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Startups in the Middle East and North Africa for the First Half of 2022
14 Aug 2022 Written by Admin AdminTranslated by: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Since 2021, Middle East and North Africa start-ups have witnessed a new leap in their growth. Although start-ups in the region have seen growth in the size and number of finance deals since 2013, as of the beginning of last year, there has been an unprecedented rise in start-up growth as the incubating business environment for start-ups in both the Gulf States and Egypt has evolved. In addition, new countries have entered the line of interest in start-ups, most notably Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia.
The first half of 2022 was a new chapter in the great growth of start-ups. The total volume of deals acquired by start-ups in the region was more than $1.7 billion, with growth from the first half of last year of more than 83.7%, and up to 125% compared to total funding for start-ups in 2019-2020 in total! The number of start-up finance deals reached about 341 deals with a growth rate of about 38.6% compared to the first half of 2021 and nearly 94% compared to 2020 in total.
In the following lines, we will take a look at the situation of start-ups in the Middle East and North Africa for the first half of 2022, where funding is distributed geographically and sectorally, along with gender distribution, start-up funding phases, and others.
Distribution of Start-up Finance by Country
UAE start-ups have taken the lead in the Middle East and North Africa over the past decade in recent years, Saudi start-ups have advanced and become strong competitors of Emirati companies as a hub for attracting bold finance. In recent years, Saudi startups have advanced and become a strong competitor to Emirati companies as a center for attracting venture capital, thanks to economic reforms, developing the business environment for startups, and supporting and establishing investment funds to finance them. Egypt has also focused on supporting start-ups by improving the investment environment and supporting the establishment of investment funds, and providing facilities for foreign investors and entrepreneurs, which transformed the focus of corporate transaction finance over the past years.
While most start-up financing is concentrated in the UAE, both Saudi and Egyptian start-ups have a balanced share of the size of these investments. However, UAE start-ups continued to acquire the biggest share of total finance in the first half of last year, UAE companies received approximately 45% of total start-up finance. Start-ups in Saudi Arabia and Egypt received 28% and 9% respectively, but in the first line of 2022, changes emerged in the concentration of funding for start-ups in the region, The percentage of funding received by UAE start-ups was about 37.4% and althought it leads the list of the most attractive countries to fund the region's start-ups, its share shrank by about 7.5% compared to the first half of last year.
The decline was in favor of the expansion of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with Saudi start-ups' share of total financing reaching about 32.7%, a difference of less than 5% from the UAE. Egyptian start-ups accounted for about 18.5%, up 3.5% compared to the same period last year. In the fourth place, Bahraini start-ups finished at 6.5%, which is more than 4.5% growth compared to the same period. It is also a significant rise in absolute numbers. According to the data of the first half of this year, Bahrain can be classified as a central country in attracting funding for start-ups in the region.
Sectoral Distribution of Start-up Finance
In the first half of this year, fintech start-ups accounted for about 38.4% of total finance, with growth from the first half of last year reaching approximately 6.4%, In second place, agro-technology companies came in at about 21%, but about 50% of the total financing received by agro-technology companies belongs to the UAE company Pure Harvest. Therefore, it cannot be seen as a clear indicator of the growth of the agro-technology sector, as the number of agro-technology companies that received funding during the same period has not exceeded four. On the other hand, start-ups active in logistics, health and education technology and software show increasing and more sustained growth both in terms of the number of deals and the amount of funding received over the past two years.
Start-up Financing Stages
With the increase in the number of business accelerators in the region, particularly in the Arabian Gulf and Egypt, the number of start-ups receiving financing through fast-growing companies or so-called business incubators has risen. The proportion of start-up investment deals funded through business accelerators in the first half of this year reached about 27%, however, seed and pre-seed funding continued to dominate the start-up finance landscape. The proportion of companies that received an initial funding round reached about 22% and nearly 10% of start-ups received pre-establishment funding rounds. While the proportion of companies that obtained financing in the series (A) and (B) stages was limited to 4.8% and 3%, respectively, and the financing in the Series (C) stage was limited to only one company.
Funding Disaggregated by Gender
Can anything challenge the belief that investing in digital assets is a guaranteed route to riches?
We deal with all kinds of financial problems on the Money Clinic podcast, but after speaking to young traders who lost their shirts in the $40bn wipeout of crypto token luna, I found it hard to offer them any solutions.
Subbaiah, 29, got into crypto last year after seeing his friends make money.
The IT worker in Bangalore watched tutorials by online influencers, started trading in and out of various coins and made enough to dream about quitting his day job and trading full-time.
Unfortunately, this early success gave him the confidence to borrow on credit cards to boost his trades. Tempted by the prospect of a 20 per cent yield, he moved his entire $7,000 portfolio into luna — only to see it reduced to $150 when the coin’s value collapsed this month.
“I thought I could make money easily,” he tells me on the podcast this week. “I never thought about the downside, that everything could go to zero.”
Not only is Subbaiah’s money lost, the credit card debt will be a lasting reminder of how this was a risk he couldn’t afford to take.
You might have limited sympathy for those who have been financially reckless, trading unregulated and volatile crypto assets in an attempt to get rich. In the UK, regulators have consistently warned: “Be prepared to lose all of your money.” So why has this come as a surprise?
Yet, glance through the tales of woe on Reddit threads topped with suicide helplines, and only those with hearts of stone will fail to question what more we should be doing to protect young consumers from financial harm.
Financial regulators are still struggling with how to respond, but there are also serious questions for platforms (those that enable crypto trading as well as social media platforms). As the gatekeepers to the crypto kingdom, they’re profiting from this craze, and should better police it.
