Startups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region had a remarkable funding performance last January, raising approximately $518.7 million across 57 investment deals. This marks the highest figure for January in the past five years, reflecting the continued growth momentum of the region's entrepreneurship ecosystem since the second half of 2025.
Data highlighted that this funding surge was driven by a major funding round of $230 million for "Mal" company. Other notable rounds included the UAE-based "Qureos," an AI-powered recruitment company, which successfully raised $5 million in a seed round co-led by "Prosus Ventures" and "Salica Oryx Fund," with participation from other funds like "Oraseya Capital," "PlusVC," and "F6 Ventures."
In Qatar, the digital payments platform "SkipCash" secured $4 million in a Series A round. This round saw participation from Qatar Development Bank, Qatar Islamic Insurance Company, and KBN Holding Group, alongside local and international investors, aiming to boost its expansion in the digital payments sector.
The region also saw funding for companies specializing in diverse fields, such as legal technology through Lebanon's "HAQQ" platform ($3 million), real estate technology via the UAE's "Daleel" platform ($3 million), agricultural technology through Qatar's "Hydrovest Technology" ($275,000), and digital payment solutions via the UAE's "Receiptable," which closed a growth round with several investment funds participating.
In the Saudi market, "Mersal Media Capital" secured an investment commitment of $1.3 million, while the logistics company "Viero" raised $1.2 million. Meanwhile, the UAE-based cloud kitchen platform "Kitopi" led the monthly growth rounds, raising $50 million led by EvolutionX with key contributors like Temasek and DBS, to expand its network of over 200 kitchens in the region.
This accelerated funding activity indicates increased confidence in MENA startups, the diversity of promising sectors, and the continuous flow of investments from venture capital funds, as well as local and international investors. This further strengthens the region's position as a promising environment for entrepreneurship and regional expansion.
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