MENA Startups Raise $279 Million in February as Investor Confidence Holds Strong
Startups across the Middle East and North Africa closed February with strong investment momentum, attracting $279 million in funding across 57 startups, signaling continued investor confidence in the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem despite global economic challenges.
The surge in activity was driven by several large funding rounds, most notably the $50 million investments secured by Breadfast and Origen. These deals helped push the total funding raised by regional startups since the start of 2026 to more than $814 million, according to the latest report from Digital Digest.
In the healthcare technology sector, the UAE-based digital health platform TruDoc raised $15 million in a pre-Series B funding round, with participation from investors including the Al Nahyan family, the Al Kutbi family, and Pulsar Capital.
Founded in 2011, TruDoc provides a comprehensive suite of digital healthcare services, including telemedicine, chronic disease management, medical diagnostics, medication delivery, and home healthcare services, with operations spanning countries across the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Several additional startup funding rounds were also announced. The UAE-based AI infrastructure startup Skipr raised $2 million in a seed round at a $10 million valuation, although the identities of participating investors were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, the mobility solutions startup Weego secured $1.1 million in funding in a round led by Azur Innovation Fund.
In the UAE, the AI-focused company Ledgers raised $250,000 from angel investors, while crowd-shipping platform Paquik secured $85,000 in a pre-seed round, also backed by angel investors.
Elsewhere in the region, Saudi semiconductor design startup Rimal received bridge financing from Kahilan Asset Management, although the value of the investment was not disclosed. Meanwhile, Qatar-based healthtech company iQtech received funding from undisclosed investors.
Mergers and Acquisitions Activity
In the logistics sector, SAL Saudi Logistics Services announced the acquisition of 100% of Aviapartner Liège for $32.8 million (SAR 123 million).
The deal is expected to strengthen SAL’s operational presence at one of Europe’s major air cargo hubs while supporting its strategy to diversify revenue streams and expand international operations in the logistics sector.
In another deal highlighting the accelerating global investment in AI infrastructure, Canadian investment firm Brookfield acquired UK-based cloud computing firm Ori Industries, which was previously backed by Wa’ed Ventures.
The company will be integrated into a new entity called Radiant, which will provide GPU-as-a-Service computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence applications. While the financial value of the transaction was not disclosed, the new platform will allow on-demand access to AI chips and will support the deployment of sovereign cloud computing services in Qatar through a data center complex being developed by Brookfield in partnership with Qatar Investment Authority via its subsidiary QAI.
Global Investment Activity
Beyond the region, the U.S.-based AI optical interconnect startup Ayar Labs raised $500 million in a Series E funding round, with participation from the Qatar Investment Authority alongside major global investors including AMD, NVIDIA, and MediaTek.
Founded in 2015, the company has developed the sector’s first optical input/output solution, enabling companies to enhance AI infrastructure performance while reducing latency, energy consumption, and operating costs.
In the wearable technology sector, U.S.-based company WHOOP received additional funding from the UAE-based investment group 2PointZero, although the value of the investment was not disclosed.
Founded in 2012, WHOOP offers continuous physiological monitoring and personalized health coaching through a subscription-based platform. The company recently expanded its WHOOP Labs advanced testing services to Abu Dhabi and launched its first international performance lab in Doha.
In another financing deal, Hungarian IT systems integrator 4iG secured a $50 million convertible loan from Mubadala Investment Company. The loan is expected to convert into equity by the end of the first quarter of 2029, subject to regulatory approvals.