However, even the outgoing chair of the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority admitted last week that harsh warnings were not putting young people off. Charles Randell recently visited a school near the FCA’s east London headquarters, and chatted to a group of 13- and 14-year-old students about the risks of crypto.
They accepted it was “like gambling”, but nevertheless still believed they could make money. “They were very able students, but the hope of getting rich was stronger than any facts or rational arguments I could give them,” he said.
“With celebrities as varied as Kim Kardashian and Larry David willing to take money to promote speculative crypto, how do we curb people’s enthusiasm to do something that may seriously harm their financial lives?”
Crypto may be risky and unregulated, but it’s impossible to avoid. Even if young investors are aware of the FCA’s warnings, they’re much more likely to have seen influencer endorsements on social media, crypto ads on the side of buses or taken part in “play to earn” online games such as Axie Infinity.
Last year, FCA research estimated that 2.3mn British adults owned some form of crypto asset, which is not far off the numbers who invest in stocks and shares Isas. Although most crypto holders knew their investments were not protected, more than one in ten believed otherwise.
There’s rising evidence some people who have lost money on their crypto investments mistakenly think they could be entitled to compensation.
The UK’s Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) tells me that “crypto” is one of the most searched-for terms on its website — yet it’s not a product it covers. In response, the FSCS has created educational content about what to consider before you invest in crypto, including its “Protect your money” podcast.
This is commendable — but could better financial education really discourage people from taking huge risks to get rich quick? One of Money Clinic’s podcast experts, professional investor Ilan Solot, believes that it can.
“We need to be preparing young people for a financial world where they’re going to be offered situations with high leverage, and people on YouTube saying you can earn 20 per cent and there’s no risk,” he says.
I’m a big believer that we need to start doing more in schools. The FT’s Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign (FLIC) has devised a school workshop about risk including a “higher or lower” game — similar to the 1980s British TV show Play Your Cards Right — where we challenge teenagers to predict short-term crypto price movements.
In my role as a FLIC trustee, I am often required to pose as the late flamboyant presenter Bruce Forsyth.
One lucky student is selected to guess as their classmates bellow “higher!” or “lower!” (they frequently get it wrong, which is embarrassing, but less costly than doing so in real life).
Once, a student thought the answer was lower, but I influenced him to change his mind by repeatedly asking “Are you sure?”
When I revealed the correct price was substantially lower, he was rightly miffed: “But Miss, you told me it would go up!”
But here’s the thing: how can anyone guarantee that you’ll make money? As I told the students, if I were an influencer on TikTok telling them to buy this coin, what recourse would they have if they lost all their money? Correct answer — none — and gold stars awarded.
There are other regulated activities that older students could legally try that are risky and financially harmful, such as spread betting, day trading or gambling, yet some protections exist.
The UK has (finally) banned punters from gambling using credit card payments; spread betting sites must carry prominent warnings about the high numbers of customers who lose money and the FCA has clamped down on the amount of leverage unsophisticated investors can use. Meanwhile, the crypto world remains a free-for-all.
The first rule of gambling is never to bet more than you can afford to lose, but crypto investors should also heed traditional investment “rules” such as diversification.
Contrast Subbaiah’s experience with that of 34-year-old Money Clinic podcast listener Dan. He holds crypto, but kept this under 15 per cent of his wider portfolio.
While he steered clear of leverage (and luna) he’s still seen the value of his crypto holdings fall by several thousands of pounds in the latest sell-off.
He’s not happy about this — but it hasn’t cost him his financial resilience. He’s not a forced seller and (to coin a phrase beloved of crypto investors) he can “hold on for dear life” and hope for a bounce.
You might think they’re nuts for investing in crypto, but I am hugely grateful to our podcast guests for bravely sharing their experiences of losing money.
With all of the hype merchants promising you can trade your way to riches, talking about the realities of going broke may be the most powerful educational tool for young investors who are tempted to take a punt.
source: The Financial Times
Switzerland held meetings in Bahrain and Morocco to promote investments and trade relations
16 May 2022 Written by Admin SAETwo separate meetings have been held in May 2022 in order to strengthening Arab-Swiss economic relations. The first meeting took place in Rabat on May 9, when the Moroccan Minister for Investment, Convergence and Public Policy Evaluation, Mohcine Jazouli, met with the Swiss Minister of State Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch in the presence of, Guillaume Schurer, Ambassador of Switzerland to Morocco. Where the two parties discussed the possibility of introducing new investments in many sectors, and pledged to hold similar meetings in the future. Jazouli commented on the already strong relations between the two countries, noting that the meeting was "an opportunity to present the various investment opportunities offered by Morocco to the Swiss officials." On the other hand, Ms. Ineichen-Fleisch described the relations between the two countries as "excellent".
Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services in cooperation with the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco had previously held a meeting in late April under the slogan "Focus on Morocco".
Commenting on the recent talks that brought the two sides together, Ambassador Guillaume Schurer referred to the Swiss-Moroccan agreement signed in December 2021, considering that the agreement allowed for "increasing cooperation in all areas."
On the other hand, a meeting was held in Manama on May 12, as part of an official visit by the Swiss economic mission to the Kingdom of Bahrain, where the mission met with the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Iman Al-Dosari, in the presence of the Swiss Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Massimo Badji and the Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade, Shaikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, and a number of senior officials in the ministry. The meeting dealt with bilateral economic relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them.
The Arab-Swiss relations occupies a distinguished position on the economic level. Switzerland is one of the most important commercial partners for the Arab countries, as it accounts for about 10% of the total Arab trade exchanges with the Europe.
Recent years have witnessed a development in Arab-Swiss economic relations, especially with the Arab Gulf states, in the same time relations between Morocco and Switzerland have improved significantly in the past few years.
