Wamda

Lebanon

Lebanon’s Circular 331: The birth of an industry

In August 2014, Banque du Liban (the Central Bank of Lebanon, abbreviated as BDL) issued Circular 331 with the aim of injecting 400 million...

BDL Circular 331 bookwitt

Regional

Alabbar acquires large stake in MEVP

Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP) announced May 18 that Mohamed Alabbar, acquired a large stake in the company to create one of...

Alabbar emaar properties MEVP

Lebanon

What I know about bad investments: Walid Mansour [Know your VC]

In a debate in 2016 Walid Mansour was keen to shed the image of VCs as “cigar smoking fat cats”. “We have investors...

MEVP Know your VC What I Know

Lebanon

Smart scaling: how these MENA companies got it right

The Middle East and North Africa is one of the most difficult parts of the world to grow a business, but it’s even harder to scale...

Scaling lebanon MarkaVIP

Turkey

Turkish ride sharing app Volt raises over $500K

Turkish ride sharing service Volt has raised $550,000 from Lebanon-based investor Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), with participation...

ride sharing volt MEVP

U.A.E

Has Falafel Games raised the largest round for a gaming startup in MENA?

Falafel Games, one of the first gaming studios to emerge in the Middle East, just closed a round of $2.6 million. The funding round was...

falafel games MEVP Investment

Lebanon

Smart money is good money [Opinion]

Recently I was involved in a debate: startups versus venture capital. One particular moment...

MEVP money smart money

Lebanon

Lebanon’s Pinpay, ready for the big time

In 2013 mobile bill payment platform Pinpay had to make a decision: shut up shop or start again from scratch. They went with the latter....

Lebanon Central Bank Regulations Bankmed

Lebanon

Fransabank to invest $2.5M investment in Lebanon’s Pinpay

Lebanon’s leading fintech startup, Pinpay, is to receive a $2.5 million investment from Fransabank. The mobile payment and...

Bankmed Bank Audi Fransabank

Lebanon

Circular 331: where has Lebanon's money gone?

It is said that innovation is an entrepreneur’s best friend. But in Lebanon a strong second contender has to be the central...

Lebanon for Entrepreneurs Berytech Fund Startup Megaphone

U.A.E

Term sheets at dawn, Step Conference 2016

Joy Ajlouny and fellow startup cofounders Loulou Khazen Baz and Mudassir Sheikha get stuck into the debate. (Image via...

AnchorFree Frontier Partners Eventbox

Regional

Why we invest in online marketplaces [Opinion]

Driven by mobile penetration rates and user growth, online marketplaces present tantalizing oportunities for investors. (Image via...

Wajdi Ghoussoub Middle East Venture Partners volt

Lebanon

Scriptr announces $4M Series A

Rabih Nassar during an interview with Wamda. (Image via Wamda) scriptr.io, the cloud platform for internet of things (IoT) solutions,...

Berytech Fund Scriptr.io announcement

Lebanon

How Lebanon and its diaspora can mutually benefit in the startup ecosystem [Opinion]

Editor's note: this is the first of two articles on diaspora engagement. Connecting a diaspora and its home country can’t be a one-way r...

Startup Megaphone Elie Nasr Foo

Regional

MEVP closes second round on fund at $32M

[Editor's note: This article has been updated to include further investments announced in December 2015] Announcing Wednesday the...

VC Venture Capital MEVP

Lebanon

Marketplace Edition pulls in the entrepreneurs for Mix N’ Mentor Beirut

Getting to know you. Mix N' Mentor Beirut kicks off. (Images Wamda with Sam Fakhoury) Not too far from the location of recent...

ElementN Diwanee term sheets

Lebanon

What I know about Circular 331: Marianne Hoayek

Marianne Hoayek at BDL Accelerate in November 2014. (Image via BDL) Lebanon’s Central Bank first announced that it would be taking special ...

Le Wagon UK Lebanon Tech Hub Leap Ventures

Regional

MEVP announces first round of $30M MEVF II fund

Yesterday, Middle East Venture Partners announced the first round of investments as part of its $30 million Middle East Venture Fund II....

yougotagift The Luxury Closet AlTibbi

U.A.E

Dubai’s The Luxury Closet secures $2.2m in VC funds

Dubai’s The Luxury Closet, an online platform buys and sells pre-owned luxury goods on consignment, has secured $2.2 million USD of its S...

Kunal Kapoor The Luxury Closet investement

Lebanon

Lebanese startups gain access to more money and support than ever #ArabNetBeirut

The Circular 331 panel. A Lebanon-based $71 million fund focusing on the Middle East and North Africa; plans for a Beirut chapter...

Kuwait National Fund iSME Leap Ventures

Jordan

Saudi INET invests 'millions' in Jordan's Gate2Play

Jordanian based payment service provider, Gate2Play, announced yesterday a strategic partnership and investment by Saudi virtual...

INET Integrated Networks hyperpay

Regional

4 big MENA VC funds announced in 2014

2014 was a very good year when it came to new funds entering the tech scene in the Arab region. Rather than just seed and early stage, we...

Wamda Fund Badia Impact fund capital

Lebanon

MEVP’s IMPACT Fund announces $12.5M investment in 5 Lebanese tech startups

Managing Partner Walid Hanna announcing the investments The Middle East Venture Partners fund (MEVP), one of Lebanon’s larger Venture C...

impact fund Banque du Liban MEVP

Middle East Venture Partners invests $1.9 million in three scaling companies

With a history of investing in tech and e-commerce ventures, Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP) is now diversifying a...

Venture Capital MEVP Scaling

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