QThe final week of July 2025 (from July 20 to 27) witnessed a dynamic wave of activity across the startup ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa.
Several investment rounds and acquisitions were recorded, reflecting continued momentum in sectors such as FinTech, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and Agri/FoodTech.
This analysis is part of EntArabi’s weekly report, offering insights into funding volumes, deal breakdowns by sector and nationality, and comparative growth trends observed during the week.
EntArabi Weekly Overview – Startup Deals (July 20–27, 2025)
- Total Announced Deals: 10 major deals
- Disclosed Investment Volume: Over $11.1 million (excluding deals with undisclosed values)
Types of Deals:
- 7 investment rounds (Seed, Pre-seed, Strategic)
- 2 acceleration programs (MINT – Sunbolah)
- 1 acquisition deal (Amazon – Bee)
Key Sectors:
- Financial Technology (FinTech)
- Artificial Intelligence and DeepTech
- Data-Driven Digital Marketing
- AgriTech & FoodTech
- Digital Procurement
- AI-Powered Wearables
Top Active Countries:
| Country | No. of Deals | Key Notes |
| Saudi Arabia | 4+ | Significant FinTech and digital infrastructure growth |
| Egypt | 3+ | Ongoing support for startups and regulatory clarity |
| Oman | 2 | Emerging players in digital and smart food innovation |
| Ghana | 1 | Major FinTech deal highlighting West Africa’s rise |
| UAE | 1 (via Sunbolah) | Strategic partner in Agri/Food innovation |
Key Market Trends:
- Ongoing rise of AI solutions in marketing, banking, and procurement.
- Growing regional investor interest (e.g., Shorooq, Attijariwafa Ventures).
- Global acquisitions like Amazon’s deal with Bee signal regional startup maturity.
- Financial inclusion and digitization remain core growth drivers.
Deals by Sector
| Sector | No. of Deals | Notable Startups | Country | Approx. Investment* |
| FinTech | 5 | Affinity Africa, Flend, Sahem | Ghana, Egypt, Saudi Arabia | $11M+ |
| AI & DeepTech | 4 | Journify, Banyan, ZabonEx | Saudi Arabia, Oman | $3M+ |
| AgriTech & FoodTech (Accelerator) | 1 (Sunbolah) | 13 startups under “Sunbolah” | 8 countries | Undisclosed |
| Digital Procurement | 1 | Sufrat | Oman | Undisclosed |
| Data Marketing & AI | 1 | Journify | Saudi/UAE | Undisclosed |
| AI-Powered Wearables (M&A) | 1 (Acquisition) | Bee | U.S. (Amazon deal) | Undisclosed |
*Some values are estimated based on typical round sizes per sector and region.
Deals by Country / Startup Nationality
| Country | No. of Startups | Highlight Deals | Comparative Growth |
| Saudi Arabia | 6+ | Banyan, Sahem, Journify, Sunbolah | ↑ Strong growth in FinTech & AI |
| Egypt | 4 | Flend, MINT, Dayra, Digified | ↑ Stable with focus on regulation |
| Oman | 2 | Sufrat, ZabonEx | ↑ Growing FinTech & FoodTech presence |
| Ghana | 1 | Affinity Africa | ↑ Rapid expansion, major deal |
| UAE | 2 (via Sunbolah) | OpenFarming, PoultrySync | → Steady innovation role |
| U.S./Canada/Europe | 3+ (Sunbolah/Bee) | Bee, APOLO Biotech, Plantaform | → Supportive role in innovation |
Key Market Insights – July 2025
- Financial inclusion and digital transformation remained dominant, with strong rounds such as Affinity Africa ($8M) and Flend ($3M).
- AI infrastructure expanded beyond software, exemplified by startups like Banyan.
- Accelerator programs like MINT and Sunbolah played a vital role in catalyzing indirect funding and future partnerships.
- Amazon’s acquisition of Bee reaffirmed the region’s startup potential for global exits, especially in emerging tech segments like wearables.
Deal Tracker Table
| Startup / Program | Deal Type | Country | Sector | Disclosed Funding | Notable Investors |
| Affinity Africa | Seed Round | Ghana | FinTech | $8M | Attijariwafa, Backed VC |
| Flend | Seed Round | Egypt | FinTech | $3M | Egypt Ventures |
| Journify | Strategic Funding | Saudi & UAE | Data Marketing + AI | Undisclosed | Shorooq Partners, Plug & Play |
| Sufrat | Expansion Round | Oman | Digital Procurement | Undisclosed | Future Fund Oman, Ithca Group |
| ZabonEx | Pre-Seed | Oman | FoodTech + AI | $100K | Future Fund Oman |
| Sahem Finance | Regulatory License | Saudi Arabia | Debt FinTech | Indirect (license) | CMA Saudi |
| Sunbolah Program | Non-equity Accelerator | KSA/France | AgriTech + FoodTech | Undisclosed | Sunbulah Group, Saudi/French government |
| MINT Program | Incubation Program | Egypt | FinTech / Training | Indirect | EG Bank |
| Bee | Acquisition by Amazon | U.S. | AI Wearables | Undisclosed | — |
Forward-Looking Outlook
- FinTech and AI sectors are expected to see increased deal velocity in H2 2025, driven by proactive policy support in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
- Government-led digital transformation opens new opportunities for SaaS and GovTech solutions, as seen with “Sufrat.”
- Accelerator programs like MINT and Sunbolah are likely to yield follow-on funding rounds, positioning them as key investment indicators.
- Bee’s acquisition by Amazon puts a spotlight back on the region’s innovation value and potential for global exits.
