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MENA ECOSYSTEMS

Meet the Winners of the French-Egyptian Startup Competition

18 Feb 2021
Over one year, 150 applicants and a pandemic later, the winners of the first [...]
KSA’s Savola Group Launches CVC Fund to Invest in Tech-Enabled Food & Retail Startups

KSA’s Savola Group Launches CVC Fund to Invest in Tech-Enabled Food & Retail Startups

17 Feb 2021
The decades-old conglomerate is looking to the new wave of innovation, particularly [...]
Dubai Launches Digital Platform to Streamline Startup Registration

Dubai Launches Digital Platform to Streamline Startup Registration

06 Feb 2021
‘Invest Dubai’ offers instant licenses and a whole library of information, as the [...]
2021 Changelabs Jordan Fintech Demo Day: The Who, What, Where and Why

2021 Changelabs Jordan Fintech Demo Day: The Who, What, Where and Why

01 Feb 2021
With this being the first accelerator of its kind in the untapped Levantine nation, [...]
Abu Dhabi Named Safest City on Earth: Why it Bodes Well for the Local Ecosystem

Abu Dhabi Named Safest City on Earth: Why it Bodes Well for the Local Ecosystem

26 Jan 2021
Being the safest city on Earth is sure to attract expats and tourists, but it will [...]
Jada Fund of Funds Signs Agreement with Merak Capital to Support Early-Stage Tech Startups in KSA

Jada Fund of Funds Signs Agreement with Merak Capital to Support Early-Stage Tech Startups in KSA

17 Jan 2021
As Saudi Arabia marches towards a more diversified and tech-focused economy, Jada [...]
ADIO Opens Offices in New York, London, San Francisco, Beijing and More

ADIO Opens Offices in New York, London, San Francisco, Beijing and More

17 Jan 2021
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office has launched offices in eight different cities, as [...]
Fintech for a Future: Why Changelabs' Jordan Accelerator Has Come at the Right Time

Fintech for a Future: Why Changelabs' Jordan Accelerator Has Come at the Right Time

11 Jan 2021
As the first fintech accelerator if its kind in Jordan, Changelabs' latest [...]
Egypt to Begin Implementation of MENA’s Biggest Digital Transformation Project for Businesses

Egypt to Begin Implementation of MENA’s Biggest Digital Transformation Project for Businesses

05 Jan 2021
First announced almost one year ago, the project is set to kick off its first [...]
New Sharjah Angel Investors Network Aims to Nurture the Next Generation of Angel Investors

New Sharjah Angel Investors Network Aims to Nurture the Next Generation of Angel Investors

04 Jan 2021
Launched by the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, the initiative [...]
Egypt’s E-Commerce Market is Now Worth EGP 40 Billion

Egypt’s E-Commerce Market is Now Worth EGP 40 Billion

23 Dec 2020
The pandemic has forced a huge shift towards online shopping, something that [...]
paynas Signs Landmark Partnership with Visa & Banque Misr: What Does it Mean for MSMEs Across Egypt?

paynas Signs Landmark Partnership with Visa & Banque Misr: What Does it Mean for MSMEs Across Egypt?

17 Dec 2020
With micro, small and medium enterprise employing 75% of the Egyptian workforce, [...]
Meet the Winners of Womentum Accelerator’s Third Cycle

Meet the Winners of Womentum Accelerator’s Third Cycle

15 Dec 2020
For its latest cycle, Womena's accelerator has identified and backed five of the [...]
Saudi Aramco’s Entrepreneurship Arm Wa’ed Partners with Bahrain’s OQAL Angel Investors Network

Saudi Aramco’s Entrepreneurship Arm Wa’ed Partners with Bahrain’s OQAL Angel Investors Network

08 Dec 2020
An MOU signed between the two hopes to diversify the ecosystems in both KSA and [...]
Meet the 25 Startups Diving Headfirst into Vested Summit’s Shark Zone Competition

Meet the 25 Startups Diving Headfirst into Vested Summit’s Shark Zone Competition

04 Dec 2020
This year's competition has an intriguing extra layer, as the public will vote on [...]
Power to the People: Vested Summit Opens its ‘Shark Zone’ to Public Voting

