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Welcome to another edition of 🔍 Startup Researcher - Middle East, your essential digest delivering the latest news and premium insights on startups and venture capital across the region 🌍

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📰 Important News

• Ripple secured a DFSA license to offer regulated crypto payments in Dubai International Financial Centre, strengthening its regional presence.

• The Saudi Space Agency and Korea Aerospace Administration have signed an MoU in Riyadh to collaborate on deep space technology.

• Telegram’s crypto wallet, developed by The Open Platform, now supports multi-asset trading, yield features, and a revamped interface.

• Forbes Middle East published its Fintech 50 list highlighting top fintech firms, with Tabby ranking first as the region’s most valuable startup.

• Addepar is expanding to the Middle East and Africa with a new office in Dubai International Financial Centre, strengthening its regional presence.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Longevity Wellness Hub secured $4 million to expand across the GCC, planning five new hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh.

• Saudi e-commerce startup Aya raised $1.6 million in seed funding to unify the modest fashion market with trend-driven innovation.

• Saudi proptech startup Ajras closed a $1.5 million pre-Series A round led by Veda Holding, enhancing its ‘Rent Now, Pay Later’ model.

• Kuwait-based Motery raised a seed round at an $8 million valuation to expand its online car buying and financing platform.

• Takamol Ventures invested in Lean Technologies as part of its Series B extension to enhance open banking, secure financial data access, and drive fintech innovation.

💰️ Notable Exits

• Saudi-owned Scopely acquired Niantic’s gaming division, including Pokémon GO, for $3.5 billion as Niantic pivots to geospatial AI.

• Micropolis raised $15.5 million in its NYSE IPO to expand its robotics business, funding hiring, marketing, equipment, R&D, and loan repayments.

• Samir Abi Frem announced the acquisition of its AI-driven SaaS platform Lokalee for $12.8 million by Switzerland’s Beaconsmind Group.

• Impact46 successfully exited Rasan through an accelerated bookbuild offering, achieving a 10x return since 2021.

• Middle East-based Silver Box acquired Kenya’s Mobius Motors after financial struggles, appointing a new COO and planning to expand production.

🏦 About Investors

• UAE-based Phoenix Venture Partners completed the second closing of its $50 million Innovation Fund, attracting investors from multiple countries to back early-stage startups across key sectors in MENA.

• UAE-based MGX invested $2 billion in Binance, marking the largest stablecoin-related deal and Binance’s first institutional investment, reinforcing blockchain adoption and digital finance growth.

🚀 Startup of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Longevity Wellness Hub

Longevity Wellness Hub, a UAE-based alternative wellness company founded by endurance athlete Dani Afiouni, has secured $4 million to expand its presence across the GCC, with plans to open five new hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. The funding will also support the advancement of its proprietary Quantum Scanning tool, which leverages biometrics, voice frequency analysis, and quantum physics to deliver personalized health insights. Positioned at the intersection of ancient healing and cutting-edge biohacking, Longevity aims to redefine wellness in the region by integrating quantum-based diagnostics with precision-formulated infusions, recovery therapies, and holistic health solutions.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

Phoenix Venture Partners

Abu Dhabi-based Phoenix Venture Partners is an early-stage VC firm investing in fintech, healthtech, edtech, agri-foodtech, sustainability, logistics, and consumer tech across MENA and beyond. Founded in 2023, it operates from Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, and Beirut, offering hands-on support through its talent management model and industry network. The firm recently completed the second closing of its $50 million Phoenix Venture Partners Innovation Fund (PVPIF), attracting investors from France, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, reinforcing confidence in its investment strategy. Led by Founder and CEO Steve Khayat, PVP aims to accelerate deal execution and expand its portfolio, focusing on disruptive technologies that drive innovation across high-growth sectors while strengthening its position as a key player in the region’s venture capital ecosystem.

🤑 Opportunity Radar

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