الشركات الناشئة في الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا..مؤشرات لنمو قوي في عام 2022
20 Feb 2022 Written by Admin Adminفي مؤشر لنمو قوي للشركات الناشئة لهذا العام، حصدت الشركات الناشئة في الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا على أكثر من 247 مليون دولار عبر 46 صفقة في شهر يناير/كانون الثاني، بنسبة نمو قدرها 20% على أساس شهري، وبنحو 474% مقارنةً بالفترة نفسها من العام الماضي! فيما يلي موجز سريع عن حالة الشركات الناشئة في المنطقة لشهر يناير/كانون الثاني.
التوزع الجغرافي لعدد وحجم صفقات الشركات الناشئة
بخلاف توزع حجم الصفقات السائد، فإن شهر يناير/كانون الثاني حمله الشركات الناشئة البحرينية لصدارة القائمة من حيث توزع حجم الصفقات، إذ حصدت الشركات الناشئة البحرينية على نحو 110 مليون دولار، أي بنسبة 44.5% من إجمالي التمويل الذي حصلت عليه الشركات الناشئة في المنقطة للفترة نفسها، وهي أعلى نسبة تحصدها الشركات البحرينية على الإطلاق، لكن يجب الإشارة أن صدارة البحرين مصدرها صفقة شركة Rain البحرينية التي بلغت فيمتها 110 مليون دولار، وتعد شركة Rain واحدة من أوائل شركات الوساطة في مجال العملات المشفرة.
أما في المرتبة الثانية فجاءت المملكة العربية السعودية بواقع 55 مليون دولار، فيما حلت ثالثاً مصر بنحو 33 مليون دولار، فيما تراجعت الإمارات إلى المركز الرابع بحوالي 24 مليون دولار، تليها العراق في المرتبة الخامسة بواقع 18 مليون دولار.
على صعيد التوزع الجغرافي، نجد تركزاً كبيراً لتوزع الصفقات في ثلاثة دول، هي: السعودية (15 صفقة)، ومصر (11 صفقة)، والإمارات (9 صفقة)، على التوالي، يشكل هذا التوزع نحو 76% من إجمالي عدد الصفقات. ومن الجدير بالذكر أيضاً هو متوسط حجم الصفقة الواحدة الذي بلغ نحو 5.3 مليون دولار، وهو يساوي تقريباً متوسط حجم الصفقة للنصف الثاني لعام 2021، ويزيد عن متوسط حجم الصفقة لعام 2021 بنحو 13%.
التوزع القطاعي لعدد وحجم صفقات الشركات الناشئة
لجهة التوزع القطاعي تصدرت شركات التكنولوجيا المالية لناحية حجم الصفقات وعددها، إذ حصدت الشركات الناشئة الناشطة في هذا القطاع على 6 صفقات، بلغ حجمها الإجمالي أكثر من 166 مليون دولار، وهو ما يمثل أكثر من 67% من إجمالي حجم الصفقات، وهي نسبة تركز مرتفعة للغاية. ويمكن اعتبارها امتداداً للنمو المتواصل لهذا القطاع في السنوات الثلاث الماضية.
أما في المرتبة الثانية فنجد عودت متواضعة لقطاع التجارة الإلكترونية حيث وصل حجم الصفقات في هذا القطاع إلى نحو 27.9 مليون دولار، موزعة على 5 صفقات. فيما جاء في فجاء قطاع التكنولوجيا الغذائية في المرتبة الثالثة بحوالي 15.6 مليون دولار موزعة على 6 صفقات. وفي المرتبة الرابعة اتى قطاع التطبيقات الفائقة "super-app" بإجمالي تمويل بلغ 10.5 مليون دولار من صفقة واحدة، ويلاحظ هنا النمو في حصة قطاع التطبيقات الفائقة وهو نمو يمكن رصده بدءً من العام الفائت.
مراحل الاستثمار في الشركات الناشئة
تركزت صفقات الشركات الناشئة في شهر يناير على المراحل المبكرة، وتحديداً مرحلتي البذرة وما قبل البذرة، حيث مثلت هاتين المرحلتين أكثر من 60% من إجمالي الصفقات في جميع المراحل.
ومن الجدير بالذكر أن متوسط قيمة الصفقة في مرحلة تمويل البذرة قد ارتفع لنحو 1.15 مليون دولار، بحسب مؤسسة ومضة، وهذا مؤشر على النمو العام لمتوسط حجم صفقات متوسط الشركات الناشئة في المنطقة، على اعتبار أن الصفقات في المراحل البذرية تكون عادةً منخفضة، فإذا ما قورنت بالمتوسط العام لحجم الصفقات البالغ نحو 5.3 مليون دولار، فيكون حجم متوسط الصفقة في مرحلة البذرة يساوي نحو 20% من إجمالي متوسط حجم الصفقات لشهر يناير.
التوزع الجندري
جاء توزع صفقات الشركات الناشئة من حيث التوزع الجندري، متواضعاً لجهة الحصة التي استطاعت جمعها الشركات الناشئة التي تديرها النساء، إذ لم تتجاوز حصة هذه الشركات 1%، في حين حصلت الشركات الناشئة التي يديرها رجال على ما نسبته 96% من إجمالي التمويل الموجه للشركات الناشئة في شهر يناير، أما الشركات التي يديرها فريق مشترك من الرجال والنساء فقد بلغت حصة ما حصلوا عليه من التمويل نحو 5.2%.
يمكنك التعرف على حالة الشركات الناشئة في الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا في عام 2021 بالضغط هنا.
