MENAPT's Top 10 Funding Rounds in March 2026

Executive Summary: The MENAPT (Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, and Turkey) startup ecosystem recorded $933 million in total funding across 43 rounds in March 2026. The top 10 deals accounted for 86% of the total volume ($799 million), signaling a heavy concentration of capital in late-stage AI and Fintech ventures. While the UAE secured the month's largest single ticket, Israel dominated the leaderboard by volume, claiming six of the top ten spots.

Top Tier: The $200M+ Heavyweights

The month was defined by two massive liquidity events that underscore institutional confidence in the region's regulated markets.

• ADGT (Advanced Digital Gaming Technology): Secured $250 million in an undisclosed series round led by Blackstone. The capital is earmarked for building the payments and compliance backbone of the UAE's newly regulated commercial gaming sector.

• OKX: The crypto exchange giant landed a $200 million corporate investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). This deal values OKX at $25 billion, serving as a landmark signal of NYSE-level institutional commitment to digital asset infrastructure.

The Rise of Agentic AI and DevTools

Israel’s "Silicon Wadi" continues to lead the global shift toward Agentic AI—AI that doesn't just suggest but executes.

• Qodo: Closed a $70 million Series B to scale its AI-driven code review and governance agents.

• ZyG: Founded by the ironSource team, ZyG raised $58 million in Seed funding (exceptionally high for a seed round) to develop an agentic direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform.

• Above Security & Notch: Above emerged from stealth with $50 million for AI insider threat detection, while Notch raised $30 million to deploy AI agents in highly regulated insurance and financial sectors.

Sector Diversification: Stablecoins, BioTech, and CleanTech

Beyond the AI surge, the MENAPT region is seeing specialized growth in utility-first technologies:

1. Stablecoin Neobanking: KAST raised $80 million (Series A). With 1 million users and $5 billion in annualized volume, it represents the growing demand for stablecoin-based remittances.

2. Precision BioTech: Scala Biodesign secured $16 million for its ScalaOS platform, which is currently used by 9 of the world’s top 20 pharmaceutical companies for AI-driven protein design.

3. Clean Energy: Nigeria’s Starsight Energy bucked the regional trend by securing $15 million in mezzanine debt from British International Investment (BII) to expand its 41 MW solar footprint across West Africa.

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MENAPT Funding Leaderboard: March 2026

Rank	Company	Amount	Location	Industry	Leading Trend
1	ADGT	$250M	UAE	Fintech/Payments	Regulated Gaming
2	OKX	$200M	Seychelles/UAE	Crypto/Web3	Institutional Adoption
3	KAST	$80M	Comoros/Regional	Fintech/Stablecoins	Neobanking
4	Qodo	$70M	Israel	AI/DevTools	Governance Agents
5	ZyG	$58M	Israel	AI/E-commerce	Agentic D2C
6	Above	$50M	Israel	AI/Cybersecurity	Insider Threat AI
7	Notch	$30M	Israel	AI/SaaS	Regulated AI
8	Sett	$30M	Israel	AI/Gaming	User Acquisition
9	Scala	$16M	Israel	BioTech/AI	Protein Design
10	Starsight	$15M	Nigeria	CleanTech	Solar Infrastructure

FAQ

What was the biggest startup funding round in the Middle East in March 2026?

The largest round was $250 million raised by ADGT (Advanced Digital Gaming Technology) in the UAE, led by the global investment firm Blackstone.

How much did MENAPT startups raise in March 2026?

Startups in the MENAPT region raised a total of $933 million across 43 rounds. The top 10 deals represented 86% ($799 million) of the total capital raised.

Which country dominated the MENAPT funding landscape in 2026?

In March 2026, Israel dominated the top 10 list with six companies (Qodo, ZyG, Above, Notch, Sett, and Scala Biodesign) securing a combined $254 million.

The full breakdown of each deal — including founders, investors, and use of funds — is available HERE