#92 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
Nabta Health (UAE/FemTech) raised 2M USD in a Pre Series A round to expand its AI-powered hybrid care model across MEA
ٍٍٍٍٍSecure.com (UAE/Cybersecurity) secured $4.5M to roll out its AI-powered Digital Security Teammates and help lean security teams automate alert investigation
Kingpin (UAE/AI/Retail) closed a $3.5M seed round to scale its AI-driven B2B retail distribution platform, unifying product discovery, pricing, and sales for over 300 brands
STAMP (KSA/RegTech) secured $2M in pre-seed funding to build an AI-powered compliance platform that unifies licensing, registrations, HR workflows, and governance tasks
Takadao (KSA/Web3/FinTech) secured $1.5M in seed funding to scale its Shariah-compliant DeFi ecosystem
SahmAlgo (KSA/FinTech) secured 1M USD to accelerate its AI-driven financial intelligence platform
Shatib (KSA/ConTech) raised 750K USD in pre-seed funding to scale its group buying marketplace for construction materials
KitchenomiKs (Oman/FoodTech) secured $3.2M to expand its satellite kitchen network across Oman and new regional markets
bluworks (Egypt/HR Tech) raised $1M to digitise blue-collar workforce management for SMEs, streamlining scheduling, attendance, payroll, and compliance
More rounds → here
Main Headlines
Humain (KSA) led a landmark $900M Series C round for US-based Luma AI, tying Saudi Arabia’s upcoming 2 gigawatt AI supercluster to frontier multimodal world models
Saudi Arabia and the United States announced plans to lift Saudi investment commitments in the US to nearly $1T, deepening strategic cooperation around advanced tech, AI, defense, and energy
Qewam Holding (KSA) acquired Iwan Ventures to launch Q Fund, a SAR 50M founder-first investment arm that combines capital, AI infrastructure, and venture building
FAST Ventures (MENA) launched FAST Foundry, a $3M venture studio fund backing early-stage AdTech, retail, creator economy, and AI
Taiz Chamber of Commerce announced a 10B Yemeni Rial fund to finance youth-led ventures across Taiz
Egypt and Alibaba Group entered advanced talks to establish a regional e-commerce and logistics hub serving African markets
More updates → here
Ecosystem Updates
Exel by Merak (KSA) launched its second gaming cohort with 19 startups, offering a $300K investment package and a 16-week hybrid program in Riyadh
Hub71 (UAE) opened a direct pathway for smart and autonomous mobility startups, giving founders access to regulatory sandboxes and industry partners
Qatar FinTech Hub unveiled the Wave 7 pre-acceleration cohort of 13 startups focused on open banking, crowdfunding, and insurtech
Egypt Entrepreneurship Awards celebrated its fifth anniversary at the Grand Egyptian Museum, honoring 15 winning startups across sectors from AI and fintech to sustainability and culture
Seedstars and SANAD (MENA) launched the SANAD Elevate Her Programme to empower 40 female-led startups with acceleration, mentoring, investor access, and post-program support
Takween Accelerator (Iraq) secured dual grants from GIZ and MEPI to expand its pre-accelerator, investor readiness, and digital transformation programs
Hadhramaut University (Yemen) debuted its first Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hackathon alongside a new startup support center in Mukalla
More updates → here
Startups Highlights
MNT Halan and Azimut (Egypt) launched a fintech-powered real estate fund, opening digital access to Egypt’s property market
Madak (KSA) partnered with the Real Estate Registry to launch regulated fractional property ownership, integrating directly with national systems to automate real estate registration
Jusoor Labs (Jordan) won the GESS Award for Best Game-Based Learning Platform
Rology (Egypt) secured the 100000 grand prize at Meta’s AMET AI Accelerator for its AI-powered teleradiology platform that automates X-ray reporting
Flash (Egypt) received a Central Bank license to roll out electronic payment services, enabling wider adoption of its QR and card-based payment solutions
More highlights → here
Open For Application
Scale Up MENA Growth Program | Cairo
A three-day intensive growth simulation by Falak Startups and Strategy Tools for founders in food, energy, and water
West Bank Tech Boost Innovation Cohort | Palestine
A six-month residency-based acceleration program at Palestine Techno Park for tech and tech-enabled startups
MENA InsurTech Accelerator 2026 | MENA
A six-month hybrid accelerator for growth-stage InsurTech and tech ventures with validated products, providing direct access to leading insurers and expert regulatory guidance
Startup Syria Awards | Global
An awards program celebrating Syrian founders, startups, and support organizations worldwide, offering regional visibility, ecosystem recognition, and networking with investors and partners
Binance Academy Hackathon | Global
A global virtual hackathon powered by BNB Chain and Ignyte for developers, startups, and builders creating next-generation Web3 solutions in AI, DeFi, RWAs, and payments
More Programs and Opportunities → here
Techy Bytes
UAE Researchers released a global benchmark called UAVBench to test AI in autonomous drones
Qatar completed its first autonomous air taxi trial, demonstrating a self-piloted eVTOL passenger flight between Old Doha Port and Katara
TII (UAE) advanced its quantum computing programme by integrating Qibo with NVIDIA’s CUDA Q platform, enabling hybrid quantum classical workflows
Adobe agreed to acquire Semrush for $1.9B in cash, making a strategic bet on generative engine optimization
PIF × SITE × Microsoft signed an MoU to explore a Saudi sovereign cloud, localising sensitive data while enabling advanced cloud and AI services
Al Khaboura College Team (Oman) created a prototype that turns fish waste into biodegradable bioplastics
Google unveiled Gemini 3 as its most powerful AI model yet
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 | BIBAN
More regions: KSA | UAE | Egypt | Syria | Morocco
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