens Live, a real-time AI visual search tool integrated with Rufus, letting U.S. iOS users point their camera at objects and instantly compare products in-app
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