VC
Jordan
+3
Nov 26, 2025
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2 min read
Propeller launches $50M Fund III to back AI infrastructure and AI-native software across US and MENA
Founded in 2017 by Zaid Farekh and Tambi Jalouqa, Propeller operates across Amman, Riyadh, Boston, and Silicon Valley, positioning itself as a bridge between MENA AI builders and US growth markets.
Startups
+3
Nov 11, 2025
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2 min read
Irish firm Quintas Capital invests $18 million in UAE e-commerce business Petal Group
The deal marks Quintas Capital’s first managed equity investment as it eyes cross-border growth across the Irish–Middle Eastern corridor.
Startups
+3
Nov 7, 2025
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2 min read
Saudi VC firm SVC eyes $3 billion target by 2030 as over a dozen portfolio companies prepare IPOs
SVC Chief Executive Nabeel Koshak revealed that more than 13 of the companies in its portfolio have begun preparations for an initial public offering on the sidelines of the Private Capital Forum in Riyadh.
News
+2
Oct 21, 2025
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2 min read
Crescent Enterprises launches $68M investment programme to scale CE-Creates venture studio
The move comes alongside the appointment of Rakhil Fernando as Head of CE-Creates, signalling a more aggressive build-out of the platform.
News
+2
Oct 15, 2025
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2 min read
Investcorp closes $750M Golden Horizon Fund with CIC to target GCC-China growth
The fund will focus on sectors including consumer, healthcare, logistics, and business services. It targets established companies with scale and maturity, with a clear path to IPOs or strategic exits within three to five years.
News
+2
Sep 29, 2025
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2 min read
BECO Capital closes $370M across two funds to back Gulf founders from pre-seed to IPO
The raise includes $120 million for BECO Fund IV, the firm’s fourth early-stage vehicle, and a $250 million Growth Fund targeting companies from Series B to pre-IPO.
Startups
+2
Sep 29, 2025
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3 min read
MENA's top founders head to London as Key Capital builds cross-border investor bridge
The event builds on two earlier editions, which facilitated more than 200 meetings between 30+ global investors and 40 MENA startups in 2024.
News
+1
Sep 26, 2025
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2 min read
PayPal to deploy $100M in MENA and Africa through ventures, acquisitions, and tech rollouts
The announcement follows the launch of its first regional hub in Dubai earlier this year, set up to provide businesses with seamless payments, enhanced security, and access to global markets.
Startups
+4
Sep 23, 2025
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2 min read
Presight and Shorooq launch $100M global AI fund to accelerate innovation
The vehicle will target AI and analytics startups across multiple stages, with an investment focus spanning smart cities, energy, fintech, AI/ML, AR/VR, gaming, Industry 4.0, and deep tech.
Startups
+3
Sep 8, 2025
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2 min read
anb Capital and Lexham Partners launch $200M growth fund targeting MENA tech startups
The vehicle will back firms at the growth and pre-IPO stage through a mix of equity and secondary transactions, prioritising businesses with scalable platforms and alignment to Saudi Vision 2030’s digital transformation agenda.
SWFs
+5
Sep 3, 2025
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3 min read
Qatar’s QIA backs Anthropic’s record $13B round at $183B valuation
The raise, led by Iconiq Capital with co-leads Fidelity Management & Research Company and Lightspeed Venture Partners, nearly triples Anthropic’s valuation from just six months ago.
SWFs
+5
Aug 28, 2025
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3 min read
Mistral eyes $1B raise as Gulf ties deepen with Sanabil, Damac, and potential backing from Mubadala, MGX, and PIF
The startup’s current Gulf investors include Saudi Arabia’s Sanabil and UAE’s Damac, with reported talks underway with Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s new AI investment vehicle MGX, and potentially Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
News
+2
Aug 26, 2025
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2 min read
VC React Podcast (Episode #48)
This week on VC React, we unpack Robinhood’s push into the GCC, ask whether global unicorns upend MENA’s copycat playbook or force founders to compete head-on, dissect Impact46’s gaming spree, probe Merak’s full-stack capital model, and debate whether Saudi developers should lead with local stories or go global first.
Gaming
+3
Aug 24, 2025
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2 min read
Impact46 invests $53M in Saudi gaming studio Kammelna
Kammelna has built a strong position in culturally rooted Saudi games, with Baloot and Jackaroo downloaded more than 6 million times and over 1 million monthly active users
Gaming
+4
Aug 11, 2025
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2 min read
Impact46 invests $6.6M+ across five gaming studios from its $40M fund
The bets span mobile, PC, console, VR, and hybrid-casual development, with a focus on culturally localised content that can travel globally.
News
+3
Aug 8, 2025
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4 min read
Abu Dhabi’s MGX ramps up global AI bets with eyes on $25B fund
The Abu Dhabi AI investment vehicle backed by Mubadala and G42 is also negotiating a $1 billion stake in French startup Mistral and looks set to join a planned $3–5 billion round for Anthropic at a $170 billion valuation.
News
+2
Aug 4, 2025
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2 min read
Mubadala backs US AI firm Anaconda in $150M round
Anaconda provides enterprises with a secure, enterprise‐grade distribution of Python bundled with pre‐installed packages and tools tailored for data science, machine learning, and AI development.
Jordan
+2
Aug 3, 2025
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2 min read
Endeavor Jordan Appoints Tamer Al-Salah as Managing Director
Al‐Salah returns to the organisation where he began his career in entrepreneurship support, later holding roles at the EBRD and serving as MD of Beyond Capital.
Analysis
+1
Aug 1, 2025
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4 min read
MENA’s new playbook for non‐dilutive funding
Murabaha mark‐ups instead of interest, revenue‐share buybacks instead of rigid instalments, and new structures like NICE and WAQFA that keep funding both founder‐friendly and Shariah‐compliant.
Analysis
+3
Jul 30, 2025
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7 min read
The rise and rise of venture debt across the Gulf
What's behind the increase in new venture debt funds launching across the Gulf, promising “founder-first,” non-dilutive capital? Who are the players rewriting the playbook? And what does all of this mean for founders, investors, and LPs?
