The 2022 UAE Venture Report is one of MAGNiTT's flagship reports that provides a yearly update on the venture capital and startup ecosystems in UAE.
In 2021, we saw record amounts of capital deployed across all the geographies in the MENA region. The UAE, too, reach record-high level of capital deployed, growing by 93% compared to 2020. The number of VC transactions in the country recovered from a slight drop in deals in 2020 to surpass the previous record high achieved in 2019.
In other signs of maturity, the UAE saw greater investor participation than ever before, with 54% more investors backing local startups year-over-year in 2021. Not just that, the UAE also noted a higher proportion and absolute number of investors coming from outside of the MENA region in 2021.
Fintech was the leading industry in the country in 2021, as 23% of all deals closed were by startups from within the industry. Driven by the $415M Kitopi deal, Food & Beverage claimed 40% of all capital deployed into the country in the year.
Key Highlights - UAE 2022 Venture Investment Report
- UAE-based startups accounted for 26% of all transactions closed across the MENA region and 45% of capital deployed across MENA in 2021
- The median deal size across all funding stages climbed to an all-time-high in the UAE in 2021
- The number of investors that financed UAE-based startups in 2021 grew by 54% when compared to 2020
- Together, Fintech and E-commerce accounted for 36% of all transactions registered in the UAE in 2021
- Eleven exits were announced in the UAE in 2021
What’s In The Report?
This yearly report provides a comprehensive overview and a deep dive into the United Emirates' venture capital and funding investment space and includes the following:
• A 5-year analysis of UAE venture funding evolution, with a focus on 2021 country and industry performance benchmarks
• Top 20 investor ranking, together with the business type and HQ analysis of all investment firms in the region
• Top 20 startup funding rounds that were closed during the analyzed period, as well as the ticket size split of the entire deal flow
• A 5-year UAE exit evolution with country breakdown
• Top 10 last exits for UAE-based startups
Who will benefit from the report?
The UAE Venture Investment Report is ideal for investors tracking startup activity, consultants looking to identify technology innovation trends, as well as government entities searching for investments.
This report was created with data from MAGNiTT, a comprehensive directory of technology innovation trends. The platform provides the following analytics tools:
• Investment directories, a comprehensive list of all startup venture funding across the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, and Turkey
• Market Sizing Tools to visualize investment growth and trends across industries, geographies, and stage
• Startup Resources including a deal flow tool for applications to leading Venture Capitalists for investment
• Exit comparisons, looking at Mergers & Acquisitions from across the region
Sign-up for a demo to learn more about how our platform can help you make data-driven decisions.