Funding Report for Startups in Africa and the Middle East - Week 35, 2025
Headline: A Week of Funding Boosts for Middle Eastern and African Startups
The past week has seen a flurry of activity in the Middle Eastern and African startup scene, with several companies securing funding to drive expansion and strengthen their product capabilities. Here are some highlights:
StraTech, a South African fintech startup, secured an undisclosed amount of funding to bolster its operations and enhance its product offerings. This investment comes as part of the region's consistently vibrant and resilient ecosystem, which continues to demonstrate depth and drive, even in the face of funding fluctuations.
In a significant move for the digital mortgage solutions sector, Holo, a UAE-based company, closed a $22 million Series A. The funding, led by Saudi Arabia's Impact46, will be used to expand Holo's services across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Mubadala, Rua Growth Fund, anb seed, MoreThan Capital, Salica Oryx Fund, and Dubai Future District Fund also participated in Holo's Series A.
Zetta Technologies, based in Riyadh, secured a $12 million Series A. Core Vision Investment and National Dimensions Investment were among the backers of this strategic expansion step in Saudi Arabia.
Hypeo AI, a Moroccan AI-powered influencer marketing platform, landed backing from Renew Capital. This investment will undoubtedly help Hypeo AI to continue its growth and innovation in the influencer marketing sector.
Cointel, an AI-native platform for crypto intelligence and trading support, raised $7.4 million in a funding round led by Avalanche and Sugafam Inc. This significant investment will undoubtedly aid Cointel in its mission to provide cutting-edge crypto solutions.
Ghana's Complete Farmer secured a $5 million debt facility from Symbiotics to strengthen smallholder farming. This investment underscores the importance of supporting agriculture in the region and the potential for significant growth in this sector.
Poa Internet, a Kenyan ISP, raised $4 million in debt funding from Finland's Finndfund to expand broadband capacity for underserved communities. This investment will help Poa Internet to provide critical internet access to areas that have been historically underserved, improving connectivity and opportunities for these communities.
Maalexi, the UAE's next-generation B2B food and agri platform, secured a shariah-compliant credit facility worth up to $20 million. Amwal Capital Partners provided the credit facility, marking a significant step forward for Maalexi in its mission to revolutionise the food and agriculture sector.
Blomal Capital, a Saudi fintech, attracted a pre-seed investment from Falak Investment Hub. This investment will help Blomal Capital to continue its development and growth in the fintech sector.
Sheba Joy, a Saudi-based gaming studio, closed a $293,000 pre-seed round led by Merak Capital. This investment will support Sheba Joy in developing innovative gaming experiences for the Middle Eastern market.
Despite a dip in total funding this week, the range of deals highlights the robustness of the Middle East and Africa's startup scene. These funding rounds demonstrate the resilience of the startup ecosystem, even in challenging times, and bode well for the future of innovation and growth in the region.
