Funding Trends in Startups: Week 33, 2025 - Africa and Middle East Edition - Visual Representation
Middle East and Africa Tech Startups Secure Millions in Funding
The tech startup scene in the Middle East and Africa is thriving, with several companies securing significant funding in mid-2025. Here's a roundup of the top startups that have recently raised funds:
InstaBank (Iraq): InstaBank raised $15 million in a major deal, propelling Iraq to third place regionally. This funding will help InstaBank to expand its services and strengthen its position in the market.
Ora Technologies (Morocco): Ora Technologies secured $7.5 million, contributing to Morocco’s rise in funding rankings. This investment will enable Ora Technologies to accelerate its growth and innovate in the tech industry.
Ninja (MENA region): Ninja, an e-commerce startup, achieved a record-breaking funding raise within the sector, contributing to the sector’s $250 million funding haul in July 2025. The exact country where Ninja is based is not yet known.
Hypeo Ai (Morocco): Hypeo Ai received a strategic investment from Renew Capital to enhance its AI-powered influencer marketing platform across Middle East and Africa.
In the African tech landscape, funding grew by 56% in H1 2025 to $676 million, with fintech remaining the leading sector.
Saudi Arabia and UAE Lead the Funding Landscape
Regionally, Saudi Arabia led the funding landscape with 16 deals totaling $396.5 million, followed by the UAE with $359 million across 22 startups. These figures reflect strong investor confidence in these regions.
Sector-wise Funding
Deeptech startups collectively raised $250.3 million in four major deals, leading sector funding for the first time in months, followed closely by e-commerce and SaaS startups. Fintech, although historically a top sector, saw a dip in funding to $61 million across 11 deals in July 2025.
Notable Funding Rounds
- Street Wallet, a fintech startup based in Cape Town, raised $350,000 in a funding round. The funding will not be used for city expansions or quick commerce strategy, unlike Chowdeck. Street Wallet is aiming to roll out to more vendors across South Africa.
- Coraly.ai, a startup reimagining how real estate pros find and convert leads, closed a $2 million pre-seed round in the MENA proptech space. The round was led by Salica Oryx Fund.
- Chowdeck, a Nigerian startup, landed $9 million in Series A funding. The funding will be used for city expansions in Nigeria and Ghana and speeding up Chowdeck’s quick commerce strategy.
- Israeli startup NeoLogic raised $10 million. The details about the use of funds are not yet disclosed.
- Egypt's Breadfast bagged $10 million in a Series B2 round. The exact investors in this round are not available, but the valuation of Breadfast is between $382 and $400 million.
- Kenya's HoneyCoin secured $4.9 million to grow its global payment orchestration platform.
- Tel Aviv-based Appcharge secured $58 million in Series B funding. The details about the use of funds are not yet disclosed.
This strong funding growth and diversification in the Middle East and Africa tech startup ecosystems are highlighted by mega deals in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and emerging players in Iraq and Morocco.
- The growth in funding in the African tech landscape, as highlighted by the $676 million raised in H1 2025, suggests a strong focus on sectors like fintech, with Street Walk, a fintech startup based in Cape Town, securing $350,000.
- The MENA region, driven by investments in deeptech, e-commerce, and SaaS startups, experienced a significant funding boost, with fintech startups such as Hypeo Ai in Morocco securing strategic investments.
