Hello there,

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 🌍

If you haven't subscribed yet, now's the perfect time. Don't miss the opportunity to supercharge your understanding and stay ahead in this dynamic world.

Ready? Let’s get right into it.

📰 Important News

• The UAE Ministry of Economy has granted a collective management license to EMRA to oversee music creators' rights.

• Pakistan’s Haball is expanding its shariah-compliant SME financing platform into Saudi Arabia after raising $52 million in pre-Series A funding.

• Saudi-based Yalla Plus launched Yalla AI, a generative Arabic-language platform offering content creation, business analytics, and POS integration.

• Rabbit has expanded to Saudi Arabia with a Riyadh HQ aiming for 20 million deliveries by 2026 using AI-driven logistics and dark stores.

• UAE's Tarjama launched Pronoia V2, an Arabic-focused Large Language Model (LLM) that outperforms global models such as GPT-4o.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• SILQ secured $110 million led by Valar Ventures and Sanabil to scale its B2B digital procurement platform across Asia and the Middle East.

• Sellou, a social e-commerce startup, raised $3 million in seed funding to enhance its video-based marketplace platform and expand across MENA.

• UAE-based Rentify secured $500,000 in funding to revolutionize the rental market with its AI-powered platform.

• FeeSolution raised $298,000 to grow its school payments platform and offer flexible financing options.

• The Hashgraph Group has invested in UAE-based AgNext Technologies to enhance agriTech with AI and blockchain.

💰️ Notable Exits

• Sary and ShopUp merged to form SILQ backed by $110 million to build the largest B2B commerce platform across the Gulf and South Asia.

🏦 About Investors

• The World Bank has approved $1 billion financing to support Jordan, including $50 million for the Innovative Startups and SMEs Fund (ISSF 2.0), to expand early-stage equity financing and boost private investment in tech.

🚀 Startup of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

SILQ

SILQ Group is a newly formed B2B commerce platform resulting from the April 2025 merger of Saudi Arabia-based Sary and Bangladesh-based ShopUp. Aiming to modernize procurement and streamline fragmented supply chains, SILQ targets small and medium-sized businesses across Asia and the Middle East by offering a fully integrated suite of digital tools for inventory, payments, and logistics. The company has secured $110 million in a funding round led by Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures and Saudi Arabia’s Sanabil Investments, as it accelerates its expansion plans and prepares for a potential IPO by 2027.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

ISSF

The Innovative Startups and SMEs Fund (ISSF) was initially established in 2017 to support early-stage financing for startups and small businesses in Jordan. ISSF 2.0, valued at $50 million, expands on this mission by focusing on accelerating private investment in high-growth startups across key sectors such as ICT, fintech, greentech, and healthtech. Backed by the World Bank, ISSF 2.0 aims to attract regional and global venture capital funds to Jordan, strengthening the country's startup ecosystem and fostering innovation.

 🤑 Opportunity Radar

Call for Applications: Techstars New York City Accelerator

Apply to the Techstars New York City Accelerator by June 11th, 2025 to join one of the most founder-focused programs in the world. This in-person accelerator kicks off in September 2025 in the heart of NYC—home to leading hospitals, financial institutions, enterprise buyers, and media powerhouses. With a personalized approach, hands-on support, and access to a global network of 4,800+ startups, Techstars NYC is ideal for early-stage founders building in AI/ML, fintech, health, climate, enterprise SaaS, and beyond. Don't miss the chance to grow your startup in one of the world’s most dynamic ecosystems.