Waqas Khann’s Post

Saudi Startups Lead MENA Venture Funding: A Catalyst for Innovation. Saudi Arabia captures 53% of MENA’s venture debt financing in 2023, totaling $400M – a remarkable 602% increase from 2022. Regional Impact: MENA region records $757M in venture debt financing, up 262% YoY. Sector Leaders: UAE follows with $353M, Egypt with $4M. Fintech leads with $601M, driven by Tabby and Tamara. Transport & Logistics: $150M, reflecting a 162% YoY increase. E-commerce: Sees a slight decline with $3M. 🔹 Key Investors: Leading Investors: Top investors include US-based Goldman Sachs, Partners for Growth, Atalaya, and regional players like CoVentures (South Africa) and Shorooq Partners (UAE). 🔹 Significant Deals: Agritech Startup iyris: Closes $16M series A round, enhancing global sales and developing innovative farming solutions. BIM Ventures & SBI Holdings: Launch $100M fund to support Saudi startups. Growdash: Dubai-based foodtech raises $1.8M in seed funding. GrubTech: Secures $15M in series B funding, expanding its operational software for restaurants and cloud kitchens. 🔹 Strategic Initiatives: TVM Capital Healthcare: Closes $250M Afiyah Fund to support health tech startups. Proptech Startup Holo: Raises pre-Series A funding to expand in the Gulf region. Shorooq Partners: Announces the first close of its $100M credit fund to support MENA startups. #SaudiStartups #VentureFunding #MENAInnovation #ArabianProperties #RealEstate #GCCBusiness #InvestmentNews #FintechGrowth #StartupEcosystem

May startup funding overview: A month of activity in MENA 🔹40 startups raised $282 million, marking a 413% increase from April. Debt financing comprised the majority with nearly $140 million. 🔹UAE startups led the way with $189 million raised across 23 deals. Saudi Arabia followed with $56 million in 10 deals, and Egypt secured $24.5 million in 4 deals. 🔹Proptech dominated with $167 million. Fintech gathered $32.7 million, while EdTech attracted $1 million over two transactions. 🔹Later-stage companies continued to secure significant funds. Five startups raised $59.3 million in Series A, and four projects obtained $44 million in pre-Series A. 🔹HR-tech project Qsalary and Itqan Capital launched an $80 million investment fund focused on Saudi Arabia.

The investment landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region indicates a notable recovery, with 63 startups securing a total of $282 million in September 2024. This is a substantial 234% increase month-on-month (MoM) and a 607% rise year-on-year (YoY), while debt financing accounted for just 12% of the overall investment. The biggest ticket size last month was allocated to SHIFT’s round, in which the Saudi mobility startup raised $82.8 million. The second highest investment was registered by Syarah, garnering $60 million in a Series C round, $20 million of which is financed with debt. Saudi startups shake off dust After being absent as the top-funded ecosystem in MENA for two consecutive months, Saudi startups made it to the top once again in September, scooping up more than 60% of the total investment in the region, raising $170.8 million stretched over 23 deals. The second spot was secured by the UAE, bagging $73.8 million by 12 startups. In contrast, Egyptian startups lagged significantly, with only 13 of them managing to secure a total of $25 million. Fintech dominates investors’ sentiment Investors are still pinning their bets on the potential of fintech, which has maintained its position as the top-funded sector for the fourth month in a row, amassing an impressive $102.5 million across 14 startups. In the meantime, mobility secured the second position, primarily due to SHIFT's round. When it comes to deal count, e-commerce and edtech sectors have made significant progress, raising $63 million and $4.35 million, respectively, through nine deals each, while $10 million was invested in eight SaaS providers. Thanks to Flat6labs demo days in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, the deal count was in favour of accelerator investments, as the accelerator programme has granted 17 startups with a collective value of $2 million. concurrently, investors’ appetite still leans towards investing in early stage startups, injecting $102 million into 15 seed deals and $5 million into seven startups at their pre-seed stage. Two transactions were noted for later-stage startups: Paymob’s $22 million Series B deal and Syarah’s $60 million Series C. In terms of investment value, the business-to-consumer (B2C) model came top in September, attracting $93.7 million across 24 startups, compared to $84.6 million invested in 28 business-to-business (B2B) startups. Nonetheless, startups working in both domains received the majority of investment value, harvesting $100 million across five deals. 👇👇👇 https://lnkd.in/dC2mYHpb

