Company Insights Flat6Labs Banking & Finance Flat6Labs Overview Headquartered in Cairo, Flat6Labs claims to be the Mena region’s leading seed and early stage venture capital firm, currently running its most renowned startup programs. Flat6Labs invests in more than 100 startups a year. It manages a number of seed funds with total assets under management in excess of $85 million. More than 25 leading institutions have invested in Flat6Labs’ managed funds. Among these are: International Finance Corporation, twofour54, Tamkeen, Disruptad, Jada, Saudi VC Company, Riyadh Valley Co, Vault Investments, MSME, First National Bank Lebanon and Bank al Etihad. Flat6Labs provides a wide range of investment ticket sizes, starting from $50,000 supporting startups through their early journeys from Pre-Seed all the way to Pre-Series A stages. Flat6Labs also provides a range of supports to founders and entrepreneurs, tapping into its expansive network of mentors, investors and corporates. Among the successful startups to emerge from Flat6Labs was Egyptian matchmaking app Harmonica, which was established in 2017. In 2019 it was acquired by Tinder dating app owner Match Group. Flat6Labs News Analysis Banking & Finance Funding increase to support Palestinian startups Funding levels are being ramped up to support Palestinian startups in the war-torn territory and across the wider Middle East and North Africa. Just $8.8 million has been invested in Palestinian startups – marked as Ramallah, West Bank or Gaza-based – in 18 deals on record from 2022 to the present day, according to Racha […] November 14, 2024 Analysis Entrepreneurs Gulf investors show renewed appetite for Egypt’s startups Venture capital companies are reporting renewed interest in Egyptian startups after a difficult few years for the country’s tech entrepreneurs. Emirati and Saudi investors are leading the return, say VC experts, after record-high inflation and a prolonged foreign exchange crisis dented deal-making. Since the Egyptian authorities floated the pound in March and the economy has […] July 31, 2024 Analysis Markets Rise in startup exits a sign of UAE’s ‘market maturity’ Startup exits – when a new company sells its ownership or stock, for profit or at a loss – are rising sharply in the Gulf, which observers say is proof of a maturing ecosystem. Across the Middle East and North Africa, 43 startup exits were recorded in 2023, up from 15 in 2015, according to […] June 20, 2024 Banking & Finance RAKBank reveals 10% attrition rate for SMEs Ras Al Khaimah’s RAKBank has revealed a 10 percent annual churn rate of startups funded in the UAE – an amount it says is well below the global average. The lender has almost 50,000 small and medium-sized enterprises on its books and last year handed out AED2.5 billion ($680 million) worth of loans to more than […] April 1, 2024 Banking & Finance VC firm Shorooq focuses on AI, biotech and gaming Venture capital company Shorooq Partners will target companies specialising in sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotech and gaming, a senior executive told AGBI. Shorooq is based in Abu Dhabi and manages about $350 million in assets and invests in startups in the Middle East and North Africa and beyond. It is focused on on fintech […] February 20, 2024 Banking & Finance Banks and VCs pour cash into Saudi small businesses Funding for small companies in Saudi Arabia from banks, financial institutions and venture capitalists rose sharply in 2023, bucking regional and global trends. Figures released in December by Sama, the kingdom’s central bank, show that the total value of loans to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) rose 17.8 percent year on year to SAR268.6 […] January 9, 2024 Finance Mena startup funding bounces back in November Startup funding rose sharply in November, reflecting regional and global investors’ renewed confidence in the Middle East and North Africa. Investment totalled $764 million from 42 deals, according to Dubai-based venture capital company Wamda. It was the highest monthly figure in 2023, an increase of 390 percent from October’s figure and a year-on-year rise of […] December 14, 2023 Opinion Banking & Finance Mena climate tech offers opportunities for investors There are innovative ways to produce energy and improve lives without accelerating the climate crisis November 3, 2023 Finance Dubai SMEs turn to banks as VC funding declines Small businesses in Dubai are turning to traditional banks for financing as the global slowdown in venture capital funding continues. Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank by assets, reported that it funded 34 percent more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the opening seven months of 2023 compared to the same period last year. Lucy Chow, […] September 18, 2023 Entrepreneurs Egypt’s currency slump deters startup investors Egypt’s economic woes have led to a 70 percent decline in the number of startup funding deals in the first half of the year. The country’s currency devaluation and other ongoing economic challenges are deterring investors, industry experts said. Funding for startups across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) fell 21 percent year-on-year to […] July 11, 2023 Posts navigation 1 2 3 Next
