Global AIG raises $326M for Jumia expansion AIG is putting considerable money into its online marketplace Jumia. (Image via MrXAfrica) Africa Internet Group (AIG), Africa's... Rachel Williamson • 03 March, 2016 Jovago MTN Millicom
U.A.E Souq raises MENA's largest round of $275M After almost a year of speculation, MENA’s biggest ecommerce company Souq.com has confirmed that it’s raised a $275 million... Rachel Williamson • 29 February, 2016 round Unicorn announcement
Regional Could MENA see a unicorn soon? Extinct in the wild in the 1970s and reintroduced in the 1980s, the Arabian Oryx may be the animal closest to a unicorn. (Image... Willam Altman • 11 February, 2016 CB Insights unicorns oped
U.A.E Introducing Flat6Labs' 6 latest UAE startups Much like Hollywood is a celebrity hunting ground, Flat6Labs’ recent Demo Day suggests that Abu Dhabi might be the place to reel in... Alaa' Odeh • 15 February, 2016 StudentCart Metaphorio Jumpsuite
Maghreb Apply now to Techfinance Academy in Morocco A new accelerator is opening shop in Casablanca, Morocco. Techfinance Academy is a six-month acceleration program open to Morocco-based ... Wamda • 05 February, 2016 accelerator Casablanca morocco
Jordan Space: the next tech frontier for MENA? An art installation in Amman that could soon have a real-life counterpart. (Image via Sam Wendel) Watch out Elon Musk, a new force is... Samuel Wendel • 17 January, 2016 Oasis Space Ventures Jordan Space Ventures SpaceX
U.A.E Propertyfinder.ae raises $20M from Swedish investors Dubai-based Propertyfinder Group has raised $20 million in capital from Sweden-based Vostok New Ventures, a transaction that Propertyfinder... Antoine Abou-Diwan • 11 January, 2016 Propertyfinder.ae vostok new ventures Investment
Kuwait Arzan VC invests in a Silicon Valley startup, prepares to launch office hours Aerial view of Silicon Valley (Source: Wired.com) The article is a crosspost with Nuwait. I often get the chance to sit on the... Reine Farhat • 07 January, 2016 Nuwait Arzan VC kuwait
Regional The role of the term sheet in VC transactions The term sheet, not binding but crucial. (Image via Exceleratelabs) The negotiation of a venture capital transaction between a... Rita Khoriaty • 08 December, 2015 term sheets startups Venture Capital
Global What I know about raising money: Ramy Adeeb Ramy Adeeb, ready to disperse advice. (Image via Ramy Adeeb) When Ramy Adeeb sold his startup, a news article curation site Snip.It to... Lucy Knight • 07 December, 2015 Ramy Adeeb Snip.It What I Know
Lebanon Investments announced at Lebanon's BDL Accelerate [Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include Berytech’s further investments announced on the second... Lucy Knight • 11 December, 2015 BDL Accelerate Berytech beirut
Regional The female VCs of MENA Noor Sweid and Hala Fadel. (Image via Leap Ventures) There are two common complaints in the Middle East startup sector: a lack of funding,... Lucy Knight • 12 November, 2015 MIT Enterprise Forum GCC MIT Enterprise Forum Pan-Arab Zen Yoga
U.A.E UK’s Deliveroo makes its UAE debut Deliveroo's app now available in Dubai. (Images via Deliveroo) The UK-based food delivery site Deliveroo is launching in the UAE. With a... Lucy Knight • 25 November, 2015 Index Ventures Accel Hummingbird Ventures
Regional Car-hailing app Careem raises $60M Series C [Editor's note: This article has been updated to include details about Careem's peak pricing change.] Middle East-founded... Rachel Williamson • 10 November, 2015 Wamda Capital Lumia Capital Abraaj Group
U.A.E UAE's JadoPado raises $4M Series A JadoPado CEO Omar Kassim. (Image via ResellerME.com) Online marketplace JadoPado has sold a 14.8 percent equity stake for $4 million,... Rachel Williamson • 02 November, 2015 JadoPado acquisition Series A
Regional London calling A Lebanese, a Briton, a Dutchman and an Italian walk into a London investment firm. They bond over hip hop. One year later they launch a... Lucy Knight • 21 October, 2015 Braci Hoxton Ventures Slidr
Regional Private equity investors in MENA seek a place in the sun This is a crosspost with Knowledge@Wharton. The backbone of future economic development in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) could hinge... Knowledge @Wharton • 19 October, 2015 IMF Abraaj Group private equity
Turkey 500 Startups launches $15M Turkey fund VC cash is shining on Istanbul's startups. (Image via Mybeautifuladventures.com) 500 Startups has launched a $15 million investment fund... Antoine Abou-Diwan • 22 October, 2015 erhan erdogan Webrazzi Summit yemeksepeti
Egypt What Egypt's local investors want Egypt has made headlines lately for attracting a series of high-level venture investments from foreign players, but local investors are... Sara Aggour • 29 September, 2015 KI angels Tennra ideavelopers
Egypt Yaoota raises $2.7M Series A from UAE's KBBO Yaoota cofounders Sherif ElRakabawy and Mohamed Ewis (Image via Rachel Williamson) Egyptian startup Yaoota has landed a $2.7 million... Rachel Williamson • 01 October, 2015 yaoota Series A Egypt
Saudi Arabia How this Saudi app developer is nurturing talent [Update]: Ibtikar released a new trivia game called HEXA, with tens of thousands of questions in more than 15 different fields... Ahmed Gabr • 13 October, 2015
Regional Beco Capital's tech investment 'periodic table' Tech investment firm Beco Capital have concluded that over the last 12 months the VC investment activity within the Middle East... Lucy Knight • 21 September, 2015 investing BECO Capital Venture Capital
Regional Raising the right kind of money [Opinion] I was at last weekend’s Mix N’ Mentor Beirut, and after sitting in on two fundraising mentorship sessions it became clear that... Fares Ghandour • 10 September, 2015 startup financing convertible note debt financing
U.A.E Compareit4me closes Series A round of $3M Compareit4me, the Dubai-based price comparison site for financial products has closed a Series A round of $3 million, lead by STC... Lucy Knight • 14 September, 2015 uae Investment Financial price comparison