𝗤𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 : 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗤𝗜𝗔’𝘀 $𝟭𝗯𝗻 '𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝘀' 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗖 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗤𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗿 QIA’s $1bn 'fund of funds' seen as key catalyst for VC activity in Qatar. The Qatar Investment Authority has announced a $1 billion fund to boost venture capital activity in the country, focusing on attracting global funds, fostering collaboration, and transforming Qatar into a tech startup hub…. $𝟭 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱: Qatar Investment Authority launches a "fund of funds" to boost VC activity. 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Aims to attract international venture funds. 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: Encourages partnerships between local and global investors. 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Seeks to transform Qatar into a tech startup hub. 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Supports Qatar's efforts to diversify its economy. 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁: Promotes investment in various sectors and enhances local entrepreneurship. If you are interested to hear about new career opportunities or would like to talk through industry trends please share your updated cv for further discussion to [email protected]. #VentureCapital #Startups #Investment #Qatar #Innovation #TechEcosystem #Entrepreneurship #EconomicDiversification #Funding #GlobalInvestors

Startups in the MENA region raised $282 million last month, a 413% increase on the total amount of investment in April, according to a report from Wamda. UAE-based startups received the majority of regional investment, accounting for $189 million spread across 23 transactions. Saudi startups raised $56 million over 10 deals, and Egyptian startups secured the third spot with $24.5 million distributed across four deals. #startups #investment #MENAstartups https://lnkd.in/dfHhNrkE

In April 2024, MENA startups saw a sharp decline in fundraising, with only $55 million raised for 19 ventures, a 78% drop from March. Despite this, investments increased by 87% compared to the previous year, reflecting tight investor budgets, as per a report by Wamda and Digital Digest. #startup #investments #fundraising #dubai #gcc #uae #madisonpearl #recruitment

Summary: In July 2024, MENA startups raised $355 million, marking a 206% month-on-month increase. Egypt led the region with $185 million, primarily due to a significant deal by MNT-Halan. Fintech attracted the most investment, with $181 million across 16 startups. Notably, debt financing was minimal, and early-stage investments dominated. Despite the surge, female-led startups saw limited funding, with only two raising $270,000. The month also saw several mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the UAE. https://lnkd.in/dr8eyupp

Saudi startups take lead in MENA funding space The startup ecosystem in Saudi Arabia is experiencing significant growth, as evidenced by the latest report from MAGNiTT. In 2023, Saudi startups secured over 53% of the region's venture debt financing, amounting to $400 million, marking a remarkable 602% increase from the previous year. This surge in venture debt financing reflects the Kingdom's commitment to fostering a conducive environment for startups, complementing equity funding and driving expansion, equipment acquisition, and cash flow management. Fintech emerges as a key sector for investors, with $601 million in financing, fueled by companies like Tabby and Tamara. Additionally, the transport and logistics sector witnessed a 162% year-on-year increase in venture debt, signalling growing investor interest in diverse industries. Foreign investors, predominantly from the US, played a significant role in deploying capital, further underlining Saudi Arabia's attractiveness as an investment destination. The growth of startups in Saudi Arabia is underscored by recent funding rounds and strategic partnerships. Agritech startup iyris closed a $16 million series A round, affirming its commitment to sustainable farming solutions. Moreover, initiatives like the $100 million joint investment fund launched by BIM Ventures and SBI Holdings aim to support Saudi startups throughout their growth journey. With increasing investments and collaborative efforts, Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem is poised for continued expansion and innovation, driving economic growth and contributing to the realisation of Vision 2030 objectives. #saudistartup #investment #venture #tech

The investment landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region indicates a notable recovery, with 63 startups securing a total of $282 million in September 2024. This is a substantial 234% increase month-on-month (MoM) and a 607% rise year-on-year (YoY), while debt financing accounted for merely 12% of the overall investment. #Startups #Investmets #Funding #Mena