Available now! Telegram Research 2025 — the year's key insights 
MENA's Digital News
Open in Telegram
On this channel, you will be the first to know the latest editor-curated news & updates about MENA's digital economy, 100% free, updated from Sunday to Thursday learn more: digitaldigest.me for direct inquiries contact @rachagh
Show more532
Subscribers
+224 hours
+17 days
+730 days
Data loading in progress...
Similar Channels
Tags Cloud
Incoming and Outgoing Mentions
---
---
---
---
---
---
Attracting Subscribers
June '26
June '26
+8
in 0 channels
May '26
+11
in 0 channels
Get PRO
April '26
+6
in 0 channels
Get PRO
March '26
+13
in 0 channels
Get PRO
February '26
+1
in 0 channels
Get PRO
January '26
+12
in 0 channels
Get PRO
December '25
+4
in 0 channels
Get PRO
November '25
+7
in 0 channels
Get PRO
October '25
+4
in 0 channels
Get PRO
September '25
+5
in 0 channels
Get PRO
August '25
+4
in 0 channels
Get PRO
July '25
+7
in 0 channels
Get PRO
June '25
+8
in 0 channels
Get PRO
May '25
+8
in 0 channels
Get PRO
April '25
+4
in 0 channels
Get PRO
March '25
+4
in 0 channels
Get PRO
February '25
+5
in 0 channels
Get PRO
January '25
+8
in 0 channels
Get PRO
December '24
+8
in 0 channels
Get PRO
November '24
+31
in 0 channels
Get PRO
October '24
+15
in 0 channels
Get PRO
September '24
+15
in 0 channels
Get PRO
August '24
+25
in 0 channels
Get PRO
July '24
+11
in 0 channels
Get PRO
June '24
+9
in 0 channels
Get PRO
May '24
+10
in 0 channels
Get PRO
April '24
+25
in 0 channels
Get PRO
March '24
+12
in 0 channels
Get PRO
February '24
+22
in 0 channels
Get PRO
January '24
+29
in 0 channels
Get PRO
December '23
+28
in 0 channels
Get PRO
November '23
+10
in 0 channels
Get PRO
October '23
+7
in 0 channels
Get PRO
September '23
+11
in 0 channels
Get PRO
August '23
+4
in 0 channels
Get PRO
July '23
+10
in 0 channels
Get PRO
June '23
+14
in 0 channels
Get PRO
May '23
+12
in 0 channels
Get PRO
April '23
+5
in 0 channels
Get PRO
March '23
+9
in 0 channels
Get PRO
February '23
+349
in 0 channels
| Date | Subscriber Growth | Mentions | Channels | |
| 14 June | +2 | |||
| 13 June | +2 | |||
| 12 June | 0 | |||
| 11 June | 0 | |||
| 10 June | 0 | |||
| 09 June | 0 | |||
| 08 June | 0 | |||
| 07 June | 0 | |||
| 06 June | +1 | |||
| 05 June | 0 | |||
| 04 June | +1 | |||
| 03 June | +1 | |||
| 02 June | +1 | |||
| 01 June | 0 |
Channel Posts
Agenz, Morocco-based proptech platform, raised $5M in a seed funding round co-led by Breega, Attijariwafa Ventures, and Saviu Ventures. The startup was founded in 2021 and provides property valuation, market data analysis, and transaction tools for Morocco's real estate sector. https://b.digitaldigest.me/yaqj695o
Doctify, UK-based healthtech platform, expanded into Saudi Arabia, enabling patients to search for healthcare providers by specialty, location, and verified patient feedback, and allowing providers to build a structured digital presence. https://b.digitaldigest.me/aqpisedy
SCC, UK-based technology solutions provider, opened a UAE regional headquarters to deliver digital transformation, cloud infrastructure, and AI-driven operational services to enterprise and government clients across the Middle East. https://b.digitaldigest.me/x0jrsz7h
Shariyah Review Bureau (SRB), Bahrain-based Sharia advisory firm, granted Sharia certification to Madak App, Saudi-based fractional real estate investment platform, confirming its investment structure adheres to Sharia principles governing asset-backed ownership and income generation from underlying property assets. https://b.digitaldigest.me/sl2wcbzp
Saudi's Capital Market Authority (CMA) approved Brookfield Arabia for Business Services, the Saudi investment and advisory arm of NYSE-TSX-listed Brookfield Asset Management, to conduct investment management and fund operating activities in the kingdom. https://b.digitaldigest.me/p51460ex
Dubai issued Law No. 17 of 2026 establishing the Dubai Longevity Authority (DLA), a regulatory body mandated to license and supervise longevity therapies and innovations across research and development, clinical trials, manufacturing, delivery, and patient care in Dubai. https://b.digitaldigest.me/to2n9ghq
| 2 | Unifonic, Saudi-HQ customer engagement platform, acquired Segmentify, Turkey-based AI personalization and behavioral intelligence company, for an undisclosed amount. Unifonic was founded in 2006 and serves enterprise clients across MENA. Segmentify was founded in 2015 and provides AI-powered personalization, search, and cross-channel marketing tools to enterprise retailers across EMEA, with operations in the UK, Turkey, and Germany. https://b.digitaldigest.me/xety0hq3
