#90 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
BRKZ (KSA/ConTech) secured $30M debt facility from Stride Ventures to expand its B2B construction marketplace, scale embedded financing, and support Saudi’s giga-project boom
Logexa (KSA/LogiTech) secured $2M pre-Series A to scale its on-demand warehousing platform, digitizing supply chains and enabling flexible logistics solutions across the Kingdom
Velents (KSA/AI) raised $1.5M from angel investors to deploy Agent.sa, the first autonomous Arabic-speaking AI employee built for regional businesses
Rmz.ai (KSA/GenAI) secured $100K pre-seed to develop creative AI agents for content production, including its first launch, the AI Product Photographer for instant professional visuals
WTDcare (KSA/HealthTech) raised a pre-seed round to expand its digital platform for medical transport and home healthcare, enhancing nationwide accessibility
MidLyr (Egypt/FinTech) raised $2.5M pre-seedto redefine AI infrastructure for banks and fintechs, expanding its compliant automation tools and building new partnerships across MENA
More rounds → here
Main Headlines
Algeria launched a $1B fund to finance African startups and innovators, aiming to bridge the continent’s funding gap and foster cross-border collaboration
Goldtrack Ventures launched a $250M industrial biotechnology fund to scale biotech ventures across Saudi Arabia and MENA
The Lab Ventures closed its AED 124M Fund II to accelerate B2B innovation across MENA and Europe, focusing on PropTech, HealthTech, and AI-enabled enterprise solutions
Jahez (KSA) finalized the acquisition of Qatar’s Snoonu, securing a 76.56% stake to strengthen its regional expansion and solidify its presence in the Qatari delivery market
Qaws.ai (KSA) acquired Samas Gamify to launch an AI-powered recruitment platform, integrating gamified behavioral assessments and smart matching tools to transform hiring in Saudi Arabia
Aramco announced plans to acquire a minority stake in PIF’s HUMAIN, consolidating Saudi Arabia’s AI infrastructure to build a national AI champion
Beltone VC (Egypt/VC) exited from Moroccan logistics startup Cathedis, achieving a 100% IRR, marking its first regional exit
Capital Bank of Jordan secured $25M from the Arab Fund to boost SME financing and climate lending
More updates → here
Ecosystem Updates
The Final Pitch Dubai unveiled 16 founders for its inaugural season, filmed at Expo City Dubai, bringing together entrepreneurs and investors to showcase regional innovation and startup talent
Sheraa selected 21 startups for the new Startup Studio (S3) cohort in Sharja, tackling key sectors in sustainability, EdTech, and creative industries
Oman established the Oman Entrepreneurship Association to strengthen SME growth, foster innovation, and build a central platform for entrepreneurs across the Sultanate
Palestine rallied ecosystem leaders at the Green Forward Conference to advance a green and circular economy, uniting public, private, and startup sectors around sustainable innovation
Bader Accelerator selected five tech startups for its third cohort, offering SAR 300K in funding, mentorship, and a three-month program to scale early-stage ventures across Saudi Arabia
Riyadh Valley Company concluded its Qafila University Tour, engaging 16,000 participants to promote entrepreneurship and bridge academia with industry
ALX Morocco × Technopark Maroc forged a strategic partnership to develop tech talent and startups, connecting training programs with innovation hubs
More updates → here
Startups Highlights
Tabby (KSA) reached a $4.5B valuation following a secondary share sale to HSG and Boyu Capital
Fawry (Egypt) secured a $5.2M loan from the EBRD to finance youth-led MSMEs, expanding financial inclusion and supporting entrepreneurship
HUMAIN (KSA) unveiled Humain One, a voice-driven AI operating system that enables users to control computers through speech
Thawani Pay became the first Omani fintech licensed by Visa to issue credit cards, marking a major milestone in the Sultanate’s digital payments evolution
Dubizzle Group (UAE) paused its landmark IPO on the DFM, despite reporting 75% revenue growth and strong profitability across regional operations
Cash Plus (Morocco) secured approval for a $75M IPO on the Casablanca Stock Exchange
More highlights → here
Open For Application
Aurora Tech Award | Global
A global competition for women-led tech startups from emerging markets, offering a $100K prize fund, mentorship, and VC exposure
Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator | Saudi Arabia
A 6-month program providing seed funding, mentorship, and networking for social startups in the housing and municipal sectors
Scale Now Cycle 3 | Qatar
A growth program for scaling tech companies, offering mentorship, expansion support, and market access
SANAD ElevateHer Program | MENA
A women-focused accelerator providing mentorship, investor access, and visibility for gender-inclusive startups
VentureX Online Pitching Sessions | Remote
An online pitching platform connecting founders with the VentureX Angel Network, offering capital, mentorship, and networking opportunities
More Programs and Opportunities → here
Techy Bytes
TII (UAE) achieved a milestone with 70 patents across AI, robotics, and quantum tech
du entered the cryptocurrency sector with its new Cloud Miner service, offering regulated, hardware-free Bitcoin mining through a subscription-based model in UAE
Qatar launched an AI-powered system to issue building permits in just 120 minutes, cutting approval times from 30 days and setting a global benchmark in GovTech efficiency
Presight (UAE) opened its first Central Asia AI R&D Lab in Kazakhstan, advancing sovereign AI development
ADX (UAE) launched a Market Intelligence Lab at Liwa University to advance financial literacy, offering students real-time trading access and hands-on market training
HUMAIN × Replit partnered to build a Nation of AI Coders across the GCC, empowering students and developers to create software using natural language and AI tools
Snap Inc. expanded its MENA footprint with a new office in Doha, launching the region’s first AR Academy
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 | GITEX
More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco
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