Palestinian Fashion Startup Modesta Raises Six-Figure Seed Round

Modesta, a Palestinian fashion startup, has raised a six-figure Seed round led by 500 Startups and with the participation of angel investors, and the Innovative Private Sector Development Project (IPSD) programme funded by the World Bank.

Founded in March 2020 by Shatha Ajaj, Modesta is a fashion e-commerce startup that specialises in providing a wide range of modest clothes for women.

E-commerce startups in MENA have been growing rapidly since last year. In H1’22, it was the third most funded industry in the region, according to data platform Magnitt. Fashion e-commerce has also been paving its way in the sector with UAE’s Millennial Brands raising $35 million in 2022, while KSA’s beauty platform Kaya raised $2.6 million in the same year.

According to Modesta, modest fashion has evolved over the past decade. Modesta’s products are made with the mindset that modest fashion is not only for religious women who want to wear less skin-revealing clothes, but also for women who choose to dress modestly for personal reasons.

"We are creating our own modest movement through collecting unique season’s latest collections that satisfy the needs of modern women who adopt modesty in their lifestyle,” Shatha Ajaj, founder and CEO of Modesta, tells StartupScene. “Modesta has gained great popularity since the start in March 2020, delivering thousands of parcels to the doorsteps of our happy customers.”

Modesta’s funding will be used to reach more customers in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as well as grow its technology to include more brands and vendors.