Khwarizmi Capital secured a commitment from Saudi Venture Capital (SVC) of undisclosed value for its Khwarizmi Ventures Fund II, a Saudi-based early-stage venture capital fund targeting Seed to Series A technology startups across the GCC, with at least 50% of capital allocated to Saudi Arabia-based startups. https://b.digitaldigest.me/uy1gyrro
ICEYE, Finland-based synthetic aperture radar satellite intelligence company, received an investment from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) as part of a $1.15B (€1B) Series F round. The company was founded in 2014 and operates synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellations serving governments across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. https://b.digitaldigest.me/talmlr79
Yango Play, UAE-HQ digital entertainment platform under Yango Group, expanded into Iraq through a partnership with 1001, Iraq-based local streaming platform. https://b.digitaldigest.me/vi5wdzq7
IBM published the '2026 Tech Leader Study,' which surveys 2,000 CIOs and CTOs across 33 geographies. According to the report, Middle East and Africa technology leaders expect AI agent growth of up to 87% between 2026 and 2027, the highest of any region globally, while two-thirds of CIOs and CTOs are accountable for AI systems they do not fully control and only 11% feel fully prepared for the scale of deployment expected by 2027. https://b.digitaldigest.me/73uhahy9 | 44 |
| 3 | webook.com, Saudi-based live entertainment and ticketing platform, acquired SmartMove, Portugal-based event technology and sports ticketing company, for an undisclosed amount. webook.com was founded in 2012 and serves more than 17M users across over 180 countries. SmartMove was founded over 30 years ago and provides ticketing and membership infrastructure for major Portuguese football clubs and federations. https://b.digitaldigest.me/wr2qb8q4 | 54 |
| 4 | Velents AI, Saudi-based enterprise AI solutions company, joined Anthropic’s Claude Partner Network, enabling deeper integration with the platform’s AI models. https://b.digitaldigest.me/iff5290t
Rackspace Technology, US-based cloud and AI managed services company, established its regional headquarters in Riyadh to serve enterprise, government, and regulated industry clients across the GCC, focusing on cloud adoption, sovereign cloud capabilities, and AI-driven transformation. https://b.digitaldigest.me/uybso20x
Visa published the 'Stay Secure 2026' report, which surveys consumer awareness and behaviors around digital commerce and fraud across 17 CEMEA markets. According to the report, 85% of UAE consumers have used AI tools to assist with shopping, while only 32% trust AI agents to complete checkout. 46% experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months, with 38% of those occurring on social media. https://b.digitaldigest.me/msq0jzhy | 49 |
| 5 | Algebra AI, UAE-based managed AI operations firm, raised $7M in a funding round led by BECO Capital, and joined by Silicon Badia, Infinity Constellation, and Waseel Investments. The startup was founded in 2026 and designs, builds, and operates AI-enabled workflows as a managed service for mid-market businesses across financial services, food and beverage, manufacturing, and distribution sectors in the GCC. https://b.digitaldigest.me/znwgkt1a
Mabiaati, Iraq-based digital commerce platform, and Al Jabal Agriculture, Iraq-based AI-powered smart farming platform, secured separate six-figure investments from Iraqi investors and strategic partners, backed by Orange Corners Baghdad and the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF) Iraq. Mabiaati was founded in 2024 and serves more than 20,000 customers; Al Jabal Agriculture was founded in 2022 and currently manages thousands of dunams across Iraq. https://b.digitaldigest.me/1dnsszo6
JoAcademy, Jordan-based edtech platform, acquired NoNerds, Jordan-based AI-powered learning platform, for $140K. JoAcademy was founded in 2014 and serves more than 2.1M students across Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, and Saudi. NoNerds was founded in 2021 and developed AI-powered learning tools for university students. https://b.digitaldigest.me/v1e0jsun
Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) and the National Bank signed a $50M framework financing agreement to extend funding to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises across Palestine, forming part of a broader $462.3M (€400M) European Investment Bank initiative implemented through PMA and participating local banks. https://b.digitaldigest.me/h3pvzjnf | 44 |
| 6 | Blnk, Egypt-based fintech platform, raised $12.5M in a Series A funding round led by Algebra Ventures, with participation from SANAD Fund for MSME, Endeavor Catalyst, and Emirates International Investment Company, alongside $24.6M in local debt facilities. The startup was founded in 2022 and has onboarded more than one million customers across more than 3,000 merchant locations in Egypt, reaching profitability in 2025. https://b.digitaldigest.me/vyrp83ks
MNT-Halan, Egypt-based fintech unicorn, closed the first tranche of a funding round led by Ahly Capital Holding, investment arm of the National Bank of Egypt, undisclosed amount, at $1.4B valuation. The startup was founded in 2018 and operates across Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, and the UAE, serving more than 4 million individuals and businesses with consumer lending, payments, and financial services. https://b.digitaldigest.me/87tx7dbc
Zuvees, UAE-based AI-powered personalized gifting platform, raised $1.6M in a Series A extension from IvyCap Ventures, bringing total funding to $3.3M. The startup was founded in 2024 and uses AI to provide curated gift recommendations and cross-border fulfillment services across global markets. https://b.digitaldigest.me/9xa8gn07
Edafa Venture acquired two Egyptian AI startups, Kuadra, an AI-powered construction project management platform, and IRRI Vision, an AI-based diagnostic tools company for healthcare providers, for undisclosed six-figure amounts, as part of its strategy to build a regional AI portfolio across construction and healthcare sectors. https://b.digitaldigest.me/60grn1vd
Watad Group, Saudi-based cybersecurity solutions company, acquired Anomapro, India-based AI-powered financial intelligence platform, for an undisclosed amount. Watad Group was founded in 2013 and provides cybersecurity, AI, industrial automation, IT infrastructure, and smart city solutions. Anomapro was founded in 2022 and has a product called ‘FinnDot by Anomapro’ specialising in fraud detection, identity verification, and consumer credit readiness. https://b.digitaldigest.me/wdw0afx1
Capgemini Research Institute published the 'World Wealth Report 2026,' which surveys 6,510 HNWIs and 144 wealth management executives across four regions. According to the report, global HNWI wealth grew 8.7% to $98.3 trillion in 2025, while Middle East HNWI wealth contracted 1.5% — the only region to decline — due to oil-market pressures and limited equity exposure. 17% of HNWIs describe their advisory experience as seamless, with an estimated $1.5 trillion in assets accruing to non-traditional providers between 2022 and 2025. https://b.digitaldigest.me/agdpmfkf | 51 |
| 7 |  +1💰 Startup investments summary: May wrapped up with $152.5M in funding across 21 MENA-based startups: The UAE captured 51.4% of the funding value and 42.9% of the deals. While Saudi Arabia captured 44.5% of the funding value and 38.1% of the deals. This brings the total funding raised so far this year to $1.07B across 181 startups in the region. | 53 |
| 8 | CNTXT AI, UAE-based data and AI company, acquired Actualize, UAE-based enterprise AI startup, for an undisclosed amount. CNTXT AI was founded in 2022 and provides data services, customer AI solutions, and product AI Labs to develop unique solutions for enterprises. Actualize was founded in 2023, and develops Arabic voice models, conversational AI, and workflow automation tools for GCC enterprise and government clients. https://b.digitaldigest.me/uac3wydn | 77 |
| 9 | Calo, Bahrain-based meal subscription platform, expanded operations and full suite of services to Oman. https://b.digitaldigest.me/vr6jqxzq
Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) Group and FINTECH.TV, US-based global financial broadcasting platform headquartered at the New York Stock Exchange, announced a studio partnership to establish the first international financial news studio broadcasting live from a stock exchange in MENA, creating a daily real-time media connection between ADX and Wall Street from 8 June 2026. https://b.digitaldigest.me/jdrqz05c
