محمد يحي
The Middle East and Africa witnessed a clear expansion in startup investment and acquisition activity during the fourth week of January, specifically from 18 to 25 January 2026, with a strong focus on fintech, health, and artificial intelligence sectors.
According to the investment and acquisition report issued by “entArabi” for the period, which focused on funding aimed at supporting regional and international expansion—whether through strategic local partnerships like “NowAccess” in Saudi Arabia, or expansions into large markets like India via “Eat App”—total investments reached $73.934 million.
Top Investments
Mubadala’s $36.5 million investment in L-Nutra reflects a rapidly growing focus on the longevity sector within its vast portfolio, marking a clear step toward building a preventive healthcare industry in Abu Dhabi and the wider region.
In the AI sector, startups continue to attract funding for infrastructure solutions that support the broad deployment of AI technologies, such as Breez AI, which works on unifying voice layers to overcome reliability and scalability challenges.
In Saudi Arabia, there was a strong push to support local technology and vital sectors through GBT’s funding in geospatial data, Grove’s financing to boost local agricultural production, and NowPay’s strategic entry through a partnership to enhance payroll and financial wellness services in the Kingdom
Investments by Country
| Country | Number of Companies | Companies | Total Investments |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States / Jordan | 2 | Breez AI, NowPay | $21.3 million |
| UAE | 1 | Eat App | $10 million |
| UAE/Abu Dhabi (Foreign Investment) | 1 | L-Nutra | $36.5 million |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | GBT, Grove | $5 million + SAR 5 million |
| Saudi Arabia (Partnership) | 1 | NowPay/NowAccess (with Tas’heel) | $20 million |
| Total | 6 | All listed companies | $74.23 million |
Investments by Sector
| Sector | Number of Companies | Companies | Total Investments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health / Longevity | 1 | L-Nutra | $36.5 million |
| Voice AI | 1 | Breez AI | $1.3 million |
| Restaurant Tech / Reservations | 1 | Eat App | $10 million |
| Fintech / Payroll | 1 | NowPay/NowAccess | $20 million |
| Geospatial Data / GeoAI | 1 | GBT | SAR 5 million (~$1.33 million) |
| AI Ticketing | 1 | Knot Technologies | $1 million |
| Agriculture / AgriTech | 1 | Grove | $5 million |
| Total | 7 | All listed companies | $74.23 million |
