#86 -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
YAL.ai (UAE/AI & Cybersecurity) raised $12M in a Series A to scale its AI-driven telecom fraud protection platform, enabling real-time, on-device scam detection
UPFRONT (UAE/Fintech) secured $10M in a pre-seed round to tackle a $250B SME cash flow gap across MENA and expand operations into KSA
Aydi (UAE/AgriTech) closed a $7.5M seed round to scale its AI-powered farming OS Orth and expand globally
Climaty AI (UAE/MarTech) raised $2 to build an agentic AI marketing platform that autonomously runs campaigns while measuring and reducing carbon impact across industries
Tadawulkum (KSA/PropTech) secured 1.5M SAR in seed funding to enhance its SaaS real estate platform, helping brokers and property firms digitize listings, contracts, and payments
Sadq (KSA/Digital Infrastructure) raised $1M in a pre-Series A extension to strengthen its sovereign digital trust infrastructure and scale its e-signature and authentication platform across MENA
Plstka (Egypt/Climate Tech) secured $1Mto expand its gamified recycling platform across Egypt’s Delta region and scale its AI-powered waste management system
Sabika (Egypt/Fintech) secured a six-figure USD strategic round to enhance its Sharia-compliant digital gold and silver platform and expand into Saudi Arabia
Careem (UAE/Mobility) invested in UAE-based Swapp, deepening their strategic partnership to advance digital car rentals through instant verification, one-hour delivery, and new rent-to-own programs via the Careem app
Waed Ventures (KSA) invested in South Korean AI chipmaker Rebellions, part of its $250M Series C round, to support the company’s expansion in KSA and accelerate next-generation AI chip production
Aramco Ventures (KSA) backed UK-based OXCCU in a $28M Series B, reinforcing its investment in sustainable aviation fuel technologies that convert waste carbon and hydrogen into jet fuel
More rounds → here
Main Headlines
PIF led a record-breaking $55B acquisition of gaming giant Electronic Arts (EA), marking the largest leveraged buyout in history
BECO Capital unveiled $370M across two new funds to back founders from pre-seed to IPO, expanding its capacity to support startups through full lifecycle stages across the UAE and KSA
Sukna Capital partnered with Partners for Growth to launch a $50M regional lending partnership, providing Sharia-compliant, non-dilutive credit solutions for tech and SME founders across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East
Merak Capital teamed up with the Saudi Cultural Development Fund to launch an $80M Fashion Private Equity Fund, backing Saudi fashion brands and growth-stage companies across the apparel, beauty, and e-commerce value chain
Iliad Partners (UAE) secured a second close for its $50M Tech Ventures Fund I, backed by leading Greek banks to strengthen cross-border venture ties and accelerate investments in early-stage B2B startups across KSA and the UAE
Audi Capital (KSA) launched the region’s first CMA-regulated Art Investment Fund, bridging finance and culture to invest in modern and contemporary MENA art and foster a new asset class for institutional investors
31C (UAE) acquired Canadian firm Xynthor AI Software to build an AI-native cybersecurity platform, merging Deep Packet Intelligence with AI-powered Data Loss Prevention to safeguard corporate data amid rising generative AI risks
More news → here
Ecosystem Updates
IFZA & Plug and Play launched the Scale360 Program, a high-support, zero-cost initiative helping 17 global startups fast-track entry into the UAE market through mentorship, setup support, and access to Plug and Play’s corporate and investor network
Stars of Science unveiled its Season 17 finalists, spotlighting seven Arab innovators tackling regional challenges in healthcare, sustainability, and technology at Qatar Science and Technology Park
TiE Women MENA announced the winners of its 2025 Saudi Track, with Ayesha Mansha (Sahl) taking first place, followed by Dr. Muna Sambawah (FBNI) and Norah Almahmoud (TFNN), granting them access to the TiE Women Global Accelerator and platforms at GITEX UAE and the Jaipur Grand Finals
Ignyte & Binance partnered to accelerate blockchain innovation across MENA, launching a regional hackathon supported by DIFC to drive Web3 adoption and provide year-round mentorship, training, and developer tools for startups
Hub71 signed its first US partnership with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to create a transatlantic bridge supporting startup expansion, soft-landing programs, and investor access between Abu Dhabi and the United States
Scale Iraq sponsored five Iraqi startups to join the Bridge Baghdad program by KAPITA, fostering cross-border expansion, investment readiness, and new pathways into the Saudi market
Exits MENA & Falak Startups signed an MoU to strengthen Egypt’s startup ecosystem through joint initiatives, founder support programs, and collaborative efforts under Elevatelab