Power to the People: Vested Summit Opens its ‘Shark Zone’ to Public Voting

03 Dec 2020
Taking place on December 5th and 6th, this year's edition of the world's first [...]
Cairo Angels' Hossam Allam on Democratising Investing and Their Gamechanging New Syndicate Fund

Cairo Angels' Hossam Allam on Democratising Investing and Their Gamechanging New Syndicate Fund

01 Dec 2020
Cairo Angels has announced a $3M fund, bringing a decade of investing experience to [...]
Dubai’s Fintech Hive Signs Agreement to Collaborate with Israel’s Fintech Aviv

Dubai’s Fintech Hive Signs Agreement to Collaborate with Israel’s Fintech Aviv

30 Nov 2020
The agreement will see the two collaborate on a number of different things, [...]
Indian Cloud Services Specialist G7 CR is Targeting Startups & SMEs with Expansion into MENA

Indian Cloud Services Specialist G7 CR is Targeting Startups & SMEs with Expansion into MENA

28 Nov 2020
G7 CR will look to work particularly closely with startups and SMEs in the region [...]
DXBUY Teams Up with 'Buy Now, Pay Later' Provider Tabby to Expand Payment Services for SMEs

DXBUY Teams Up with 'Buy Now, Pay Later' Provider Tabby to Expand Payment Services for SMEs

25 Nov 2020
The partnership intends to give SMEs stronger and more stable control over their [...]
Bahrain Becomes 1st GCC Country to Introduce Convertible Bonds: Why it’s a Gamechanger for Startups

Bahrain Becomes 1st GCC Country to Introduce Convertible Bonds: Why it’s a Gamechanger for Startups

23 Nov 2020
Startups will now be able to raise funds quicker and without handing over control [...]
3 Continents, 95 Speakers, 11,000 Connections: Looking Back at Startups Without Borders Summit 2020

3 Continents, 95 Speakers, 11,000 Connections: Looking Back at Startups Without Borders Summit 2020

22 Nov 2020
For some, the hybrid format might have been a case of making the best of a bad [...]
UAE Ranked MENA’s Most Valuable ‘Nation Brand’: What Role Does the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Play?

UAE Ranked MENA’s Most Valuable ‘Nation Brand’: What Role Does the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Play?

16 Nov 2020
Despite a difficult year, UAE has moved up two places in Brand Finance's global [...]
Telecom Egypt to Launch New Open-Access Internet Exchange in Cairo with the Netherlands’ AMS-IX

Telecom Egypt to Launch New Open-Access Internet Exchange in Cairo with the Netherlands’ AMS-IX

15 Nov 2020
The internet exchange will be an open-access platform that aims to provide content [...]
ADIO Recruits Three Startups to Boost Abu Dhabi’s Land, Sea & Space AgriTech Capabilities

ADIO Recruits Three Startups to Boost Abu Dhabi’s Land, Sea & Space AgriTech Capabilities

12 Nov 2020
The Abu Dhabi Investment Office will back the three startups with financial and [...]
Silicon Valley Blockchain Fintech Ripple to Open MENA Office in Dubai

Silicon Valley Blockchain Fintech Ripple to Open MENA Office in Dubai

08 Nov 2020
The move is seen as a huge feather in the cap for all involved, as both Ripple and [...]
KSA’s Jada Fund of Funds Signs Agreement with Alpha Capital to Invest in Food & Beverage SMEs

KSA’s Jada Fund of Funds Signs Agreement with Alpha Capital to Invest in Food & Beverage SMEs

08 Nov 2020
The agreement aims to diversify KSA’s oil-heavy economy through private equity [...]
2,000 New SMEs Launched in September via ‘Mashrouak’, Says Egypt’s Ministry of Local Development

2,000 New SMEs Launched in September via ‘Mashrouak’, Says Egypt’s Ministry of Local Development

07 Nov 2020
The initiative, which was launched in 2015 in collaboration with the Central Bank [...]
Abu Dhabi’s Injazat Partners with South Korea's Born2Global to Drive Digital Solutions in UAE

Abu Dhabi’s Injazat Partners with South Korea's Born2Global to Drive Digital Solutions in UAE

