#funding

Sam Altman of OpenAI

OpenAI in talks to raise new funding at $100bn valuation

The terms, valuation and timing of the funding round have not yet been finalised and could still change

UAE to allocate $200m to support low-income countries Image courtesy WAM

UAE allocates $200m to support low-income countries, reduce poverty

The announcement was made during the International Monetary and Financial Committee Meeting, organised on the sidelines of the WBG-IMF Annual Meetings In Morocco

atlantis atlas project-1usd projects funding awarded for 2023-24

Atlantis Dubai selects 9 local, international conservation projects for funding

The project currently focuses on four key groups of wildlife; sharks, rays, dolphins, and corals, and unsustainable seafood and plastic pollution

Fuze

UAE-headquartered Fuze raises $14m seed round

The investment was led by Abu Dhabi-based Further Ventures, along with participation by US-based Liberty City Ventures

Moove

Moove raises $76m with investment from Mubadala, BlackRock

The round brings total funding to over $335m since inception across equity and debt

Islamic Coin

Islamic Coin secures $200m funding from ABO Digital

The total funding has reached $400m

Lumina’s role is to support UK companies

Flat6Labs Ignite programme spurs growth, backs 38 startups with $10.2m

The programme hosts an intake cycle every six months and has thus far completed four cohorts with the fifth cohort to be announced shortly

Investment Authority Qatar

Builder.ai announces $250m Series D led by Qatar Investment Authority

The funding round included participation from existing and new investors including Iconiq Capital, Jungle Ventures & Insight Partners

ADFD investments in 2022 Photo GettyImages-1430804172

Abu Dhabi development fund sees financing, investments cross Dhs189.7bn in 2022

According to its annual report, Abu Dhabi Fund for Development’s investments benefitted 104 nations last year

Women startups

Women-led startups are aiming for a bigger slice of scarce funding

On a global level, the past year was difficult for almost anyone looking to raise money, but it was almost impossible for small startups founded by women

Nana

Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding leads $133m funding for Saudi delivery app Nana

Started in 2016, Nana raised $18m from investors including venture capital fund STV and Middle East Venture Partners

Gameball

Adtech platform Gameball raises $3.5m for international expansion

Founded by Egyptian entrepreneurs, the platform enables omnichannel retailers to have a 360–degree view across all customer touchpoints

Venture debt funding in MENA crosses $260m in 2022

Venture debt funding in MENA crosses $260m in 2022

Fintech accounted for 61 per cent of total funding between 2018 and 2022

Dataiku

AI firm Dataiku secures $200m to underpin growth

The Series F investment brings the company’s total primary funding since inception to approximately $600m

Hub71

Abu Dhabi’s Hub71 startup community raises $1bn in venture capital

Nine startups had raised over $150m collectively at the time of joining Hub71 in 2022

DIFC-based fintech firms net $559m in funding during Jan-Sep 2022

DIFC-based fintech firms net $559m in funding during Jan-Sep 2022

DIFC’s fintech accelerator programme has attracted more than 3,000 applications from all over the world

Sideup

Egypt’s Sideup raises $1.2m to grow its e-commerce platform

The startup will launch Saudi Arabia operations with investment in a new office and local hiring

Qashio

UAE-based fintech Qashio raises $10m in a seed round

The company’s virtual and physical cards combined with its software allow businesses to manage their spending in a more automated and transparent way

Baraka

UAE fintech baraka raises $20m Series A funding round

The company marks the first regional investment for Valar, a venture capital firm backed by entrepreneur Peter Thiel

Silkhaus

UAE proptech startup Silkhaus raises $7.75m seed round

Silkhaus’ operating system for asset owners provides them with the tools needed to monetise and manage their properties for short-term rentals

swftbox

UAE’s swftbox closes $2m fundraise to build AI-powered delivery platform

The Abu Dhabi-based Hub71 company will continue to scale its services across the region, working with e-commerce retailers and courier companies to enhance the delivery experience

Haider Khan, head of EMPG MENA

Dubai-based EMPG, which owns Bayut & dubizzle, raises $200m in funding

The funding round was led by US-based growth equity fund Affinity Partners, with new funding from KCK, Acacia Partners

SAUDI-ARABIA-alcohol

Saudi retail enablement company Zid raises $50m in Series B funding

The proceeds will be used by Zid to expand into new markets in Saudi Arabia and in the region

Matrixian Group

Matrixian Group raises $2m in funding from Pride Capital Partners

The funding will be used for scalable growth and both firms will look for strategic acquisitions together

SoftBank reports record $23.4bn loss as holdings tumble

SoftBank reports record $23.4bn loss as holdings tumble

The Vision Fund segment posted a loss of 2.33 trillion yen in the three months ending June 30, following a then-record 2.2 trillion yen loss in the previous quarter

Tabby gets $150m credit facility

Tabby secures $150m credit facility from Atalaya Capital, Partners for Growth

Following Tabby’s Series B extension earlier this year, the fintech’s total capital raised to date amounts to $275m

Venture capitalists

Where venture capitalists are inclined to invest in the Middle East

With new innovations in DeFi, GameFi and infrastructure spaces, Cypher Capital looks forward to being part of large milestones for blockchain

Eclipse Foods

Prince Khaled’s KBW Ventures invests in US-based Eclipse Foods

The Oakland-based brand raised over $40m in Series B funding

Vamstar

Vamstar closes $9.5m funding to expand AI-enabled healthcare supply chain platform

Platform to simplify sourcing and procurement for hospital administrators and healthcare suppliers in the UAE

Huspy

UAE’s proptech Huspy receives $37m in Series A funding

Funds will accelerate Huspy’s expansion across EMEA and transform the future of home buying