Startups
Startups
MENA’s $1.7B Half-Year: A Selective Market, Not a Retreat — and Who Gets Left Behind
MENA startups raised $1.7B across 242 deals in H1 2026, down 18% YoY. Why capital is concentrating — and who gets squeezed out. Full analysis.
Startups
From Driver Loans to Robotaxi Depots: Moove Raised $250M at a $2.1B Valuation
Moove, founded to finance African ride-hail drivers, raised $250M at a $2.1B valuation in a Mubadala-led round to build robotaxi depot infrastructure. Why the pivot matters for startups.
Startups
Gatik’s $200M Series D: Why Driverless Freight Is Raising on Revenue, Not Hype
Gatik raised a $200M Series D on Aug 25, 2026, led by QIA and Koch, with 85,000 driverless orders done and $600M contracted revenue.
Startups
Humanoid Raises $152M Series A at $1.35B, Becomes Europe’s First Pure-Play Robotics Unicorn
London startup Humanoid raised a $152M Series A at a $1.35B valuation, backed by Bosch and Schaeffler, becoming Europe's first pure-play robotics unicorn.
Startups
Yuno’s $45M Series B: Why Gulf Sovereign Money Is Backing Payments Orchestration
Yuno raised a $45M Series B on August 12, 2026 with Qatari and Abu Dhabi sovereign-backed investors, making the Gulf its growth hub. What the deal signals.
Startups
Higgsfield’s $5.4B Leap: An AI-Video Startup Quadrupled Its Value in Eight Months
⚡ Key Takeaways Higgsfield, a generative AI startup for image and video creation founded in 2023 by former Snap executive...
Startups
Fasset’s $1B Moment: How a Stablecoin Neobank Turned Cross-Border Rails Into a Unicorn
⚡ Key Takeaways Fasset, a stablecoin-powered neobank for emerging markets founded in 2019 by Mohammad Raafi Hossain and Daniel Ahmed,...
Startups
Volta’s $300M Debut: How a Day-One Startup Landed a $10 Billion Anthropic Cloud Deal
AI cloud startup Volta launched from stealth on August 4, 2026 with $300M at a $2.4B valuation, backed by Nvidia and Michael Dell — and a $10B, six-year Anthropic contract.
Startups
Egypt’s $400M Data-Center License: A Homegrown Bet on Government Cloud
Egypt's NTRA licensed Hassan Allam Digital Infrastructure for a $400M data center serving government and finance — the tenth license in two years. Lessons for Algeria.
Startups
Visa and Bridge Are Taking Stablecoin Cards to 100+ Countries — But the Hard Part Is Adoption
Visa and Stripe-owned Bridge are expanding stablecoin cards from 18 markets to 100+ countries by 2026, spendable at 175M merchants worldwide.
Startups
A Debt-Fueled Rebound: MENA Startups Raised $172.6M in July as Saudi Arabia Reclaimed the Lead
MENA startups raised $172.6M across 45 deals in July 2026 as Saudi Arabia reclaimed the lead — but debt made up 56% and funding sat 78% below July 2025. What the numbers really say.