المصدر:
The Year of Startups.. A comprehensive look at startups in the Middle East and North Africa for 2021
09 Mar 2022 Written by Admin SAE2021 can be described as the year of startups par excellence, as it was an exceptional year for startups at all levels. Despite all the difficulties and challenges related to the spread of the Corona virus epidemic, what startups in the Middle East and North Africa achieved in 2021 did not achieve in all previous years!
In this article, we will take a comprehensive look at the state of startups in the region, and tell you everything you need to know about the state of startups in the Middle East and North Africa in 2021.
First: the development of investments in start-ups
During more than a decade, the business environment for emerging companies has developed in the Arab region, especially in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, specifically the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which have worked to develop the business environment to incubate entrepreneurship through a wide range of incubators and accelerators of the business sector and the governmental sector. Egypt has also witnessed a remarkable development in the business environment. The development in the Arab entrepreneurship ecosystem is reflected in improving the legislative and legal environment and in launching a large number of startup incubators, including Flat6Labs, Falak and Injaz Egypt.
The development in the business environment for startups in the region has translated into a huge increase in the number and size of investment deals in startups, as the total volume of deals for start-ups increased by more than 1280% between 2013 and 2021, and with a growth rate of 312% compared to 2020, which witnessed a slowdown in the growth rate due to the direct repercussions of the spread of the Corona epidemic.
In terms of the number of investment deals in startups, it also increased significantly between 2013 and 2021, and while the number of deals for startups in 2013 did not exceed 148 deals, in 2021 it amounted to 561 deals. The following figure shows the development of investment in companies in the region between 2013 and 2021 in terms of the volume and number of investment deals.
As shown in the figure, the volume of investments in 2021 alone is equivalent to the volume of investments in emerging companies in the region during the period 2017 and 2020 combined. This indicates the significant development that occurred in 2021.
Second: Startups in the Middle East and North Africa for 2021
The following chart shows the volume of deals for startups during 2021 and their growth on a monthly basis. The figure shows the upward curve of investment in startups throughout the past year. The quarterly growth of the volume of deals for startups reached 48%, 32% and 104%, respectively, while the growth rate for the last quarter of the same year decreased by 74%. This decline can be explained by the exceptional rise in the third quarter of the year, specifically in July, when the total volume of deals reached more than 632 million dollars. As for the semi-annual growth level, it reached about 91%. In general, the data before us heralds new levels of investment in start-up companies. The number of startup deals in the second half of 2021 also increased by 28% compared to the first half. This rise is accompanied by a growth in the average size of one deal, which rose from about $3.7 million in the first half to more than $5.6 million in the second half.
Third: Distribution startups financing by country for 2021
The Emirati startups continued to dominate the scene in terms of startup financing, as Emirati companies accounted for about 52% of the total investments received by emerging companies during 2021, followed by the Saudi startups, which came in second place with 24% of the total investments, then Egypt with 15%, and in fourth place, came Jordan with 4% of the total investments. Despite the continued dominance of the UAE in the forefront, and then Saudi Arabia and Egypt, in terms of investments in startups in the Arab region, this year witnessed the entry of new countries to the list, which was limited to 7 to 9 countries at best in the past. The list expanded to include 15 Arab countries , the most recent of which was Sudan, which ranked last on the list. In terms of absolute figures, new regions showed remarkable growth, specifically the Maghreb region, the Levant countries, specifically Jordan and Palestine, in addition to Iraq, which is witnessing a growth in the volume and number of deals for startups.
Fourth: Distribution of the number of startup deals by country 2021
In contrast to the distribution of the volume of investments by countries, which shows a strong concentration on the UAE, the distribution of the number of startup deals shows less concentration on the UAE, which despite issuing the largest number of startup financing deals, about 72% of the deals are distributed to emerging companies from outside the UAE, most notably Egypt, which came in the second place with 25% followed by Saudi Arabia with 24%, then Jordan with 7%, Morocco with 4%, and Tunisia and Bahrain with 3% each.
Fifth: The annual average of the volume of deals for startups by countries for the year 2021
The size and number of startups deals is reflected in the average size of a single deal, and while it is a good indicator of the development of investments in startups, it must take into account the anomaly value that may mislead the reader, as we can see from the graph that the highest rate of average one deal size is for Algerian startups at $15 million per deal. However, this number hides the significant decrease in the number of deals for startups in Algeria, which was limited to only two deals! While the average size of one deal in the UAE can be considered more reflective of the development and growth of the volume of investment in emerging companies, in which the size of one deal amounted to more than 8.8 million dollars. The same applies to the case of Saudi startups, whose average transaction size is about $4.8 million.
Sixth: Distribution of startup investments by sector for 2021
2021 was a distinguished year in terms of distributing the investments of emerging companies by sector. The food technology sector appeared for the first time to top the list of investments distribution, with 26% of the total investments, followed by the financial technology sector with 21%, a sector that has witnessed steady growth since the year 2019, while the e-commerce sector ranked third with 16%, this sector is experiencing a relative decline, as we have indicated on more than one occasion. The decline of the e-commerce sector is due to the state of saturation that the main Arab markets have reached, although this does not mean that this sector has completely disappeared. E-commerce in the Arab region still needs more expansion and development, but competition in this sector has become more difficult with the rise of many companies that occupied large sectors of the market, and finally the entry of the e-commerce giant Amazon to the most important Arab markets (Saudi Arabia and the UAE) and last year it entered the Egyptian market.