21 Oct 2020
The unique new partnership will kick off with the Digital Bridge programme, which [...]
Leading Investors in UAE Launch Emirates Angel Investors Association

Leading Investors in UAE Launch Emirates Angel Investors Association

16 Oct 2020
The new nonprofit aims to accelerate growth of startups and facilitate investments [...]
Software Company CorporateStack Opens Office in Egypt to Meet Demands of Local SMEs

Software Company CorporateStack Opens Office in Egypt to Meet Demands of Local SMEs

15 Oct 2020
First Egypt, then the rest of Africa. [...]
Abu Dhabi's HUB71 Partners with France's Bpifrance to Provide Mutual Opportunities for Tech Startups

Abu Dhabi's HUB71 Partners with France's Bpifrance to Provide Mutual Opportunities for Tech Startups

15 Oct 2020
The global tech ecosystem and the French national investment bank hope to pool [...]
+VC: Veteran Investors Hasan Haider and Sharif El-Badawi Launch New $60 Million Independent Fund

+VC: Veteran Investors Hasan Haider and Sharif El-Badawi Launch New $60 Million Independent Fund

13 Oct 2020
The venture capital fund will focus on early-stage startups, both in MENA and its [...]
International Chamber of Commerce and UN Launch New Regional Entrepreneurship Centre for MENA

International Chamber of Commerce and UN Launch New Regional Entrepreneurship Centre for MENA

11 Oct 2020
The ICC-ESCWA Centre of Entrepreneurship in Beirut will leverage both entities’ [...]
UAE, Bahrain & Qatar Rank Top of Arab Region in World Bank’s 2020 Human Capital Index

UAE, Bahrain & Qatar Rank Top of Arab Region in World Bank’s 2020 Human Capital Index

10 Oct 2020
The World Bank’s Human Capital Index highlights how current health and education [...]
Egypt’s Falak Startups Launches Interactive Virtual Stage Platform

Egypt’s Falak Startups Launches Interactive Virtual Stage Platform

04 Oct 2020
The platform takes the traditional demo day and turns into a streamlined, [...]
Kuwaiti Government Submits New Bill to Help SMEs Affected by the Pandemic

Kuwaiti Government Submits New Bill to Help SMEs Affected by the Pandemic

04 Oct 2020
The bill proposes a new grant loan offer to SMEs across the country. [...]
Global Communications Specialist Kekst CNC Launches New Service for MENA Startups

Global Communications Specialist Kekst CNC Launches New Service for MENA Startups

03 Oct 2020
The Publicis-owned company’s ‘Kekst CNC Rise’ service intends to help startups at [...]
Abu Dhabi’s Ma’an Launches New Digital Funding Platform

Abu Dhabi’s Ma’an Launches New Digital Funding Platform

03 Oct 2020
The Ma’an Contribution Platform hopes to not only aid social enterprises, but also [...]
Changelabs Egypt Demo Day Returns with 13 of the Country’s Most Innovative Startups

Changelabs Egypt Demo Day Returns with 13 of the Country’s Most Innovative Startups

01 Oct 2020
An eclectic mix of fintechs, healthtech and edtechs make-up Changelabs Egypt’s [...]
More


Week Month Year

UK Venture Firm Hambro Perks Launches New $50 Million Fund to Invest in Early-Stage MENA Startups

The London-based firm will look to focus on fintech, healthtech and edtech with the Oryx Fund. [...]

Saudi Cloud Accounting and E-invoicing Platform VoM Raises Investment Months After Launching

Founded in the fourth quarter of 2020, VoM is poised to lead the line for KSA’s plans to impose e-invoicing on all commercial [...]

Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre Launches UAE's First Government-Backed Startup Studio

Using a revenue-sharing model, the studio aims to help entrepreneurs get their startups on their feet, through pre-seed funding, expert [...]

Saudi Arabia to Launch Bank to Exclusively Serve Financial Needs of SMEs

The SMEs Bank will bring together all the financial solutions and services an SME might need, with the ultimate aim of helping foster [...]

MAIN & GIZ Egypt Release Free Standard Legal Documents to Save Time & Money for Investors & Founders

The documents will go some way to helping founders navigate a blackhole of lengthy negotiations, expensive legal fees and complications in [...]

