Shared 06 June, 2025
The startup ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) showed renewed momentum in May 2025, raising a total of $289 million across 44 deals. This marks a 25% increase from April and a slight 2% uptick year-on-year. Debt financing made up just 9% of the overall investment volume, with most capital directed toward equity deals.
Egypt reclaimed its position as the region’s top-funded ecosystem, largely driven by Nawy’s impressive $75 million round. Beyond Nawy, seven other Egyptian startups collectively raised $50 million—activity levels not seen since July of last year.
The UAE followed in second place with $86.7 million raised across 14 deals. Saudi Arabia came close behind, attracting $69 million through 15 deals. Notably, Kuwait re-emerged on the investment map, with two startups securing a combined $6 million, placing the often-overlooked GCC member in fourth position.
Artificial intelligence drew significant attention in the Gulf last month, particularly following a visit by U.S. President Trump alongside leading AI executives from Silicon Valley. The trip prompted both Saudi Arabia and the UAE to unveil major initiatives aimed at boosting their local AI ecosystems.
Fintech once again proved its strength in the region, drawing $86.5 million through 14 funding rounds. Thanks to Nawy’s raise, proptech climbed to second place in terms of sectoral funding. Meanwhile, mediatech startups raised a total of $32 million from two deals, and contech startup WakeCap brought in $28 million.
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BuiltAPI GmbH, the company pioneering API-driven data infrastructure for real estate investment and asset management, has successfully closed its latest funding round backed by industry leaders including Second Century Ventures, TDS, and Propertymark. The investment marks a major milestone as BuiltAPI expands its services across Europe and the UK, following its graduation from the REACH UK Accelerator Program.
BuiltAPI tackles one of the real estate sector’s most persistent problems: fragmented, siloed data ecosystems. The company provides a robust API framework that enables seamless connectivity between legacy systems, modern SaaS tools, and intelligent automation platforms — with interoperability, governance, and cybersecurity at its core.
“We’re building the backbone of real estate data infrastructure,” said Olga Dentzel, Co-Founder of BuiltAPI. “This funding and the support of the REACH UK program are accelerating our ability to deliver secure, scalable integrations to clients across borders.”
BuiltAPI’s technology is already making an impact with major real estate institutions such as HIH Real Estate and its fund service platform INTREAL, through their digital unit INTREAL Solutions. These collaborations highlight a shared vision for practical and scalable digital transformation in real estate asset and investment management.
“The industry doesn’t need yet another tool — it needs a connective tissue,” added Ivan Nokhrin, Co-Founder of BuiltAPI. “Our mission is to empower real estate professionals to access, share, and act on their data securely and without barriers.”
Graduation from the REACH UK Accelerator — the scale-up program backed by Second Century Ventures – marks BuiltAPI’s official entry into the UK market. The program has played a key role in unlocking investors support and refining BuildAPI’s growth trajectory.
BuiltAPI GmbH, the company pioneering API-driven data infrastructure for real estate investment and asset management, has successfully closed its latest funding round backed by industry leaders including Second Century Ventures, TDS, and Propertymark. The investment marks a major milestone as BuiltAPI expands its services across Europe and the UK, following its graduation from the REACH UK Accelerator Program.
BuiltAPI tackles one of the real estate sector’s most persistent problems: fragmented, siloed data ecosystems. The company provides a robust API framework that enables seamless connectivity between legacy systems, modern SaaS tools, and intelligent automation platforms — with interoperability, governance, and cybersecurity at its core.
“We’re building the backbone of real estate data infrastructure,” said Olga Dentzel, Co-Founder of BuiltAPI. “This funding and the support of the REACH UK program are accelerating our ability to deliver secure, scalable integrations to clients across borders.”
BuiltAPI’s technology is already making an impact with major real estate institutions such as HIH Real Estate and its fund service platform INTREAL, through their digital unit INTREAL Solutions. These collaborations highlight a shared vision for practical and scalable digital transformation in real estate asset and investment management.
“The industry doesn’t need yet another tool — it needs a connective tissue,” added Ivan Nokhrin, Co-Founder of BuiltAPI. “Our mission is to empower real estate professionals to access, share, and act on their data securely and without barriers.”
Graduation from the REACH UK Accelerator — the scale-up program backed by Second Century Ventures – marks BuiltAPI’s official entry into the UK market. The program has played a key role in unlocking investors support and refining BuildAPI’s growth trajectory.
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