Seventh: Distribution of the number of startup deals by sector for 2021
In contrast to the distribution of the volume of deals of emerging companies that focus on food technology, the distribution of the number of deals for emerging companies was less concentrated among the main sectors on the one hand, and on the other hand, the large number of sectors in which startups succeeded in obtaining financing rounds are, most notably the agricultural technology sector, artificial intelligence, environmentally friendly technology, and other sectors. This distribution indicates the existence of promising opportunities for emerging companies that are active in areas far from the main sectors that have always reaped the largest share of funding, and perhaps the most evidence of this is the decline of the e-commerce sector in favor of the financial technology sector in the past two years, and the displacement of the food technology sector by the technology sector, which took the lead in 2021. So it will not be surprising that companies operating in different sectors are competing for funding this year.
Eighth: Investment stages for start-up companies during 2021
Investment deals in start-up companies in 2021 focused on the initial funding stage (1), with more than 32%, and in the pre-incorporation stage by about 15%, an increase of 2% over the first half of the same year, while the stage of “accelerated growth companies” came in the third place with 15%, and fourthly, financing of category “A” with approximately 9%, while the pre-financing stage of category “A” (2) accounted for about 7%.
Ninth: Distribution of investments by startup companies for 2021 by gender
The share of funding received by startups founded by females is still small compared to the companies founded by males, as the share of funding received by companies founded by females to the total funded startups did not exceed 1.2%. The year 2021 made significant progress, as a number of distinguished financing deals for women-led companies emerged, perhaps the most important of which were the iMile and BitOasis deals, through which the two companies raised $40 million and $30 million, respectively. It is worth noting that the UAE ranked first in terms of the volume of funding and the number of deals of women-led startups, as Emirati startups received investments worth $187 million through 46 deals. Saudi Arabia ranked second, where startups founded by a team of men and women succeeded in raising about $14 million through 9 deals. Egypt came in third place, with total investments of nearly $12 million through 20 deals.
Explanatory notes:
- Initial financing or financing coming from family and friends, is one of the ways of offering securities, where some parties related to the new startup invest an amount that enables the startup to start its business and continue in the market, until it reaches the stage of being able to finance itself or being able to creating value that makes the startup attractive for investors to invest in. It should be noted that seed funding may be a form of crowdfunding.
- Series A Financing, also known as A Round Financing. It is the first round of financing offered to a startup company in which venture capitalists participate, and it comes after the seed round stage. This is usually done when outside investors are given ownership of the company for the first time. This financing is usually provided in the form of preferred shares, and may include anti-reduction provisions in case of more financing being provided, or in the form of common shares or preferred shares in the future.
Sources:
- Press releases issued by start-up companies.
- Wamda Foundation.
أبرز صفقات الشركة الناشئة في الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا في شهر ديسمبر 2021
30 Dec 2021 Written by Admin Adminجاءت حصيلة أكبر خمس صفقات تمويل للشركات الناشئة في الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا لشهر ديسمبر 2021 بأكثر من 154.5 مليون دولار وهو ما يمثل زيادة عن شهر نوفمبر تقدر بحوالي 6% قياساً بأكبر خمسة صفقات تمويل للشركات الناشئة في شهر نوفمبر، كما شهد شهر ديسمبر عودة قوية لقطاع التجارة الإلكترونية تمثلت بصفقة تمويلية بقيمة 75 مليون دولار! سنتعرف فيما يأتي على الشركات الناشئة التي حصلت على الصفقات الأكبر في شهر ديسمبر.
أولاً: ساري
القطاع: التجارة الإلكترونية
البلد: المملكة العربية السعودية
التأسيس: 2018
المؤسسين: محمد الدوسري وخالد السياري
نجحت شركة ساري السعودية المتخصصة في التجارة الإلكترونية بين الشركات في المملكة العربية السعودية بجمع 75 مليون دولار (حوالي 281 مليون ريال سعودي) في جولة من الفئة C بقيادة سنابل للاستثمار، وبمشاركة من شركة وفرة للاستثمار الدولي وإنديفور كاتاليست إلى جانب عدد من المستثمرين الحاليين في ساري وهم STV وMSA Capial وRocketship.vc وVentureSouq ورائد فنتشرز. علماً أن هذه الجولة التمويلية الثانية لساري خلال عام 2021 حيث سبق أن جمعت نحو 30.5 مليون دولار. ستسخدم ساري جولة التمويل الجديدة للاستثمار في تطوير المنتجات والتوسع الجغرافي.
ثانيا: أوبونشيا
القطاع: التجارة الإلكترونية
البلد: الإمارات العربية المتحدة
التأسيس: مارس 2021
المؤسسين: Philip Johnston وManfred Meyer
جمعت شركة أوبونشيا مبلغ 42 مليون دولار من حقوق الملكية والديون في جولة من السلسلة الأولى بقيادة STV. انطلقت أوبونشيا، في مارس 2021 بعد جمع 20 مليون دولار من جولة البذور من Founders Capital، وPresight Capital، وRaed Ventures، وKingsway Capital، بمشاركة العديد من المستثمرين الملائكيين. تتطلع أوبونشيا إلى تسريع نمو العلامات التجارية للتجارة الإلكترونية وتمكينها من التوسع السريع والمغامرة في الأسواق العالمية. تنشط أوبونشيا حالياً في الإمارات والسعودية وبولندا وتركيا وستعمل بفضل التمويل الجديد على توسيع اعمالها في أسواق مصر ونيجيريا وباكستان.
ثالثاً: Calo
القطاع: تكنولوجيا الطعام
البلد: البحرين
التأسيس: 2019
المؤسسين: أحمد الراوي ومؤيد المؤيد
نجحت شركة Calo في جولة تمويلية مبدئية مبلغ قدره 13.5 مليون دولار، التي شارك في قيادتها كل من خوارزمي فينتشرز، ونوى كابيتال، وSTV بمشاركة من مجموعة الفيصلية، وVision Ventures، و500 Startups، وSavor Ventures، و Nama Ventures فضلا عن المستثمرين الملائكيين الآخرين.
