Startups across MENA secure fresh funding to scale chips, AI, mobility and proptech platforms

Startups across the Middle East and North Africa have secured fresh capital this month to advance semiconductor design, artificial intelligence infrastructure, mobility services and medical simulation platforms. Riyadh-based Rimal Semiconductors closed a bridge round with Keheilan Asset Management and an undisclosed regional investor to bolster its fabless chip design strategy; Moroccan–Senegalese mobility player Weego raised $1.1 million led by Azur Innovation Fund; Abu Dhabi-based Skipr closed a $2 million seed at a $10 million valuation; and Doha’s iQtech secured its first investment round from European assessment technology company Selexi and deep‑tech collaborator Yuniro.

“Transportation remains one of the primary barriers to economic activity in many cities,” said Saad Jittou, co‑founder and CEO of Weego.

Deals and strategic aims

Rimal Semiconductors is pursuing a fabless model that keeps intellectual property Saudi‑owned while outsourcing manufacturing to partners across Taiwan, Korea and China, and is in discussions with US‑based foundries to diversify production. The company said the bridge funding will support that strategy and help it navigate a semiconductor landscape increasingly shaped by geopolitical tensions. Rimal is finalizing a distribution agreement with a regional distributor that operates across Turkiye, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and the UAE, and said it has six contracts in the pipeline, including one with a major Egyptian corporation covering projects in defense systems, power‑grid infrastructure and data‑centre technologies.

iQtech LLC, founded in 2025 and operating from the Qatar Science & Technology Park in Doha, closed its first funding round with Selexi and Yuniro. The startup is developing EsculapioVR, an AI‑powered medical training and cross‑reality simulation platform designed to accelerate professional training for health care, civil and military programs. The new capital will be used to strengthen technical infrastructure, accelerate platform development and expand deployments across Qatar and the wider MENA region.

Weego, founded in 2020 by Saad Jittou and Mor Niane, runs a mobility‑as‑a‑service application that integrates public transit, ride‑hailing and other modes, plus an enterprise service, WeegoLines, for managing employee transport. The $1.1 million round led by Azur Innovation Fund is earmarked to expand into additional Moroccan cities, deepen enterprise offerings and pursue broader regional expansion across Africa, with longer‑term ambitions toward Europe and the Middle East.

Skipr, incubated at Hub71 in Abu Dhabi, raised $2 million in a seed round at a $10 million valuation to build infrastructure that enables trusted interaction between autonomous AI systems. The company said it works with telecommunications operators, AI and cybersecurity laboratories and data‑centre partners to deploy sovereign AI services for governments and enterprises. “We are building the trust infrastructure nations and enterprises need to deploy AI safely, confidently, and at scale,” said Andreas Hartl, CEO at Skipr Technologies.

Outlook

The rounds reflect a range of priorities: Rimal’s drive to retain IP ownership while spreading manufacturing risk; iQtech’s push to commercialize immersive medical training across the GCC; Weego’s focus on operationalizing multimodal transport solutions for cities and corporations; and Skipr’s effort to provide sovereign layers for AI deployments. Each company signalled clear use of proceeds — from scaling technical platforms and regional roll‑outs to finalizing distribution partnerships and accelerating go‑to‑market contracts already in the pipeline.

• Rimal Semiconductors — bridge funding from Keheilan Asset Management + undisclosed regional investor; manufacturing partnerships in Taiwan, Korea, China; six contracts in pipeline.
• Weego — $1.1 million led by Azur Innovation Fund; founders Saad Jittou and Mor Niane; expansion across Morocco and Africa.
• Skipr — $2 million seed at $10 million valuation; Hub71 base; sovereign AI infrastructure for national and enterprise deployments.
• iQtech — first investment round from Selexi and Yuniro; developing EsculapioVR from Doha’s Qatar Science & Technology Park.