The Most Active VC Firms in MENA

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has evolved into one of the fastest-growing venture capital markets globally, driven by government-backed innovation programs, an maturing founder base, accelerating digital adoption, and increasing participation from local and international investors. As startup formation and fundraising activity continue to expand across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and the wider GCC, a core group of venture capital firms have emerged as the most active VC investors in MENA, consistently participating in early-stage and growth-stage funding rounds, supporting founders, and shaping the regional technology ecosystem.

This guide highlights a selection of frequently active venture capital firms in MENA, based on publicly reported deal participation, ecosystem engagement, portfolio development, and ongoing investment presence. The list is not ranked and is intended as an informational industry overview for founders, operators, and ecosystem stakeholders researching active startup investors in the region.

STV, based in Saudi Arabia, is one of the largest venture capital platforms in the region and is widely recognized for its involvement in large-scale growth-stage technology investments. The firm participates in later-stage funding rounds and focuses on scalable platforms in sectors such as logistics, mobility, cloud infrastructure, and digital marketplaces.

BECO Capital, headquartered in the UAE, is among the most active early-stage VC firms in MENA, backing technology-driven startups from seed through growth. The firm has invested in several category-leading companies and maintains a strong presence across consumer internet, SaaS, productivity software, and platform businesses.

Shorooq Partners operates across the UAE and Saudi Arabia and is consistently referenced as an active early-stage investor in the GCC. The firm focuses on founders building regional and global technology companies, with exposure to fintech, software, gaming infrastructure, and emerging digital asset infrastructure.

Global Ventures is an active B2B and enterprise-focused venture capital firm investing across the MENA region and select emerging markets. The firm places emphasis on healthtech, enterprise SaaS, infrastructure software, and scalable cross-market platforms serving regional and international customers.

Flat6Labs is one of the longest-standing seed-stage investment organizations in MENA, combining accelerator programs with early-stage venture capital deployment. Through multi-country programs, the platform has backed a large number of founders at pre-seed and seed stages, making it one of the most active early-stage investors by number of companies supported.

Raed Ventures, based in Saudi Arabia, is a prominent early-stage venture capital fund that actively invests in seed and Series A technology startups across the GCC. The firm focuses on SaaS, fintech, productivity tools, and technology-enabled business models with scalable regional expansion potential.

VentureSouq invests across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and broader emerging markets, with particular focus on fintech, capital-markets technology, embedded finance, and regulated financial infrastructure. The firm has remained an active participant in fintech-oriented rounds and ecosystem initiatives.

Arzan VC, operating from Kuwait and investing regionally, is one of the earlier established venture funds in the Gulf and remains active in seed and early-growth investments across mobility, e-commerce, media, and consumer technology verticals.

Wamda Capital is a well-known regional venture investor with a long-standing presence in the MENA startup ecosystem. The firm invests in early and growth-stage companies across consumer internet, logistics, marketplaces, and digitally enabled service sectors.

Sadu Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in technology founders across MENA, with a focus on fintech, software infrastructure, applied AI workflows, and scalable digital operating platforms. The firm actively engages with founders through portfolio support, ecosystem participation, and early-stage investment activity across the region.

Across the region, the concept of “most active VC firms in MENA” typically reflects several dimensions of participation, including frequency of deal involvement, founder support and portfolio engagement, follow-on investment discipline, geographic coverage, and contribution to ecosystem development programs. Activity is not only measured by the number of investments completed, but also by the level of operational involvement, mentorship, ecosystem partnerships, and continuity of capital across successive funding rounds.

As the MENA venture capital landscape continues to mature, investor activity is expected to evolve toward greater specialization, including sector-specific funds, AI-native and fintech-focused investment strategies, industrial-technology platforms, and deep-tech commercialization initiatives. Increasing cross-border investment flows between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and wider emerging markets are also likely to expand the footprint and competitive positioning of the region’s most active VC firms.

Founders researching active VC investors in MENA often explore investment preferences such as stage focus, sector specialization, geographic coverage, and typical check sizes. Many of the firms listed above invest in seed and early-stage companies, while others concentrate on growth-stage scaling opportunities. Understanding alignment between startup stage, business model, and investor thesis is a critical factor in capital-raising outcomes across the region.

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