Middle East startups draw fresh investor interest

Startups across the Middle East and North Africa continued to attract major investment this week, with fintech, proptech, employment services and sports technology firms among those securing fresh capital. Saudi fintech platform Arib raised $23.5 million in a round led by Merak Capital, UAE-based employment and payroll company RemotePass closed a $17.4 million Series B, and Jordan Capital and Investment Fund launched Manara Ventures, a $70.5 million fund to back technology startups and growth-stage companies.

"The company said the money would be used to expand its digital financing marketplace and launch new products for consumers and businesses in Saudi Arabia,"

Context and deal details

• Arib — Raised $23.5 million in a Merak Capital-led round. The company plans to use the proceeds to expand its digital financing marketplace and to launch new consumer and business products in Saudi Arabia.
• RemotePass — Secured $17.4 million in Series B funding to support expansion in Europe and the United States. RemotePass currently manages payroll and workforce payments across more than 150 countries.
• Manara Ventures — Launched by Jordan Capital and Investment Fund with $70.5 million earmarked to support technology startups and growth-stage companies in Jordan and the wider region.
• EYST Technology — Tunisia’s insurance technology startup raised fresh investment to support international expansion (amount not disclosed in the report).
• PlayReplay — The Swedish sports technology company raised $12 million and announced plans to expand into Middle Eastern markets, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Egypt.
• ARRW — The Egyptian ride‑hailing startup secured $4 million to expand its transport services and to improve its technology platform.
• eVoost AI — UAE-based proptech startup raised $2.2 million for product development and global growth.
• Peekabox — The surplus food marketplace secured $1.5 million to expand across Gulf markets.

These transactions highlight a range of investor interest across sectors: Arib and RemotePass represent large rounds in fintech and payroll services, while PlayReplay and ARRW reflect cross-border interest in sports tech and mobility. Manara Ventures’ $70.5 million fund marks a notable institutional commitment within Jordan to provide follow‑on capital for scaling technology businesses.

Industry participants and observers cited in the report noted sustained appetite for startups focused on digital payments, artificial intelligence, logistics and financial technology. Several of the deals announced this week explicitly target expansion outside home markets — RemotePass toward Europe and the United States, PlayReplay into multiple Middle Eastern countries, and a number of startups pursuing Gulf-wide rollouts.

Looking ahead, the mix of venture rounds and the launch of a regional fund suggests investors remain active across early and growth stages. For companies such as Arib and RemotePass, the new capital provides runway to roll out product offerings and enter strategic markets; for regionally focused vehicles like Manara Ventures, the fund is positioned to increase available growth capital for technology firms across Jordan and neighbouring markets.