تهدف Calo إلى استخدام التمويل لزيادة الاستثمار في تقنيتها، وتعزيز مكانتها في كل من البحرين والمملكة العربية السعودية حيث تعمل حالياً وتتوسع في مناطق جغرافية جديدة.
رابعاً: GrubTech
القطاع: التكنولوجيا الغذائية
البلد: الإمارات العربية المتحدة
المؤسسين: حمد الفايد وعمر الرفاعي ومحمد حميدي
جمعت شركة GrubTech الناشئة في مجال التكنولوجيا الغذائية، ومقرها الإمارات العربية المتحدة، استثمارًا بقيمة 13 مليون دولار من الفئة A بقيادة Addition، جنبًا إلى جنب مع BY Ventures وHambro Perks Oryx Fund. تعد جولة GrubTech من أكبر الجولات التمويلية للشركات الناشئة في مجال التكنولوجيا الغذائية.
خامساً: طماطم
القطاع: برمجيات الألعاب
البلد: الأردن
التأسيس: 2013
المؤسس: حسام حمو
نجحت شركة الألعاب الأردنية "طماطم" في جمع 11 مليون دولار في جولة تمويلية من السلسلة "ب" بقيادة شركة تطوير الألعاب KRAFTON Inc، وبمشاركة من Venture Souq وEndeavor Catalyst و بمساهمة من مستثمري الشركة الحاليين مثل Wamda Capital و500 Startups.
استطاعت طماطم تحقيق نجاحات سريعة منذ انطلاقها في عام 2013 بسبب قدرة العابها على محاكاة لأذواق جمهورها المستهدف في دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، وتقدر القيمة السوقية لشركة طماطم اليوم بأكثر من 80 مليون دولار. تخطط طماطم في الوقت الحالي لاستخدام أموال جولة التمويل الأخيرة في تعزيز جهودها في جلب العديد من الألعاب الشعبية إلى السوق الناطق باللغة العربية. كما ستعمل على توظيف مواهب سعودية في هذا المجال لغرض التوسع أكثر في السوق السعودية الذي يشكل نحو 70% من مستخدمي تطبيقها.
كما كان متوقعاً نجحت الشركات الناشئة في الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا في جمع تمويل كبير خلال شهر نوفمبر وصل إلى 284 مليون دولار بنمو وصل إلى نحو 89% مقارنةً بشهر أكتوبر وبزيادة تصل إلى 666% مقارنةً بنوفمبر من العام الماضي. يأتي هذا الارتفاع في حجم تمويل الشركات الناشئة في المنطقة بعد انخفاض ملحوظ في شهر أكتوبر حيث لم يتجاوز حجم تمويل الشركات الناشئة حدود الـ150 مليون دولار. نستعرض فيما يأتي حالة الشركات الناشئة في الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا خلال شهر نوفمبر 2021 من حيث عدد الصفقات وحجمها ومراحل الاستثمار وتوزعها قطاعياً وجغرافياً.
التوزع الجغرافي لعدد وحجم صفقات الشركات الناشئة
تظهر المنافسة بين الشركات الناشئة في المنطقة العربية على اشدها في شهر نوفمبر، فرغم تصدر الإمارات الاعتيادي لقائمة أكثر الشركات التي حصلت على تمويل بعد أن نجحت في جمع ما قيمته 114 مليون دولار إلا أن المراكز اللاحقة ظهر فيها اختلاف كبير، حيث احتلت الشركات الناشئة الأردنية للمرة الأولى المركز الثاني بعد أن نجحت في جمع نحو 46 مليون دولار خلال شهر نوفمبر، فيما حلت مصر ثالثاً بحوالي 44 مليون دولار تليها السعودية بـ35 مليون دولار ومن ثم الجزائر التي جمعت فيها تطبيق ياسر متعدد الخدمات نحو 30 مليون دولار وهو أكبر مبلغ تحصل عليه شركة ناشئة جزائرية خلال شهر واحد على الإطلاق.
على صعيد توزع التمويل على الشركات الناشئة جاءت الإمارات أيضاً بالمركز الأولى بعدد صفقات وصل إلى 24 صفقة تليها مصر بنفس العدد، ثم السعودية بـ12 صفقة.
رغم الحالة التنافسية- الصحية- التي باتت تؤثر على اتجاهات تمويل الشركات الناشئة في الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا خلال الفترة الماضية إلا المركز الثاني الذي احتلته الأردن جاء عبر تمويل 3 شركات ناشئة أما في حالة الجزائر التي جاءت في المركز الخامس متخلفةً عن السعودية بفارق 5 مليون دولار فقط، فكان التمويل محصوراً بشركة واحدة فقط.
التوزع القطاعي لعدد وحجم صفقات الشركات الناشئة
احتل قطاع التكنولوجيا المالية الذي ينمو باضطراد في السنوات الثلاثة السابقة المركز الأول من حيث عدد الصفقات وحجم التمويل، حيث جمعت الشركات الناشئة العاملة في هذا القطاع على أكثر من 72 مليون دولار، بنسبة نمو عن الشهر فائت تصل لنحو 100%، في المركز الثاني جاء قطاع التكنولوجيا الغذائية بتمويل وصل إلى نحو 44.8 مليون دولار، وهو قطاع أخذ بالنمو بسبب الاهتمام بهذا القطاع من قبل الحكومات والمستثمرين في المنطقة.
