Wamda

Regional

MENA startups drew $863 million investments in January 2025, 89% was debt

At first glance, the startup ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) appears to have experienced a staggering growth in...

Investment

Regional

Meta AI officially launches in the MENA region

Meta AI officially launches in the MENA region Fully available in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, and Iraq—with more...

Meta AI Facebook

Regional

MENA e-commerce grew by 30% in 2024, new report suggests

The MENA e-commerce market saw a 30%+ increase in online orders, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV),...

E-commerce Flowwow Admitad

Regional

Why is the DeepSeek lesson so important for entrepreneurs everywhere?

I recently posted a quick reaction on LinkedIn about the DeepSeek "bombshell" that rocked the US AI ecosystem, receiving the most...

ChatGPT DeepSeek

Regional

2024 in Review: MENA Startup Investments

Despite a funding decline, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) startup ecosystem showed resilience, with rising deal volumes and...

Investment

Regional

500 Global launches new MENA-focused fund

US-based VC firm 500 Global has launched the 500 MENA L.P. fund, dedicated to investing in high-growth technology startups across the...

500 Global

Regional

Green entrepreneurship drives MENA’s sustainable future

An article by Dr. Stavroula Kalogeras, MBA Programme Director, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University Dubai The concept of a...

solar energy clean energy oped

Regional

MENA startups raised $279 million in December 2024, 44% was debt

The startup ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) showed a significant deceleration in December 2024, raising $$279 million...

Investment

Regional

Why do startups fail?

An article by Karim Khorshed, co-founder and CEO of CEQUENS In recent years, the world has realised the importance of small and...

oped

Regional

Five trends will define MENA e-commerce in 2025

An article by Vera Modenova, COO at Flowwow E-commerce in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is experiencing rapid...

E-commerce Online shopping

Regional

Anghami wraps up 2024 with additional $55 million investment from OSN

Lebanon-founded music streaming app Anghami Inc. has secured a $55 million funding round from OSN Group, $12 million of which is an...

anghami OSN+

Regional

MENA startups raised $258 million in November 2024, a 90% MoM growth

As Q4 2024 almost comes to an end, tech startups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) demonstrated significant momentum, securing an...

Investment

Regional

What does it take to grow a global logistics business?

An article by Alan Coughlan, founder and CEO of global supply chain solutions company Lansil Global The past few years...

Logistics oped E-commerce

Regional

MENA startups raised $134 million in October 2024, a 52% MoM decline

The startup ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region slowed down in October 2024, raising $134 million across 56 deals,...

Investment

Regional

Why do we need impact investing now more than ever?

An article by Dr. Stavroula Kalogeras, MBA Programme Director at Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University Dubai There is a...

Impact investing oped Social Entrepreneurship

Regional

Google launches “AI First” startup accelerator in MENA

Tech giant Google has launched its Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First programme during an event at the Dubai Future Foundation...

Google Google for Startups Accelerator AI First

Regional

MENA e-commerce grew by 80% since 2020, Checkout.com's report suggests

The digital commerce in MENA in recent years saw digital payment volumes grow by 658% since 2020, according to Checkout.com’s...

Checkout.com E-commerce digital payment

Regional

Moonbase Capital launches $15 million SME investment vehicle

Spain-based search fund investment firm Moonbase Capital has launched a $15 million investment vehicle aimed at backing talented...

Moonbase Capital smes

Regional

MENA startups raise $282 million in September 2024, bringing Q3 total to $727 million

The investment landscape in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region indicates a notable recovery, with 63 startups securing a total...

Investment

Regional

The impact of family offices on the MENA economy

An article by Ekaterina Chernova, the co-founder of Dubai-based Family Office (Octagon). Family offices are the private...

family offices oped

Regional

Amplify Growth Partnership launches $100 million debt fund

Amplify Growth Partnership has launched a $100 million growth debt fund, which aims to provide debt capital to tech-focused...

Amplify Growth Partnership Ajeej Capital Nuwa capital

Regional

MENA startups raise $83 million in August 2024, a 76% MoM decline

As summer cools off, so too has the startup scene in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The amount invested in startups in August...

Investment

Regional

Gulf investors launch $200 million Waad Investment firm to support regional startups

A coalition of investors and GCC-based family offices have launched “Waad Investment," an investment firm with a...

Waad Investment

Regional

As global VC interest shifts to MENA fintech, now is the time for local startups

An article by Olena Petrosyuk, the co-founders of Waveup, an advisory firm for startups For a long time, MENA startups were underdogs in...

oped

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