Number of funding deals for start-ups in MENA 2015-2020
A total of 251 funding deals for startups were closed in the Middle East and North Africa in the first half of 2020. This number had steadily increased over the past couple of years.
Investors
75 percent of Middle East and North African startups received funding from regional investors. Only a quarter of MENA startups received funding from international investors. In contrast to the neighboring startup hub Israel, where more than half of the investment into startups was done by foreign investors.
Exit deals
The exit strategies for startups mean that after the initial funding and development startup, the owners can either sell the startup to an investor (acquisition); go for an initial public offering (IPO); enter into a merger and acquisition deal; or continue operating without giving up ownership. As of 2019 there were 27 exit deals for startups in the Middle East and North Africa. By comparison, Israel, one of the world’s leading start-up hubs, recorded 138 exit deals for startups in the first half of 2019 alone.
Investors
75 percent of Middle East and North African startups received funding from regional investors. Only a quarter of MENA startups received funding from international investors. In contrast to the neighboring startup hub Israel, where more than half of the investment into startups was done by foreign investors.
Exit deals
The exit strategies for startups mean that after the initial funding and development startup, the owners can either sell the startup to an investor (acquisition); go for an initial public offering (IPO); enter into a merger and acquisition deal; or continue operating without giving up ownership. As of 2019 there were 27 exit deals for startups in the Middle East and North Africa. By comparison, Israel, one of the world’s leading start-up hubs, recorded 138 exit deals for startups in the first half of 2019 alone.
