محمد يحي
During the final week of February, the Middle East and Africa witnessed notable momentum in startup investments and acquisitions, driven by new funding rounds as well as regional and strategic expansions across key sectors, including artificial intelligence, fintech, logistics, and crowdfunding, spanning Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Iraq.
According to EntArabi’s weekly report tracking the most prominent startup investment and acquisition deals between February 22 and 28, total disclosed investments surpassed $101 million during the week.
Investments by Country
| Country | Number of Deals | Companies | Total Investments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 1 deal | Presight–Shorooq Fund I (investment portfolio) | $100 million |
| United Arab Emirates | 2 deals | Paquik – NodeShift | $1.085 million |
| United States | 4 deals | Candid – Blue – Crunched – Hebbia | Undisclosed / within the fund |
| Egypt | Operational expansion | Beban (pending license) | — |
| Iraq | Strategic partnership | MoneyHash × Wayl | — |
Total disclosed investments exceeded $101 million, excluding undisclosed deal values.
Investments by Sector
| Sector | Number of Deals | Companies | Total Investments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial intelligence & deep tech | 5 deals | NodeShift – Candid – Hebbia – Blue – Crunched | $100 million |
| Logistics & delivery | 1 deal | Paquik | $85,000 |
| Financial technology (FinTech) | Expansion / partnership | Beban – MoneyHash | — |
| E-commerce & digital payments | Partnership | MoneyHash × Wayl | — |
| University-backed acceleration & venture investment | Initiative | Riyadh Valley × SparkLabs | — |
Total disclosed investments by sector also exceeded $101 million, excluding undisclosed amounts.