In Conversation with Neveen El Tahri: Egyptian Investment Veteran & Founder of 138 Pyramids

The founder of development finance initiative, 138 Pyramids, talks Egyptian youth, the art of listening and the ego of entrepreneurship in [...]

DFin Holding Launches New Fintech Platform and MENA's First Venture Debt Fund

The announcement comes ahead of what DFin sees as a huge year for the fintech sector in Egypt. [...]

Meet the Winners of the French-Egyptian Startup Competition

Over one year, 150 applicants and a pandemic later, the winners of the first edition of the competition have been crowned - but this is [...]

Egypt’s Vezeeta Launches Integrated ePharmacy Service for Prescription Medication

Following a year that saw it raise $40 million in funding, relocate to Dubai and expand into Africa, Vezeeta is wasting little time in [...]

Dubai Launches Digital Platform to Streamline Startup Registration

‘Invest Dubai’ offers instant licenses and a whole library of information, as the emirate looks to diversify its ecosystem by attracting [...]

EXCLUSIVE: Meet the 10 Startups Chosen for the First ‘Google for Startups Accelerator’ in MENA

Out of over 500 startups, only 10 have been chosen for the tech giant's first ever MENA accelerator, as it seeks to identify the most [...]

Fatafeat Launches World’s First Fully Arabic Cooking Course App

The Arabic cooking channel found that two thirds of Egyptians lack confidence in the kitchen, inspiring the launch of the ‘Genius Kitchen’ [...]

Uber Shuts Down Uber Eats Operations in All Middle East Markets

Uber Eats will shut down in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, while UAE operations will transition to Uber subsidiary Careem. [...]

This American-Egyptian Startup Found a Solution to the Shortage of Doctors

After scoring their seed round and launching in Egypt, these founders are hoping to make your healthcare journey a lot simpler. [...]

A US Firm Is Turning Air into Bottled Water in the UAE Desert

The company could hold the key to producing large amounts of sustainable water in one of the region’s most arid lands, using only renewable [...]

UK Venture Firm Hambro Perks Launches New $50 Million Fund to Invest in Early-Stage MENA Startups

The London-based firm will look to focus on fintech, healthtech and edtech with the Oryx Fund. [...]

Saudi Cloud Accounting and E-invoicing Platform VoM Raises Investment Months After Launching

Founded in the fourth quarter of 2020, VoM is poised to lead the line for KSA’s plans to impose e-invoicing on all commercial [...]

Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre Launches UAE's First Government-Backed Startup Studio

Using a revenue-sharing model, the studio aims to help entrepreneurs get their startups on their feet, through pre-seed funding, expert [...]

Saudi Arabia to Launch Bank to Exclusively Serve Financial Needs of SMEs

The SMEs Bank will bring together all the financial solutions and services an SME might need, with the ultimate aim of helping foster [...]

MAIN & GIZ Egypt Release Free Standard Legal Documents to Save Time & Money for Investors & Founders

The documents will go some way to helping founders navigate a blackhole of lengthy negotiations, expensive legal fees and complications in [...]

Open Banking Platform Tarabut Gateway Raises MENA’s Largest Fintech Seed Round of $13 Million

The Bahrain-born startup will push forward with ambitious expansion plans as it looks to lead the line in open banking both regionally and [...]

UK Venture Firm Hambro Perks Launches New $50 Million Fund to Invest in Early-Stage MENA Startups

The London-based firm will look to focus on fintech, healthtech and edtech with the Oryx Fund. [...]

Leading Iraqi Ecommerce Platform Orisdi Raises Six-Figure Bridge Round

Aiming to become the 'Amazon of Iraq', this latest investment will be channeled into ambitious growth plans, as well as strengthening what [...]

UAE’s BuyBack Bazaar Rebrands as North Ladder Ahead of Expansion Plans

The secure trading platform has set out ambitious plans for the next 24 months after raising $5 million ion Series A funding. [...]

Saudi Arabia to Launch Bank to Exclusively Serve Financial Needs of SMEs

The SMEs Bank will bring together all the financial solutions and services an SME might need, with the ultimate aim of helping foster [...]

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