MENA Startups See Steady Funding Growth Amid Global Economic Challenges
Funding rounds in multiple industries indicate investor confidence in emerging startup landscape.
Startups operating in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) experienced multiple funding rounds in recent weeks, signaling sustained momentum as companies scale operations beyond national borders.
This growth underscores investor confidence in the evolving startup ecosystem amidst global economic challenges.According to a report by Wamda, startup investments in MENA reached a record high of $3.5 billion across 74 deals in September.
This represents a significant month-on-month growth of 914 percent and a year-on-year surge of 1,105 percent.Saudi Arabia led the funding activity with 25 startups raising a combined $2.7 billion, primarily from the Money20/20 fintech event featuring 15 deals.KLIQ, a Saudi-based artificial intelligence (AI) platform for influencer marketing, secured a seed investment round totaling $2.25 million.
Led by Sanabil Venture Studio in partnership with Stryber, the funding will support KLIQ's mission to connect brands and content creators through an AI-driven dashboard managing campaigns, contracts, payments, and performance tracking.Cercli, a UAE-based workforce management platform, raised $12 million in a Series A funding round led by Germany’s Picus Capital.
This marks Picus Capital's first investment in the MENA region, managing assets over $1 billion across its portfolio.
Founded in 2023, Cercli has seen remarkable revenue growth, tenfold within the past year.
The funds will expand its product suite, accelerate AI development, and scale global presence across multiple continents.UAE-based gifting platform CADO secured a pre-seed funding round of $4.5 million, backed by Sanabil 500, a German family office, and various high-net-worth and angel investors.
This investment aims to foster expansion in Saudi Arabia, building an ecosystem connecting artisans, artists, suppliers, and investors.Saudi-based AI startup TabSense raised $5 million in a funding round led by Jasoor Ventures.
The funds will support the launch of an innovative AI Agentic Point of Sale system for multi-branch and franchise restaurants and cafes.
This evolution aims to enhance operations through autonomous AI agents that optimize menus and automate management tasks.SehaTech, an Egypt-based insurance tech firm, secured a seed round totaling $1.1 million, bringing its total funding to $2 million.
Led by Ingressive Capital with the involvement of Plus VC, angel investors, and existing backers A15, Beltone Venture Capital, SehaTech plans to scale operations, expand its AI-powered platform, and provide enhanced automation tools.Overall, these funding rounds indicate investor confidence in MENA's emerging startup landscape, propelling growth despite global economic challenges.
This growth underscores investor confidence in the evolving startup ecosystem amidst global economic challenges.According to a report by Wamda, startup investments in MENA reached a record high of $3.5 billion across 74 deals in September.
This represents a significant month-on-month growth of 914 percent and a year-on-year surge of 1,105 percent.Saudi Arabia led the funding activity with 25 startups raising a combined $2.7 billion, primarily from the Money20/20 fintech event featuring 15 deals.KLIQ, a Saudi-based artificial intelligence (AI) platform for influencer marketing, secured a seed investment round totaling $2.25 million.
Led by Sanabil Venture Studio in partnership with Stryber, the funding will support KLIQ's mission to connect brands and content creators through an AI-driven dashboard managing campaigns, contracts, payments, and performance tracking.Cercli, a UAE-based workforce management platform, raised $12 million in a Series A funding round led by Germany’s Picus Capital.
This marks Picus Capital's first investment in the MENA region, managing assets over $1 billion across its portfolio.
Founded in 2023, Cercli has seen remarkable revenue growth, tenfold within the past year.
The funds will expand its product suite, accelerate AI development, and scale global presence across multiple continents.UAE-based gifting platform CADO secured a pre-seed funding round of $4.5 million, backed by Sanabil 500, a German family office, and various high-net-worth and angel investors.
This investment aims to foster expansion in Saudi Arabia, building an ecosystem connecting artisans, artists, suppliers, and investors.Saudi-based AI startup TabSense raised $5 million in a funding round led by Jasoor Ventures.
The funds will support the launch of an innovative AI Agentic Point of Sale system for multi-branch and franchise restaurants and cafes.
This evolution aims to enhance operations through autonomous AI agents that optimize menus and automate management tasks.SehaTech, an Egypt-based insurance tech firm, secured a seed round totaling $1.1 million, bringing its total funding to $2 million.
Led by Ingressive Capital with the involvement of Plus VC, angel investors, and existing backers A15, Beltone Venture Capital, SehaTech plans to scale operations, expand its AI-powered platform, and provide enhanced automation tools.Overall, these funding rounds indicate investor confidence in MENA's emerging startup landscape, propelling growth despite global economic challenges.
