How MENA startups can sharpen their investment pitches

The Middle East is awash with startup pitches, but investors are finding few companies that combine market knowledge, traction and technological differentiation sufficient to merit funding, said Hussein Attar, CEO of Tech Invest Com. Venture capital firms can receive between 2,000 and 3,000 pitches a year, Attar noted, even as regional deal activity slowed: just 214 venture transactions were completed in the first half of 2026 and deal count fell 41 percent year-on-year, with $1.35 billion invested and the 10 largest transactions accounting for 58 percent of that total, data from industry trackers show.

“You have to prove to the market that what you’re building is actually much needed,” Attar said, stressing the importance of commercial validation before fundraising.

Why many pitches fall short

Attar argues the core problem is not deal flow but deal quality. Many founders pitch before they have researched competitors or proven customer demand, undermining credibility. “Coming in with the blindness of ‘no one’s like us’ is the worst thing you can do,” he said, advising startups to map who else is addressing the same problem, how those companies are positioned and why their own product can compete.

Investors also face sourcing challenges because highly qualified founders often circulate in established professional networks. “Who you know, who you talk to, who introduces who” can determine whether an investor gains access to differentiated companies, Attar said, recommending that investors increase visibility through events, workshops and industry panels and strengthen relationships with seed-stage funds that can provide vetted referrals.

Practical steps for founders

• Demonstrate traction: contracts, customer pipelines, structured discussions or minimum viable product tests can narrow the gap between idea and business.
• Package technology for customers: Attar emphasised that many deep-tech and AI firms struggle to communicate value, and warned that customers hesitate to adopt solutions they do not understand.
• Focus on commercialization: “Focus on the commercialization and having AI enablement is the right way to go,” he said. “Show us that you can sell the solution to others.”
• Build defensibility: explain how team, technology or execution creates advantage even in crowded segments.

Tech Invest Com, which began investing in technology in 2005 and moved into venture capital in 2019, targets MENA-based Series A and B startups with cheque sizes between $1 million and $3 million, and selective seed investments from $200,000 to $1 million. The firm favours B2B SaaS and sectors where its shareholders — family offices with interests in banking, manufacturing, real estate and retail — can act as customers or partners. Fintech remains attractive, while insurance tech and proptech are under active watch.

Attar highlighted portfolio company Merit Incentives as a case study of differentiation: while the loyalty sector appeared crowded, Merit had built a merchant network of more than 3,000 brands across 150 countries and demonstrated an ability to convert introductions into customers, addressing concerns about go-to-market execution in markets such as Saudi Arabia.

Outlook

With funding concentrated in a handful of large deals and overall deal volume down, Attar urged founders to prioritise commercial evidence, defensible technology and durable relationships over raising money as the starting point. “Many of the startups feel that ‘I’m going to stay until funding comes,’ and that’s the worst thing you can do,” he said. He added: “Exits are always great, but we’re not pressuring the startups for it,” signalling a preference for sustainable, revenue-backed growth over growth at any cost.