KPMG published the ‘Global Tech Report 2026’ which surveys global leaders including in the UAE and Saudi about their attitudes towards key trends and priorities impacting the industry locally and globally. According to the report, 71% of institutions surveyed in Saudi and 69% in the UAE consider themselves fast-followers of technology adoption, and 23% in each country consider themselves innovators/early adopters. In the UAE, institutions report that process
integration as a top collaboration barrier (40%), while 80% report centralized architectural enforcement, and 47% show a high-risk appetite, exceeding global benchmarks. In Saudi, 39% invest between $100M–$250M annually in technology, 79% expect AI to deliver ROI at scale within 12 months, and 93% centralize decisions on new technologies. UAE https://b.digitaldigest.me/1b3m28op | Saudi https://b.digitaldigest.me/sq6nuqte | Global https://b.digitaldigest.me/30hiongt | 64 |
| 10 | Efham.ai, Egypt-based Arabic-language AI learning platform, received a strategic investment of undisclosed value from Foras.AI. The startup was founded by NixAI and delivers structured AI education in Egyptian colloquial Arabic covering foundational concepts through to practical applications including content creation, digital product development, startup building, and fundraising. https://b.digitaldigest.me/xshwpud7
Anara Impact Capital, MENA-focused impact venture capital firm, announced the first close of $48M its debut fund anchored by KfW on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Commission, Dara Holdings, ISSF, and regional family offices, targeting a $50M final close. Anara Impact Capital was spun out of Alfanar Venture Philanthropy. The new fund will invest in Seed and Series A startups across learning, wellbeing, financial access, and climate sectors across MENA. https://b.digitaldigest.me/ux4c2t3s | 56 |
| 11 | Urban Company, India-HQ home services marketplace, wound down its Saudi subsidiary Urban Company Arabia for Information Technology established in October 2024. https://b.digitaldigest.me/6hso9fqp
Dawar Circular Solutions, Egypt-based digital traceability platform for recyclable material flows, secured a nine-digit financing facility from GlobalCorp, Tawasoa, and Commercial International Bank (CIB). Dawar was founded in 2017 and has recorded more than 90,000 verified tons of recyclable materials across 22 governorates in Egypt. https://b.digitaldigest.me/vk2m6kgw
du, UAE-based telecom operator, launched du Ventures, a $50M corporate venture capital fund targeting startups and emerging technologies with a focus on UAE-based ventures, managed by Shorooq, UAE-based multi-strategy investment firm. https://b.digitaldigest.me/ps2podkt
Evident Insights' published the ‘Evident AI Index for Banks — Middle East & Africa’ report which evaluates 25 of the region's largest banks across talent, innovation, leadership, and transparency. According to the report, Emirates NBD first ranked 1st in MEA and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) 3rd, Al Rajhi ranked 9th. FAB ranks first in MEA in ‘Leadership in public communication and strategy’ as well as, ‘Transparency of responsible AI activities’. Al Rajhi ranks 2nd in MEA in ‘Talent capability and development’ https://b.digitaldigest.me/zwhk0lwr | 55 |
| 12 | CargoX, UAE-based autonomous delivery platform, raised $250M in a funding round led by BlueFive Capital. The company operates autonomous delivery vehicles across last-mile, middle-mile, and long-haul logistics, with public-road trials completed in the UAE and commercial operations planned in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. https://b.digitaldigest.me/4zoqrfz6
Positron, US-based AI inference infrastructure company, expands to the MENA region with an office at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), marking its first international office and presence outside the United States. The company has raised more than $300M in funding and develops purpose-built inference hardware targeting large language model deployment at scale. https://b.digitaldigest.me/vg5ojz23
Oman issued Royal Decree 61/2026 enacting a new Cybercrime Law, replacing the previous Cybercrime Law issued by Royal Decree 12/2011, repealing all provisions in conflict with the new legislation. https://b.digitaldigest.me/hsgzikim
Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) mandates that all licensed non-bank financial institutions (NBFI), including financing companies, payment service providers, exchange bureaus, and entities supporting financing activities, notify SAMA at least five working days prior to conducting any investment round, disclosing the round's timeline, purpose, value, target audience, ownership impact, and instrument type. https://b.digitaldigest.me/z2d9wci6
PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa published the ‘2026 Global Digital Shopping Index’, based on a survey of consumers and merchants across the UAE, US, and Brazil. According to the report, the UAE recorded the highest AI adoption in online purchases at 72%, tap-to-pay usage at 92%, and 86% of UAE shoppers saying payment method availability influenced their merchant choice, compared to a 66% global average. https://b.digitaldigest.me/gvmr12sy | 54 |
| 13 | Uber invested $100M in Careem, acquiring an additional 12.5% equity stake from e&, UAE-HQ telecom group, for $100M, thereby reducing e&'s stake from 50.03% to 37.53%. https://b.digitaldigest.me/wdnj0hat
RSA Cross-Border (RSA XB), UAE-based logistics platform, raised $1.5M in a seed funding round led by 21 Ventures. The startup was founded in 2009 as a spin-off from RSA Global and provides SMEs with AI-powered modular international shipping services integrating air freight, customs clearance, and last-mile delivery across trade corridors connecting India, the UK, Europe, and the GCC. https://b.digitaldigest.me/9ggaaddc
01Gov, UAE-based AI-powered govtech platform, received a $408K (1.5M AED) financing guarantee from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF), an initiative of the UAE Ministry of Finance, to accelerate expansion of its cloud-based digital platform for government entities and develop its agentic AI system, One. https://b.digitaldigest.me/zgjophxu
SPARQ, UAE-based AI-native game engine, raised funding as part of a $8.5M in a seed round with commitments from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). The startup was founded in 2024 and enables individual creators to develop and publish games across platforms without coding, using a proprietary C++ engine with AI-native architecture built to handle code, assets, networking, and monetisation. https://b.digitaldigest.me/1xg9l6fi
Calo, Saudi-based meal subscription platform, shut down its UK operations less than a year after entering the market through the acquisition of British meal delivery companies Fresh Fitness Food and Detox Kitchen. https://b.digitaldigest.me/y0lqllia
Anthropic, US-based AI company, raised $65B in a Series H round with participation from MGX (UAE), among other global investors, valuing the company at $965B post-money. The company develops Claude, a frontier AI model serving enterprises and developers across cloud platforms. https://b.digitaldigest.me/r3rwivr8 | 58 |
| 14 | May’s most-read articles:
General Atlantic, US-based global growth equity firm, secured a $500M commitment from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) to deploy capital across General Atlantic's global growth equity investment strategies, with additional collaboration on market research, investment analysis, and portfolio company expansion into Middle East markets. https://b.digitaldigest.me/fq1bzifz
BECO Capital, UAE-based venture capital firm, opened a Riyadh office to formalise its presence in Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem, led by new Saudi Partner. https://b.digitaldigest.me/vzzyodxl
Stitch, Saudi-based Saas fintech, raised $25M in a Series A funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), and joined by Raed Ventures, SVC, Arbor Ventures and COTU Ventures. The startup was founded in 2022, and has processed more than $5B in transactions over the six months prior to the announcement, with customer numbers growing 10x and revenue growing 20x in 2025. https://b.digitaldigest.me/6wc5sdn3
eVoost AI, UAE-based proptech, raised $2.2M (€2M) in a funding round led by First Drop VC, and joined by Qora71 (Hub71). The startup was founded in 2024, it uses AI to help property developers improve sales targeting and digitization, and manages more than $3.5B in real estate assets under commercial agreements across the UAE, Europe, and the US. https://b.digitaldigest.me/xdmajjr7