مراحل الاستثمار في الشركات الناشئة
بخلاف الأشهر السابقة من هذا العام تركزت صفقات التمويل من حيث مراحل الاستثمار في شهر نوفمبر في صفقات التمويل شركات مسرعة للنمو بواقع 22 صفقة، فيما جاءت مرحلة التمويل الأولي في المركز الثاني بـ15 صفقة يليها صفقات تمويل في مرحلة ما قبل التأسيس بـ14 صفقة.
التوزع الجندري
للشهر الثاني على التوالي يظهر التوزع الجندري ميلاً نحو المزيد من التمويل للشركات الناشئة المؤسسة أو التي تدار من قبل إناث حيث حصلت هذه الشركات في شهر نوفمبر على تمويل يقدر بنحو 14 مليون دولار، بنسبة 5.1% من إجمالي التمويل لشهر نوفمبر، وهو أعلى رقم تحصل عليها الشركات المؤسسة من قبل الإناث لهذا العام، فيما حصلت الشركات الناشئة المؤسسة من فرق مختلة على 54 مليون دولار، بنسبة 18.5% من إجمالي التمويل.
أن المنطقة المغاربية ما زالت بعيدة إلى حد كبير عن تصدر قوائم التمويل للشركات الناشئة في المنطقة لضعف البيئة الاستثمارية الحاضنة للشركات الناشئة من جهة وغياب المبادرات الحكومية التي من شأنها أن تعزز من حركة ونمو الشركات الناشئة في المنطقة.
Innovative Switzerland at Expo 2020 Dubai - unique duality of tradition and innovation
12 Dec 2021 Written by Admin SAEVisiting the Swiss Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is a unique experience for the senses. As soon as you arrive, you’re welcomed by a large carpet spread about before a beautiful tall structure with a modern reflective façade. In a true embodiment of its name ‘Reflections’, the pavilion is designed to combine Swiss tradition with innovation. Dressed in vibrant red, in unison with Switzerland’ flag, it’s a celebration of everything Swiss. A luxury clock made in Switzerland welcomes you as you enter indoors and by the end of your tour you can take a break at the roof top bar and indulge in decadent Swiss chocolate.
For the more adventurous types, one of the rooms inside provides for a unique immersive experience – a drastic change from the 30+ degrees outside, you’ll have an opportunity to “hike” in the mountains through a sea of fog. You are instantly transported into the Swiss Alps over 4,000 meters above the ground. “It's very much appreciated,” says H.E. Massimo Baggi, the Ambassador of Switzerland to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, in a virtual interview with the Founder of Swiss Arab Entrepreneurs, Ayman Abualkhair.
Switzerland is among the 192 participating nations in Expo 2020 and the very first to confirm its participation in the first world exhibition to be hosted by an Arab and Muslim country. It has a special role in the UAE’s first event of this scale, as the Chair of the Steering Committee of all participating countries, His Excellency tells us, reiterating his commitment to contribute to its success over the next four months. The construction of the entire Expo, sprawling over 1,080 acres of land, took almost 7 years to complete since the UAE was awarded the project back in November 2013.
“We have an institutional partnership with the government with whom we work closely in collaboration with the private sector too. Thanks to this public-private partnership we participate in the activities of most of the 11 thematic weeks at the Expo through panel discussions and content contributions,” Baggi says. These ranges from environmental related issues, such as climate and biodiversity, to wellbeing, space, urban and rural development, tolerance and inclusivity, travel and many more. “We also want to be attractive to the general public,” he adds.
Trade relations between the United Arab Emirates and Switzerland date back half a century when the late Sheikh Zayed, father of the UAE nation, was traveling to Switzerland in the 1970s. Today trade between the two nations has grown dramatically and is roughly estimated at almost CHF 20 billion. Switzerland is one of the few countries in the world which enjoys a free trade agreement with the UAE.
“The relationship now encompasses almost all sectors of our daily life,” says Baggi. “I'm very proud that Switzerland ranks among the top 10 foreign investors in the UAE,” he adds.
Goods that Switzerland exports into the UAE range from luxury products, including jewellery and watches, to pharmaceuticals and technology. Swiss producers have a long history of investing into the country too, with some of the main sectors being engineering, high precision technology manufacturing, and food and beverages. The top investors in the country currently include the multinational corporation ABB and food and drink processing giant Nestlé.
“We have more than CHF 10 billion worth of investments here. Swiss companies employ more than 10,000 people in the UAE,” says Baggi.
He adds: “Everything related to innovation, technology, and digitalization is very well received here. We also see a growing interest in agriculture. The UAE depends very much on importing their goods from abroad and food security is becoming an issue, so I see possibilities in this sector for sure,” he adds.
A shift in the UAE’s focus from relying on expat expertise to fostering and developing in-country talent will help support the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country, believes Baggi. “What I see here in the UAE is investment in education at all possible levels. And I think that this is an excellent way to promote entrepreneurship. The infrastructure is already there, which we know is very important for entrepreneurship.”
Education is an important area of cooperation between the two countries, as Baggi explains.
“We speak with the authorities here about education, about the infrastructure that is required to perform globally, about the quality of living that we have in Switzerland, and the regulatory framework, which has to be favourable to business.
“In a visit from the Minister of Education of the UAE to Switzerland, we discussed apprenticeships in addition to education in general, particularly tertiary education, which involves cooperation between universities. If interest from the UAE side is confirmed, then we can offer a lot from Switzerland.”
In the entrepreneurial space, another area of cooperation for the two countries is FinTech, a growing sector globally which is expected to reach market value of $324 billion by 20211.
“Two years ago, when Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer, President of the Confederation and Head of the Federal Department of Finance, was visiting UAE, FinTech among our youngsters was one of the focus areas of discussion. There are also private institutions and universities involved in this space. I recently received a university from Switzerland willing to do exactly this kind of promotion.
