INFOGRAPHIC: Startup Funding in Africa and the Middle East — Week 39, 2025
Here are the venture funding activities we tracked in the Middle East and African region this week – including erad, Bwatech, Sindbad Tech, Contactable, Arc Ride, MazaoHub, and DOO
The African and Middle Eastern startup ecosystem refuses to slow down — and Week 39 proved it. From fintech dominance in Riyadh to climate-smart farming in Tanzania, and AI rockets blasting off from Dubai, the region showed once again how diverse and ambitious its innovation story has become.
The week’s biggest headline came from Saudi fintech erad secured $33 million in debt financing, led by India’s Stride Ventures, marking its first major play in the Kingdom. The deal, inked during Money20/20 Riyadh, underscores how global investors are eyeing the Saudi fintech wave.
The Kingdom wasn’t done yet. Fintech player Bwatech landed $16 million (SAR 60 million) to scale its corporate financial solutions, while Sindbad Tech closed a $4.8 million (SAR 18 million) seed round, led by Alkhabeer Capital, also announced at Money20/20 Middle East.
South Africa also had its moment. Integrated identity platform Contactable locked in $13.5 million to expand digital onboarding and KYC services across the continent. The round was led by Venture Capitalworks, with backing from Fireball Capital, Ke Nako Capital, and Mavovo.
Kenya is steering the future of clean mobility. Arc Ride raised up to $10 million in debt from Paris-based sustainable investor Mirova, its first EV investment in Africa through the $282 million Gigaton Fund.
In Tanzania, MazaoHub is blending AI with agronomy to tackle food security. The agri-tech startup closed an oversubscribed $2 million pre-seed round to scale its climate-smart farming solutions.
And rounding off the week, Riyadh-based DOO, an AI-powered customer experience platform, raised $1.7 million in a round led by Merak Capital, with support from Plus VC and other regional investors.
This week’s deals highlight how fintech continues to dominate Saudi Arabia, agri-tech is gaining momentum in East Africa, EV mobility is attracting global sustainability capital in Kenya, and AI is defining the Middle East’s global ambitions. If Week 39 is anything to go by, the region isn’t just playing catch-up — it’s rewriting the rules of global innovation.