Analysis Banking & Finance Funding increase to support Palestinian startups Funding levels are being ramped up to support Palestinian startups in the war-torn territory and across the wider Middle East and North Africa. Just $8.8 million has been invested in Palestinian startups – marked as Ramallah, West Bank or Gaza-based – in 18 deals on record from 2022 to the present day, according to Racha […] November 14, 2024
Analysis Entrepreneurs Gulf investors show renewed appetite for Egypt’s startups Venture capital companies are reporting renewed interest in Egyptian startups after a difficult few years for the country’s tech entrepreneurs. Emirati and Saudi investors are leading the return, say VC experts, after record-high inflation and a prolonged foreign exchange crisis dented deal-making. Since the Egyptian authorities floated the pound in March and the economy has […] July 31, 2024
Analysis Markets Rise in startup exits a sign of UAE’s ‘market maturity’ Startup exits – when a new company sells its ownership or stock, for profit or at a loss – are rising sharply in the Gulf, which observers say is proof of a maturing ecosystem. Across the Middle East and North Africa, 43 startup exits were recorded in 2023, up from 15 in 2015, according to […] June 20, 2024
Banking & Finance RAKBank reveals 10% attrition rate for SMEs Ras Al Khaimah’s RAKBank has revealed a 10 percent annual churn rate of startups funded in the UAE – an amount it says is well below the global average. The lender has almost 50,000 small and medium-sized enterprises on its books and last year handed out AED2.5 billion ($680 million) worth of loans to more than […] April 1, 2024
Banking & Finance VC firm Shorooq focuses on AI, biotech and gaming Venture capital company Shorooq Partners will target companies specialising in sectors such as artificial intelligence, biotech and gaming, a senior executive told AGBI. Shorooq is based in Abu Dhabi and manages about $350 million in assets and invests in startups in the Middle East and North Africa and beyond. It is focused on on fintech […] February 20, 2024
Banking & Finance Banks and VCs pour cash into Saudi small businesses Funding for small companies in Saudi Arabia from banks, financial institutions and venture capitalists rose sharply in 2023, bucking regional and global trends. Figures released in December by Sama, the kingdom’s central bank, show that the total value of loans to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) rose 17.8 percent year on year to SAR268.6 […] January 9, 2024
Finance Mena startup funding bounces back in November Startup funding rose sharply in November, reflecting regional and global investors’ renewed confidence in the Middle East and North Africa. Investment totalled $764 million from 42 deals, according to Dubai-based venture capital company Wamda. It was the highest monthly figure in 2023, an increase of 390 percent from October’s figure and a year-on-year rise of […] December 14, 2023
Opinion Banking & Finance Mena climate tech offers opportunities for investors There are innovative ways to produce energy and improve lives without accelerating the climate crisis November 3, 2023
Finance Dubai SMEs turn to banks as VC funding declines Small businesses in Dubai are turning to traditional banks for financing as the global slowdown in venture capital funding continues. Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank by assets, reported that it funded 34 percent more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the opening seven months of 2023 compared to the same period last year. Lucy Chow, […] September 18, 2023
Entrepreneurs Egypt’s currency slump deters startup investors Egypt’s economic woes have led to a 70 percent decline in the number of startup funding deals in the first half of the year. The country’s currency devaluation and other ongoing economic challenges are deterring investors, industry experts said. Funding for startups across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) fell 21 percent year-on-year to […] July 11, 2023