“We also have a Swiss Business Hub at the Consulate General in Dubai, and this is exactly the type of structure that we can use to promote SMEs coming from Switzerland.”
“We focus very much on Swiss SMEs because they can be very innovative and that's exactly what the UAE needs and what we can offer.”
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There is still time to head to the Swiss Pavilion at the Dubai Expo, running from 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022. To learn more, visit: swisspavilion.org
Riyadh-based fintech Lamaa has secured a $5.5 million Seed round led by Raed Ventures and Saudi Aramco’s entrepreneurship arm, Wa’ed.
Founded in 2021 by Sumeet Khutal, Lamaa provides financing solutions such as Supply Chain Finance & B2B buy now pay later for SMEs with the aim to create more efficient working capital management for suppliers.
The newly acquired funding we enable Lamaa to start offering B2B BNPL and expand its services into Egypt, UAE and Qatar.
Press release:
Lamaa, a Riyadh-based fintech startup that provides invoice financing solutions for SMEs, has announced one of the largest seed rounds in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The $5.5 million seed round of Lamaa is being led by Raed Ventures and Saudi Aramco’s entrepreneurship arm Wa’ed.
Lamaa provides financing solutions such as Supply Chain Finance & B2B Buy Now Pay Later for SMEs with the aim to create more efficient working capital management for suppliers and maximise return on the treasury for corporate, in line with Vision 2030 to enable and digitalise SMEs and raise their contribution to 35 per cent of GDP by 2030.
“Since our initial launch in March 2021, Lamaa has gathered significant traction with over 100 corporate clients in the pipeline and a projection of over $1 billion dollars worth of invoices to be soon launched in Lamaa’s marketplace,” Sumeet Khutale, founder and CEO of Lamaa said.
“In addition to supply chain finance, we will soon start offering B2B Buy Now Pay Later which would be the first of its kind offering in the region. We also plan to expand in Egypt, UAE and Qatar in the next few months.”
Established in early 2021 by Sumeet Khutale, who has recently relocated from London to Riyadh and who has extensive experience in Investment Banking Technology and Cloud banking with Global consulting companies such as Barclays Capital and JP Morgan, Lamaa seeks to address available funding gaps for SMEs whose size presents a challenge in obtaining credit risk ratings, having a direct impact on their cashflow.
"What excites us about Lamaa is that it’s a great platform to empower SMEs in Saudi Arabia, and it's managed by a well-experienced team led by Sumeet," founding partner at Raed Ventures Omar Almajdouie stated.
"For Lamaa, creating tremendous value from already-available cash will generate a win-win scenario in almost every transaction."
Lamaa’s market potential in MENA is huge; the region’s GDP is $3 trillion, 30 per cent of which at least is attributed to SMEs. In parallel, 22 per cent of Saudi’s current GDP ($700 billion) comes from SMEs.
source: wamda
UAE-based cryptocurrency exchange BitOasis has raised $30 million in a Series B round co-led by Wamda and US-based VC Jump Capital.
The fundraising round also includes new investors, such as Alameda Research and Global Founders Capital, with existing investors such as Pantera Capital, Digital Currency Group, and NXMH.
Founded in 2015, BitOasis is the Middle East region’s first and largest crypto asset exchange. The fintech recently acquired regulatory approvals from the Abu Dhabi General Market (ADGM) and has partnered with both UAE and Dubai Police to help combat crypt fraud.
Co-founder and CEO Ola Doudin said: “This new capital is going to equip us with the resources we need to expand our regional presence while ensuring high standards of regulatory compliance. We work proactively with regulators across the region and will acquire licenses where available.”
Press release:
UAE-based cryptocurrency exchange BitOasis has raised $30 million in a Series B round co-led by Wamda, the Middle East region’s leading startup ecosystem enabler, and US-based VC Jump Capital.
The fundraising round also includes new investors, such as Alameda Research and Global Founders Capital, with existing investors such as Pantera Capital, Digital Currency Group, and NXMH and is set to propel BitOasis on to an accelerated growth trajectory.
Ola Doudin, CEO & co-founder of BitOasis said: “Our aim is to build the largest and most trusted cryptocurrency platform in the region, and our latest investment round serves as a vote of confidence in the BitOasis growth story. It further speaks to the state of interest in the Mena region’s growing crypto ecosystem, with global investors and venture capital heavyweights backing the region’s home-grown businesses.”
“This new capital is going to equip us with the resources we need to expand our regional presence while ensuring high standards of regulatory compliance. We work proactively with regulators across the region and will acquire licenses where available.”
Fares Ghandour, Partner at Wamda added: “BitOasis is testament to the fact that you need passionate founders, a solid team, and a culture of unity to build a resilient and world-class business, and that’s exactly what this company is. Wamda is as proud as ever to back the region’s leading and most credible exchange since their inception.”
Peter Johnson, Partner at Jump Capital, said: “We are thrilled to be backing BitOasis as they continue to scale the leading crypto platform in the Middle East. The company perfectly embodies the elements we seek when investing in international crypto exchanges – an exceptional team that deeply understands the market, a focus on regulatory compliance, and an ability to build a leading consumer brand.”
With geographic expansion plans already on the cards for BitOasis, Ola also touched upon BitOasis’s growth plans for its existing markets. She commented: “In line with our ambitious growth strategy, we will also be working towards solidifying our presence and refining our product offering in the countries we already operate in. Our team is also working on building strategic partnerships with the public sector to raise the level of awareness around crypto safety in the region. We look forward to sharing more details of our upcoming initiatives very soon.”
Wamda has participated in BitOasis' three previous investment rounds, marking our continued support and strong belief in the future of both BitOasis and the crypto space.
source: Wamda
