Latest in Middle East & Pakistan
Salehli raises $100,000 to expand home maintenance services in Syria
Syrian home maintenance services startup Salehli has secured a $100,000 investment from EBLA Ventures, marking the investment firm's fourth deal in 2026. The funding round's stage and any participation by other investors were not disclosed. Founded in 2025 by AbdulRhman Arnaout, Salehli operates a digital…
Syrian healthtech Alo Hakeem raises $165,000 pre-seed led by EBLA Ventures
Syrian healthtech startup Alo Hakeem has raised $165,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by EBLA Ventures, with participation from other undisclosed investors. Founded in 2025 by Abdullatif Al-Baroudi and Albaraa Abdulsalam, Alo Hakeem operates a digital platform connecting patients with licensed home healthcare providers,…
Foodics invests in Funding Souq to expand restaurant financing in KSA, UAE
Saudi Arabia-based fintech Funding Souq has secured a strategic investment from Foodics, making it a major investor in this round. The investment amount and ownership stake were not disclosed. Founded in 2020 by Martin Jaouni, Funding Souq operates a Shariah-compliant SME financing platform regulated by…
UAE's JustAd attracts $5 million to expand into new markets
UAE-based adtech startup JustAd has secured a $5 million investment from angel investor Imad Jomaa to support its expansion into new markets. The funding round's stage and the company's valuation were not disclosed. Founded in 2025 by Ahmed Elsayed, JustAd operates an AI-powered marketing platform…
Popcorn Studio AI secures $1 million to expand AI-powered filmmaking platform
UAE-based creative technology startup Popcorn Studio AI has secured a $1 million pre-seed funding package, led by Emirati entrepreneur and investor Mohammed Bin Bouta Alharsoosi, to support product development and international expansion. Founded in 2026 by Egyptian entrepreneurs Shady Essam and Mohamed Hedar, Popcorn Studio…
Trust in AI: What adoption really looks like for Gulf SMEs
An article by Ahmed Sameh, Chief Marketing Officer at Fortis Every AI story coming out of the UAE this year seems to feature the same cast: sovereign AI strategies, enterprise transformation programmes and government ministries preparing to deploy agentic AI across 50% of federal services…
Saudi Vrtx secures $3.6 million for embedded finance platform
Saudi Arabia-based fintech Vrtx has raised $3.6 million in a pre-Seed round, backed by SC Ventures by Standard Chartered, Sadu Capital, BYLD, Suhail Ventures, F6 Ventures, TAZ Investment and Palm Ventures. Founded in 2025 by Mishal Bin Slimah and Omar Shaaban, Vrtx is building infrastructure…
Nabta Health advances $3 million pre-Series A with backing from PVP
UAE-based healthtech startup Nabta Health has secured a fresh investment from Phoenix Venture Partners (PVP), which led the second close of the company's ongoing $3 million pre-Series A round. PVP's investment includes both primary and secondary capital, while the amount raised in this closing was…
Tactful AI attracts fresh investment from Hatem Dowidar ahead of 2027 Series A
Egypt-based AI startup Tactful AI has secured an undisclosed investment from Hatem Dowidar, former Group CEO of e&, as part of an extension to its pre-Series A round , initially announced in February 2026 and co-led by Foras AI and M Empire. Founded in 2016…
Egyptian proptech Aqar Exit attracts investment at $2 million valuation
Egypt-based proptech startup Aqar Exit has secured a $200,000 (EGP 10 million) investment from businessman Ayman Mamdouh Abbas, executive chairman of Intro Holding Group, in exchange for a 10% stake, valuing the company at approximately $2 million (EGP 100 million). Founded in July 2026 by…
CapQuest closes $1 million pre-Seed funding to expand globally
UAE-based fintech startup CapQuest has raised $1 million in a pre-Seed funding round, led by Oraseya Capital and AMKM Family Office, to accelerate product development and international expansion. Founded in 2023 by Antoine Bruna, Marco Banfi and Anvita Varshney, CapQuest operates an equity management platform…
Databuddy Analytics raises $500,000 from Y Combinator
US-based AI-powered analytics startup Databuddy Analytics has raised more than $560,000 in total funding, including $500,000 in Seed funding from Y Combinator, alongside investments from Maza Ventures and through the a16z Scout programme. Founded in 2026 by Palestinian entrepreneur Issa Nassar, Databuddy Analytics develops an…
Female private capital leaders to convene in UAE for Berkana's Art of Capital
Press release: Berkana is bringing together 40 female single family office principals, investment decision-makers and entrepreneurs from around the world for Art of Capital: The Women of Influence, taking place on October 22–23, 2026, across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The invitation-only gathering will convene the…
UAE healthtech Vitalls secures $1.5 million investment from EST Growmore
UAE-based healthtech startup Vitalls has secured a $1.5 million investment commitment from Singapore-based EST Growmore, the investment arm of EST Group, as part of its seed round, with an option for a further $1 million investment. Founded in 2023 by Mehdi Bouchenak, Vitalls develops an…
theQA raises over $550,000 to scale AI-driven consumer research in Kuwait
Kuwait-based AI-powered market research startup theQA has raised more than $550,000 in a Pre-Seed funding round, backed by a Kuwaiti family office and strategic angel investors. Founded in 2025 by Ahmad Al Ebrahim and Hussain Ali AlNashaba, theQA provides a digital consumer research platform that…