Middle East Startup Investments Decline by $78.3 Million in the Final Week of July - إنت عربي

Middle East startup investments fall $78.3m in final week of July

New startup investments across the Middle East dropped by $78.3 million in the final week of July compared with the second and third weeks of the month, with just four deals announced worth a combined $17.8 million between July 27 and July 31. Startups in Saudi Arabia and the UAE captured the bulk of the week’s activity, while sectors from insurtech to gaming and fintech featured among the recipients of fresh capital.

“Startups in the region announced four investment deals worth a combined $17.8 million, involving five companies,” the weekly investment report states, underscoring the steep week-on-week decline in disclosed funding.

Saudi Arabia led regional investment activity, accounting for 53.4% of the week’s total announced capital, or $9.5 million. That amount was split across two Saudi founders: insurtech startup DESAISIV and gaming studio Ash Games. The United Arab Emirates accounted for 30.9% of the week’s investments, with $5.5 million raised by UAE-based Bundle, while e-commerce startup Fincart secured $2.8 million — 15.73% of total announced deals for the week.

• DESAISIV (Saudi Arabia) — Launched an $8 million growth funding round to accelerate development of its artificial intelligence technologies, expand its product portfolio and roll out its AI Insurance Agent platform.
• Bundle (UAE) — A Web3 rewards platform that emerged from stealth and raised $5.5 million in a Pre-Seed round to launch its global shared rewards platform. The round was co-led by Ethereal Ventures and Further Ventures, with participation from Nascent, GSR, Scenius Capital, Anchorage Digital and Nuwa Capital.
• Ash Games (Saudi Arabia) — Secured $1.5 million in a Seed round co-led by Merak Capital and Impact46 through the Merak Gaming Fund to support game development and accelerate expansion into global markets.
• Fincart (sector: e-commerce) — Closed $2.8 million, representing 15.73% of the week’s total announced investments.

The composition of the week’s deals highlights a continued appetite for sector-specific growth plays: insurtech received sizeable early-stage growth capital, gaming attracted seed funding aimed at product development and global expansion, and Web3-focused fintech claimed a substantial pre-seed cheque as it launched publicly.

Co-investor profiles in these rounds suggest a mix of regional and international backers. Bundle’s pre-seed was supported by a constellation of specialized investors — Ethereal Ventures, Further Ventures, Nascent, GSR, Scenius Capital, Anchorage Digital and Nuwa Capital — reflecting cross-border interest in blockchain-enabled consumer reward products. Ash Games’ Seed round shows local ecosystem players such as Merak Capital and Impact46 backing creative and exportable digital content from the Kingdom.

Outlook: while the single-week decline of $78.3 million signals volatility in disclosed funding flows, the deals reveal targeted capital deployment into technology niches with clear commercial roadmaps. DESAISIV’s $8 million growth round and Bundle’s $5.5 million pre-seed indicate both follow-on and new entrants can still attract meaningful checks. Market watchers will be monitoring whether the slowdown is a short-term reporting variation or an early signal of tightened deal-making through August and into Q3.