Orange Jordan introduced the Digital Solutions Hackathon for Tourism, in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, empowering university students to design inclusive tourism tech solutions
Startup Grind Doha & QSTP formed a strategic partnership to merge Qatar Science & Technology Park’s institutional programs with Startup Grind’s community network, expanding mentoring, events, and visibility for early-stage founders in Qatar
UM6P launched the Smart Factory Academy in Morocco, a permanent training and technology hub to drive Africa’s Industry 4.0 transformation, offering hands-on industrial innovation programs and practical upskilling for manufacturers
More updates → here
Startups Highlights
Tokinvest (UAE) secured VARA’s first multi-asset licence and raised $3.2M, debuting with a sold-out tokenized racehorse and positioning Dubai as a hub for regulated RWA investing
Snoonu (Qatar) committed QR750M to R&D through 2030 and launched the Snoonu Innovation District, focusing on AI, automation, and green logistics
UmrahCash (KSA) expanded to Indonesia to serve Hajj and Umrah travelers with sharia-compliant FX, payments, and planned savings and ethical lending
Woliz (Morocco) partnered with Attijari Payment and Visa to digitize merchant payments, starting with FMCG, integrating acceptance solutions and financial education
AnaAkhtar (UAE) launched the region’s first bilingual SEB EdTech, offering interactive tools for emotional and behavioral learning tailored to MENA schools
nybl × IBM partnered to integrate n.vision with IBM’s Maximo and watsonx platforms, enabling AI-driven fault detection and predictive maintenance across energy, utilities, and industrial sectors
Chari (Morocco) launched Chari Pay, a PCI-certified online payment gateway for e-merchants, extending its fintech arm and advancing its vision to become a B2B super app for retailers across Francophone Africa
ABHI (UAE) joined Mastercard’s global Start Path program, becoming one of eight startups selected worldwide to scale SME financial solutions and expand its earned wage access platform across MENAP
More highlights → here
Open For Application
ECSEL Expo Hackathon | Algeria
48-hour e-commerce hackathon at ECSEL Expo in Algiers with expert coaching, networking, visibility, and prizes.
• Deadline: Oct 8 Event: Oct 15–17 Location: Safex
249Startups Legal Due Diligence Tender | Sudan
Tender for accredited legal firms to conduct SME legal due diligence supporting investments in resilient businesses relocating from conflict areas.
• Deadline: Oct 9 How to apply: EOI, technical and financial proposals to Procurement@249Startups.com
Hard Skills Bootcamp | Morocco
Three-day bootcamp by Bidaya Incubateur in Rabat for young entrepreneurs in the ideation phase to gain technical and practical skills to build their startup ideas
• Sessions: Oct 6–2 Location: Rabat
CREATIVA Incubation Program Cohort 4 | Egypt
Nine-month incubation for early-stage tech startups with up to EGP 360k zero equity funding, mentorship, investor access, and space across 16 hubs.
Biotech Incubator by Health Entrepreneurship | Saudi Arabia
Specialized incubation for biotech and precision medicine startups offering labs, mentorship, funding, and regulatory support under Vision 2030
More Programs and Opportunities → here
Techy Bytes
UAE × OpenAI held a high-level meeting between the UAE President and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to advance the country’s national AI agenda and cement its role as a global hub for AI
MBZUAI × MIT teamed up to launch a joint AI research program, connecting top researchers from both institutions to advance projects in health, robotics, and digital systems
Morocco × UNDP launched a $38M Digital Hub to drive AI adoption across Africa and the Arab States, advancing sustainable development and empowering women and youth
Yango Tech won Best Tech Solution Provider at the Entrepreneur Tech Innovation Awards 2025, recognized for its AI-powered B2B ecosystem spanning retail, robotics, and cloud automation
Meta announced plans to use AI chat data for targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram, expanding its ad engine and raising new privacy concerns for users across MENA
OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Instant Checkout, enabling users to buy products directly in chat and signaling a shift toward agentic e-commerce, challenging Google and Amazon
Anthropic released Claude Sonnet 4.5, a next-gen coding model capable of autonomously building full applications, reclaiming leadership in AI-driven software development
Perplexity AI launched its free global AI browser Comet, intensifying competition with Google and OpenAI, and giving users worldwide access to advanced AI productivity tools
Alibaba Cloud unveiled a full-stack AI strategy, launching the trillion-parameter Qwen3-Max model, new agentic platforms, and upgraded cloud infrastructure to power next-gen AI development
More tech → here
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
More Topics: AI | Gaming | Fintech | Femtech
More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco
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