CredibleX, UAE-based fintech, raised funding led by Mubadala Investment Company and joined by Further Ventures, as part of a $15M in a Series A funding round, value of this tranche is undisclosed. The startup was founded in 2023 and provides SMEs with working capital financing solutions including revenue-based financing, receivables financing, and payable financing through over 70 distribution partners. https://b.digitaldigest.me/s2ayx10t | 65 |
| 15 | STV secured a strategic commitment for its $100M Emerging Tech and AI Fund from the Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB), value undisclosed. The fund was announced in May 2025 and has commitments from Google and regional semi-sovereign, endowment, and institutional investors since launch. https://b.digitaldigest.me/6knk07l2
Camber Creek, US-based PropTech venture capital firm, received a commitment from Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF), undisclosed value. Founded in 2011, Camber Creek manages nearly $1B in assets under management and invests in companies transforming real estate across property management, investment, tenant services, and digital transaction platforms. https://b.digitaldigest.me/v6gmv8cs
Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) granted Payward, the parent entity of US-based cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, preliminary approval to operate in Dubai, enabling spot trading, margin services, OTC desk access, staking products, and AED deposit and withdrawal capabilities for UAE clients. https://b.digitaldigest.me/yd58okcz | 94 |
| 16 | BECO Capital, UAE-based venture capital firm, opened a Riyadh office to formalise its presence in Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem, led by new Saudi Partner. https://b.digitaldigest.me/vzzyodxl
Abu Dhabi Global Market's Financial Services Regulatory Authority (ADGM FSRA) granted Cantor, US-based global investment bank and subsidiary of Cantor Fitzgerald, a Financial Services Permission to conduct regulated investment banking and capital markets activities within ADGM. https://b.digitaldigest.me/c85kiztp
Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, and COFIDES, Spain's state-owned financial institution, launched the Ispania Growth Fund, a $330M (€300M) joint private equity vehicle managed by Portobello Capital targeting Spanish SMEs in green transition, digital transformation, and technological innovation sectors. https://b.digitaldigest.me/2ge0s2zs
Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) approved a $100M commitment to deploy catalytic capital across Africa-focused technology fund managers, with initial anchor commitments to Lightrock Africa Fund II and Future Africa Fund III, targeting African-owned fund managers across the full innovation lifecycle from early-stage venture capital through to growth-stage scaling https://b.digitaldigest.me/us5s34h6
UAE's Supreme Space Council launched the International Space Cooperation Programme, allocating $272M (AED 1B) to support international partnerships in space research and development, technology localisation, national talent development, and connectivity between UAE research institutions and global counterparts in line with the National Space Strategy 2031. https://b.digitaldigest.me/4uta1onh | 79 |
| 17 | RemotePass, UAE-based recruitment management platform, raised $17.4M in a Series B funding round led by EBRD Venture Capital, and joined by 500 Global, Oraseya Capital, 212 VC, Access Bridge Ventures, and Khwarizmi Ventures. The startup was founded in 2021, and has facilitated more than $800M in cross-border payroll across more than 35,000 workers in 150 countries, reaching profitability in early 2025. https://b.digitaldigest.me/o43u04mk
ARRW, Egypt-based ride-hailing platform, raised $4M in a funding round led by Tasheed Egypt. The platform was launched by RehlaRides and operates as a licensed ride-hailing platform serving more than 200k users across Egypt. https://b.digitaldigest.me/hx66lwip
Owners ID, India-based privacy platform, received a $260K pre-seed investment from Crucifer Investments (UAE). The startup was founded in 2022 and uses QR code technology to help users recover lost belongings without sharing personal contact details, serving categories including luggage, keys, wallets, electronics, and pet tags. https://b.digitaldigest.me/a1luu1rt
Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) granted Lianlian DigiTech, China-based digital payment provider, a payment services licence to operate within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), enabling regulated cross-border payment and settlement services across the Middle East and international markets. https://b.digitaldigest.me/ok1ur1th
Jordan Capital and Investment Fund (JCIF) launched Manara Ventures, a $70.5M (JOD 50M) Sharia-compliant growth-stage fund targeting more than 20 Jordanian technology and innovation-driven companies, with backing from Lunate (UAE) and other regional institutional investors. The fund plans to deploy cheque sizes of $750K to $3M and reserves follow-on capital for up to 15 high-performing startups pursuing regional expansion. https://b.digitaldigest.me/h32s2rvm | 73 |
| 18 | Arib, Saudi-based digital financing platform, raised $23.5M in a funding round led by Merak Capital. The startup was founded in 2019 and provides digital solutions to simplify and accelerate access to financing for customers across Saudi. https://b.digitaldigest.me/ekuhc7xv
Fasset, US-UAE-HQ stablecoin-powered neobanking platform, raised $51M in a Series B funding round from Investcorp (Bahrain) and other global investors. The startup was founded in 2019 and processes more than $32B in annualized transaction volume across 2M wallets in 125 countries and more than 1,000 SME clients globally. https://b.digitaldigest.me/wa3jcju7
Startup Blink published the ‘Global Startup Ecosystem Index 2026’ which evaluates over 1500 cities across 100 countries globally on quality of entrepreneurial ecosystem, quantity of activities, and business environment across dozens of metrics. According to the report, Saudi Arabia ranks 28th globally, and first in MENA, followed by the UAE as 30th globally, followed by Bahrain 64, and Egypt 65. Riyadh is the fastest rising city in the world, rising to 42nd globally (up from 72nd last year), and now first in MENA, followed by Dubai, 48th (down 4 ranks from last year). https://b.digitaldigest.me/uq60guo7 | 66 |
| 19 | Madinah Hubs, Saudi-based innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, completed a partial acquisition of SBTL, Saudi-based leadership and innovation company, through its investment arm Ohud Investments, for an undisclosed amount. SBTL was founded in 2021 and has delivered over 120 programs, and collaborated with more than 200 organizations since its founding. https://b.digitaldigest.me/4l9f0ski | 62 |
| 20 | eVoost AI, UAE-based proptech, raised $2.2M (€2M) in a funding round led by First Drop VC, and joined by Qora71 (Hub71). The startup was founded in 2024, it uses AI to help property developers improve sales targeting and digitization, and manages more than $3.5B in real estate assets under commercial agreements across the UAE, Europe, and the US. https://b.digitaldigest.me/xdmajjr7
Peekabox, UAE-based foodtech marketplace, raised $1.5M in a seed funding round, investors undisclosed. The startup was founded in 2025 and connects consumers with surplus food from restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and grocery stores at discounts of 50% to 70%, with plans to expand across the UAE. https://b.digitaldigest.me/kj3h8uzk
Isomorphic Labs, UK-based healthtech company, raised $2.1B in funding from global investors including MGX (UAE). The startup was founded in 2021 and develops AI models to accelerate drug discovery across multiple therapeutic areas. https://b.digitaldigest.me/of0qq2xp
GrowthLabs, Egypt-based startup ecosystem builder, acquired Startup Gate, Egypt-based founder and investor network platform, for $657K (EGP 35M) in a transaction facilitated by M-Empire. The acquisition integrates Startup Gate's community platform with GrowthLabs' Catalyst OS operating system for incubators and accelerators. https://b.digitaldigest.me/05punm7o
UAE's Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) granted Mal, UAE-based AI-native Islamic digital bank, in-principle approval to establish a licensed bank in the UAE. https://b.digitaldigest.me/s9lrw6in
Bolt, Estonia-based ride-hailing platform, expanded into Abu Dhabi in partnership with Dubai Taxi Company (DTC), launching limousine services with taxi services to follow. https://b.digitaldigest.me/05punm7o | 56 |
