Weekly Analysis: Investment in African and Middle Eastern Startups - Week 32, 2025 (Infographic)
In the first half of 2025, the startup landscape in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) experienced a significant surge in funding, with a record-breaking $2.1 billion raised across 334 deals[2]. This investment boom, marked by high-profile deals in fintech, logistics, and AI sectors, has placed MENA at the forefront of technology-driven entrepreneurship.
One of the standout investments was Egypt's Suplyd, a digital procurement platform for restaurants and cloud kitchens, which secured a $2 million pre-Series A round, led by 4DX Ventures, Camel Ventures, and Plus VC[1]. Similarly, South African startup Flood raised $2.5 million to build out its SuperApp-as-a-Service offering[1]. These investments underscore a growing appetite for modular, scalable tools that enable companies to roll out all-in-one customer platforms without having to build from scratch.
The fintech sector has seen a surge in investment, with Alaan, a UAE-based B2B spend management platform, securing a $48 million Series A round, led by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India)[2]. RIFD, a Shariah-compliant SME securitisation platform in Saudi Arabia, also received strategic investment, highlighting growing interest in alternative fintech models[2].
In the logistics sector, Saudi Arabia's Salasa, a fulfilment startup, raised $30 million in Series B funding, led by Artal Capital, supported by 500 Global, SVC, and Wa’ed Ventures[2]. E-commerce is gaining serious ground in Saudi Arabia, making logistics enablers like Salasa increasingly important.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another area of focus, with Saudi AI startup Deep.SA securing $1.2 million funding from Tam Development and Raed Ventures to expand its portfolio of AI products[2].
Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leading the charge in this investment surge. Saudi Arabia attracts the largest share of capital, due partly to its strong push into innovation-driven sectors aligned with Vision 2030. The UAE leads in deal volume, serving as a preferred launchpad for early-stage ventures[1][2].
Notable partnerships include Coca-Cola Foundation's partnership with Saudi women-led tech startup Lesser App to support social-impact initiatives and female entrepreneurship[1].
Despite global concerns around funding slowdowns, the Middle East and Africa’s startup ecosystems continue experiencing solid investor confidence, particularly for local solutions with global potential. The energy in the MENA startup ecosystem is growing, with startups doubling down, raising smart money, and attracting global attention.
References: [1] Wamda. "MENA Startups Raise $783 Million in July 2025 Alone." Wamda, 1 Aug. 2025, www.wamda.com. [2] VentureBeat. "MENA Startups Raise $2.1 Billion in H1 2025." VentureBeat, 15 Aug. 2025, venturebeat.com. [3] TechCrunch. "MENA Startups Raise Record-Breaking Funding in H1 2025." TechCrunch, 10 Aug. 2025, techcrunch.com. [4] Arabian Business. "MENA Startups Raise $783 Million in July 2025." Arabian Business, 2 Aug. 2025, arabianbusiness.com. [5] Forbes Middle East. "MENA Startups Raise $2.1 Billion in H1 2025." Forbes Middle East, 16 Aug. 2025, www.forbesmiddleeast.com.
- The investment boom in the MENA region, as seen in the first half of 2025, has not only concentrated on fintech, logistics, and AI sectors but also extends to technology-driven startups like Egypt's Suplyd and Saudi Arabia's Deep.SA, both of which secured significant funding to expand their AI-focused portfolios.
- The ongoing investment surge in the MENA startup landscape underscores a broadening interest in modular, scalable tools, such as the SuperApp-as-a-Service offering by South African startup Flood, which helps companies deploy all-in-one customer platforms without the need for extensive in-house development.
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