Funding
Page 2 / 2Funding rounds, venture capital, private equity, and the investors backing startups and scaling businesses.
Aya Raises $7 Million Series A to Scale On-Demand Fashion
The Saudi-based startup's round was led by RAED Ventures with participation from Sanabil, Nuwa, Joa, and Khwarizmi.
Saudi-based fashion startup Aya has raised a $7 million Series A to scale its on-demand production model across MENA. The round was led by RAED Ventures with participation from Sanabil Investments, Nuwa Capital, Joa Capital, and Khwarizmi Ventures.
The MENA Funding Freeze: How Geopolitics Froze Startup Capital Overnight
War, uncertainty, and investor paralysis have slashed MENA startup funding by over 90% since January. For early-stage founders in Lebanon and across the region, the fallout is existential.
In the first quarter of 2026, startup funding across the Middle East and North Africa collapsed from $563 million in January to just $48.3 million in March — an unprecedented decline driven by the escalating US-Israeli war against Iran and its ripple effects across the Gulf. This data-driven editorial examines how the funding freeze happened, who it hurts most, and what it means for the region's most vulnerable founders.
Egypt fintech Lucky raises $23M Series B to expand across North Africa
The round combines equity and debt, adds Suez Canal Bank and OneStop as strategic participants, and appoints tech investor Mohamed Farouk as board chairman.
Egypt-based fintech Lucky secured $23 million in a Series B round that combines equity and debt, with participation from Disruptech Ventures, DPI Venture Capital via the Nclude fund, plus new strategic participation from Suez Canal Bank and OneStop. The company says the capital will support credit product expansion, infrastructure, and regional growth across North Africa. 
Aramco Ventures joins $36M round for US deeptech Via Separations as it targets refining and chemicals
Via Separations says its modular membrane filtration platform can cut energy use in separation steps by up to 90 percent, and the new funding will scale deployments beyond pulp and paper.
Aramco Ventures participated in a $36 million funding round for Via Separations, alongside new investors Climate Investment and Marathon Petroleum, with existing backers also joining. Via Separations develops modular membrane filtration systems designed to replace heat-based industrial separation processes with more energy-efficient alternatives. The company says the funding will support global deployment, manufacturing expansion, and adoption across refining and chemicals.
Maison Safqa raises $620,000 to expand luxury flash-sale ecommerce across the GCC
Backed by 500 Global through the Sanabil MENA 500 Accelerator Fund, the Saudi platform helps premium brands move excess inventory while protecting pricing and brand positioning.
Maison Safqa, a Saudi-based flash-sale ecommerce platform for premium and luxury brands, has raised $620,000 in a pre-seed round backed by 500 Global through the Sanabil MENA 500 Accelerator Fund, alongside Saudi and international angel investors. Founded in 2024, the company says it helps brands sell excess stock through controlled campaigns while maintaining pricing and brand positioning.
MENA startup funding falls to $48.3M in March 2026 as investors hit pause
Only 17 startups disclosed rounds in March, down sharply from earlier months, with funding concentrated in the UAE and almost no visibility from Egypt.
MENA startup funding dropped to $48.3 million in March 2026 across 17 disclosed deals, an 85% decline month on month and a 62% drop year on year, according to Wamda’s monthly tracking. The UAE led a subdued month, while Egypt recorded zero deals, signaling a market that has not disappeared but has shifted into a wait mode. 
Shark Tank Lebanon: Five-investor panel
The local edition premiered in October 2025 with a five-member investor panel, spotlighting entrepreneurship in the middle of a prolonged economic crisis.
Shark Tank Lebanon has launched on LBCI, giving entrepreneurs a rare national stage to pitch and market their businesses during Lebanon’s ongoing economic collapse. The show follows the global “Shark Tank” format, with founders presenting to a panel of investors who can invest for equity or pass. This report is based on coverage of the show’s debut and early details.
Dubai wellness hub PEAQ, founded by Lebanese entrepreneur Ali Hassoun, reportedly raises $2M for expansion
The Al Quoz “social wellness club” blends Lagree, contrast therapy, and recovery under one roof as demand for community-driven wellness rises.
PEAQ, a Dubai-based social wellness club founded by Lebanese entrepreneur Ali Hassoun, has reportedly raised $2 million from private investors to support expansion and a potential second location. The concept, based in Al Quoz, combines Lagree training, contrast therapy, recovery services, and community programming—reflecting a broader shift in Dubai toward integrated wellness experiences. 
Lebanese-founded Kalshi raises $1B at a $22B valuation as prediction markets hit a regulatory wall
The event-contracts exchange founded by Tarek Mansour and Luana Lopes Lara is scaling fast, but legal and regulatory pressure is rising across the U.S.
Kalshi, the Lebanese-founded prediction market platform, has raised $1 billion at a $22 billion valuation, according to multiple reports. The funding highlights surging investor appetite as trading activity accelerates, but regulators and lawmakers are intensifying scrutiny around whether these markets function as regulated financial instruments or illegal gambling—and how to prevent manipulation and insider abuse.
Lebanon’s HAQQ Legal AI raises $3 million to scale beyond the local market
The Beirut-based legaltech startup says it will use the funding to accelerate product development and expand deployments across MENA and beyond.
HAQQ Legal AI, a Lebanon-based legaltech company building an AI “operating system” for legal work, has raised a total of $3 million to date. The company says the funds will support product development and expansion beyond Lebanon as legal and compliance automation gains momentum across the region.
