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Venture Capital Investment in Qatar Hits Record QAR 214 Million in 2025

Thursday 29 January 2026 11:49
Venture Capital Investment in Qatar Hits Record QAR 214 Million in 2025

Venture capital investment in Qatar reached a record high of QAR 214 million (approximately $59 million) in 2025 across 33 deals, marking an 81% year-on-year increase from QAR 118 million in 2024. The surge reflects strong momentum in the Qatari market, in line with broader growth across the Middle East and North Africa, according to a report released today by Magnitt.

This growth propelled Qatar to fourth place among the region’s most active venture capital markets by investment value, supported by rising investor confidence and the country’s efforts to expand its role within the global VC ecosystem. Key contributors to this momentum include Invest Qatar, the Qatar Startup Program backed by Qatar Development Bank (QDB), and the Fund of Funds supported by the Qatar Investment Authority.

In 2025, Qatar accounted for 5% of total regional deal volume, driven by multiple QDB-led initiatives and continued ecosystem-building efforts. Deal flow remained heavily skewed toward early-stage startups, with pre-seed and seed rounds representing 93% of total deal count, consistent with Qatar’s ongoing ecosystem development phase.

Fintech retained its position as the most active sector, recording 11 deals, up 22% year-on-year, and accounting for 33% of total transactions, compared with 24% in 2024. The sector’s growth was supported by Qatar Central Bank initiatives and the Fintech Strategy 2030, which have helped create a favorable environment for financial innovation.

By investment value, transportation and logistics emerged as the leading sector, raising QAR 80 million, a 716% annual increase driven by a small number of large transactions, including a major funding round by delivery platform Snoonu.

The year also witnessed a landmark M&A transaction, with Saudi Arabia’s Jahez Group acquiring Qatar’s leading delivery platform Snoonu in July at a valuation of QAR 1.1 billion. The deal, which included participation from Qatar Development Bank and other institutional investors, underscored the growing role of regional acquirers in providing liquidity pathways for Qatari startups.

Since 2021, venture capital investment in Qatar has grown from QAR 79 million to QAR 214 million in 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 28%. However, the total number of deals declined by 11% in 2025, indicating that growth was driven primarily by larger ticket sizes rather than an increase in funded startups.

Early-stage investments continued to dominate the market, with pre-seed and seed rounds accounting for 61% of total VC value, while later-stage investments (Series C and beyond) captured 36% of total value, rising sharply year-on-year, largely due to Snoonu’s late-stage funding.