Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Jatri has secured a strategic investment from Gobi Partners, marking the VC firm’s first entry into Bangladesh. The deal will fuel product innovation and MENA expansion through Saafir, as the Dhaka-based platform scales its unified model for global travel inventory, distribution, and embedded trade finance across enterprise markets.
MENA startups raised over $250 million as fintech, health tech, data, and gaming ventures secured major rounds across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain. Despite a December slowdown, B2B, cybersecurity, and deeptech deals signaled strong regional momentum, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s position as the region’s leading startup hub.
Roamless raised $12m in a Series A led by Rasmal Ventures, with UAE investors backing its shift from travel eSIMs to a full-stack global mobile platform. By owning telecom infrastructure, the startup aims to add voice, SMS, and B2B embedded connectivity as eSIM adoption accelerates worldwide.
Bawabat Accelerator has launched through a partnership between ITHCA Group and Saudi Vision Venture Capital to help Omani tech startups scale into Saudi Arabia. The initiative connects founders with Saudi investment networks, regional expertise, and early-stage capital, strengthening cross-border collaboration between Oman and Saudi venture ecosystems.
PulseTech has raised $3 million in pre-Series A funding to expand its Medbox platform and roll out One Pharmacy, a franchise network aimed at digitizing and regulating small pharmacies across Bangladesh. The startup focuses on authentic medicine sourcing, traceability, and operational efficiency. Backed by investors from Vietnam and Singapore, PulseTech has shown rapid revenue growth and now serves over 12,000 pharmacies nationwide.
FuturePlay has become the first Korean VC to partner with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment, supporting Korean startup expansion into the Kingdom and enabling joint investments in AI, fintech, and deep-tech fields. The partnership aligns with Vision 2030 and strengthens Korea–Saudi innovation ties as both nations accelerate cross-border tech collaboration.
Sri Lanka’s AI startup ecosystem boasts world-class talent but struggles with scaling due to funding gaps, outdated policies, and limited digital adoption. Industry leaders urge urgent reforms, aggressive VC funding, and stronger collaboration to unlock the country’s potential to build a $15 billion digital economy.
Avanz Capital Egypt has joined Algebra Ventures’ second fund as a Limited Partner via a landmark secondary transaction, underscoring confidence in Egypt’s VC ecosystem. The partnership strengthens support for tech startups in Egypt and Africa, enabling greater capital inflows and deeper collaboration to fuel entrepreneurial growth.
Figure AI has raised over $1 billion in Series C funding, reaching a $39 billion valuation. The round, led by Parkway and supported by Brookfield, NVIDIA, Salesforce, Intel, and others, highlights growing global confidence in humanoid robotics. Arcapita’s role underscores regional investors’ leadership in frontier AI technologies.
Sarat Ventures Y Innovations Biotech Fund has launched a $50M initiative to back early-stage biotech companies targeting Saudi Arabia and the MENA region. Anchored by Allocator One, the fund aligns with Vision 2030, aiming to fuel life sciences growth, attract global talent, and advance transformative therapies.