The last week of November 2025 witnessed notable activity in startup investments and acquisitions across the Arab region and the broader Middle East, with substantial financial flows into sectors such as alternative finance, deep tech, digital health, refurbished electronics, employee housing solutions, AI technologies, and smart infrastructure.
A report issued by entArabi monitoring the volume of investments and acquisitions in startups across the Middle East and the Gulf from November 23 to 30, 2025, highlighted rapidly growing deals that underscore continued support for startups through both cash financing and strategic acquisitions, involving prominent regional and international investors.
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia saw a major deal in alternative finance, with Irada securing $125 million in credit facilities led by Jefferies with participation from Channel Capital to enhance point-of-sale financing solutions for SMEs in the Kingdom and GCC countries.
Strataphy closed a $6 million seed funding round led by Outliers VC and Shorooq (UAE) to support its geothermal cooling technology and AI infrastructure solutions.
Meanwhile, Manzel raised over SAR 44 million in a Series A round led by Founders Fund to expand its employee housing projects.
United Arab Emirates:
The UAE also witnessed notable deals, including Revibe’s $17 million funding round led by Partech to expand its refurbished electronics market, and the launch of the FAST Foundry Fund, a $3 million investment fund by FAST Ventures to support early-stage tech startups.
Additionally, Canadian company Rocket Doctor AI acquired UAE-based Alea Health to strengthen digital mental health solutions powered by AI, while Buildroid AI secured $2 million to develop smart, integrated construction robots.
Egypt:
In Egypt, the acquisition of InfiniLink attracted significant attention, as US-based GlobalFoundries acquired the photonic silicon chip startup. Egypt Ventures successfully exited, reflecting the strength of local engineering talent in deep tech.
Key Deals by Sector
| Sector | Company | Deal Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative Finance for SMEs | Irada (Saudi Arabia) | Credit Facility | $125M |
| Deep Tech / Semiconductors | InfiniLink (Egypt) | Exit / Acquisition | N/A (Acquisition) |
| Furniture & Home Appliances | Wakefit (India) | Pre-IPO | $6.7M |
| Digital Health / Mental Health | Alea Health (UAE) | Acquisition | N/A (Acquisition) |
| Smart Infrastructure / Cooling | Strataphy (Saudi Arabia) | Seed Funding | $6M |
| Refurbished Electronics | Revibe (UAE) | Funding Round | $17M |
| Employee Housing | Manzel (Saudi Arabia) | Series A | $11.7M |
| Early-Stage Tech Startups | FAST Foundry Fund (UAE / MENA) | Investment Fund | $3M |
| Smart Robotics / Construction | Buildroid AI (UAE) | Pre-Seed | $2M |
Investment and Acquisition Volume by Country
| Country | Number of Deals | Total Funding (USD) | Notable Deals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 3 | 125 + 6 + 11.7 = $142.7M | Irada, Strataphy, Manzel |
| UAE | 4 | 17 + 3 + 2 = $22M | Revibe, Alea Health, Buildroid AI, FAST Foundry Fund |
| Egypt | 1 | N/A (Acquisition) | InfiniLink |
| India | 1 | $6.7M | Wakefit |
| Total | 9 | Over $171.4M | – |
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