INFOGRAPHIC: Startup Funding in Africa and the Middle East—Week 35, 2025
Here are the venture funding activities we tracked in the Middle East and African region this week – including Holo, Maalexi, Zetta Technologies, Cointel, Complete Farmer, Poa, Sheba Joy, StraTech, Blomal Capital, and Hypeo AI.
If anything at all, the Middle East and Africa have proven that resilience is the key to building momentum. Week after week, numbers rise and fall, but the drive hasn’t wavered. What stands out is how capital keeps finding its way into bold bets—from proptech and fintech to crypto education and gaming—a sign that the ecosystem is expanding.
This week alone, disclosed funding across the region reached $70.6 million, a dip from last week’s $157 million. Still, the spread of activity shows where investors’ confidence is landing.
Topping the list is Holo, a UAE-based proptech, which closed a $22 million Series A led by Saudi Arabia’s Impact46 with support from Mubadala, Rua Growth Fund, anb seed, and MoreThan Capital, alongside returning investors Salica Oryx Fund and Dubai Future District Fund. The funding will expand its digital mortgage solutions across the GCC.
In fintech, UAE's Maalexi, a next-generation B2B food and agri platform, secured a shariah-compliant credit facility worth up to $20 million from Amwal Capital Partners, starting with an initial $5 million tranche. The move is set to scale its operations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, support SMEs, and strengthen food security across the region.
Not too far behind, Riyadh-based Zetta Technologies followed with a $12 million Series A, backed by Core Vision Investment and National Dimensions Investment, marking a strategic expansion step in Saudi Arabia.
AI and crypto education also drew attention with Cointel, an AI-native platform for crypto intelligence and trading support, which raised $7.4 million in a round led by Avalanche and Sugafam Inc. to push its AI-driven education tools.
Meanwhile, in Africa, Ghana’s Complete Farmer secured a $5 million debt facility from Symbiotics to strengthen smallholder farming. Also making moves, Kenyan ISP Poa Internet raised $4 million in debt funding from Finland’s Finndfund to expand broadband capacity for underserved communities.
On the gaming front, Saudi-based Sheba Joy closed a $293,000 pre-seed round led by Merak Capital, helping the studio scale production, attract talent, and build culturally rooted games under Vision 2030.
South Africa’s StraTech, a fintech startup building enterprise infrastructure for complex financial operations, also secured funding to drive expansion and strengthen its product capabilities, though the amount remains undisclosed. Saudi fintech Blomal Capital attracted a pre-seed investment from Falak Investment Hub, and Morocco’s Hypeo AI landed backing from Renew Capital to grow its AI-powered influencer marketing platform.
Taken together, this week’s numbers may show a dip, but the range of deals highlights just how resilient the Middle East and Africa’s startup scene has become. Even when totals fluctuate, the ecosystem keeps proving it has the depth and drive to push forward.
