The UAE was the only geography in MENA’s Top 3 to observe QoQ funding growth in H1. We release our half-yearly report showcasing UAE's ecosystem highlights and funding evolution over the years, powered by Emirates Development Bank (EDB).
UAE Startup Ecosystem in H1 2022 - Key Highlights
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The UAE aggregated 47% of FY 2021 funding, despite observing a YoY deal decline
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H1'22 marked the 10th consecutive year of Mega Deals in the UAE. Removing all Mega Deals, however, would mean that 68% of FY’2021 funding was already raised by UAE-based startups over H1'22
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The UAE was the only geography in MENA’s top 3 to observe QoQ funding growth over Q2’22
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FinTech was the leading industry in H1 2022 by total funding and transactions closed
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More than 25% of all exits announced in MENA over H1 2022 were recorded by UAE-based startups
Explore our latest feature that lets you gauge the VC landscape of the UAE market in a glimpse!
What’s In The Report?
This bi-annual report provides a comprehensive overview and a deep dive into the UAE venture capital and funding investment space and includes the following:
• A 5-year analysis of UAE venture funding evolution, with a focus on H1 ‘22 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 10 startup funding rounds that were closed during the analyzed period, as well as the ticket size split of the entire deal flow
• Top 10 last exits recorded by 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
Reach out to learn more about how our platform can help you make data-driven decisions.
*This report aggregates and analyses tech startup investments across the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and Pakistan.

About the Sponsor
EDB’s mission is to support the UAE’s economic diversification by enabling large corporates and SMEs in the national priority sectors.