Despite Continuously Shrinking Deal Count, MEAPT VC Funding October 2025 Raised Nearly US$13 Billion YTD

The landscape of MEAPT venture capital in October 2025 has entered one of its most paradoxical phases yet. As Q4 kicks off, the region that spans the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan, and Turkey, is approaching year-end with nearly US$13 billion raised by October. It’s marking a 55.3% surge from the US$8.33 billion recorded during the same period in 2024. Yet, this surge in capital continues to come with a contraction in deal activity. Total deals fell to 911, barely half of the 1,836 deals logged in 2023 and significantly below 2024’s 1,485. The result is a market shaped by fewer, larger, and more concentrated investments, aligned with the trend seen since the beginning of the year.

Top 10 Startup Deals: MEAPT Venture Capital in October 2025

Much of this renewed confidence in MEAPT venture capital 2025 is driven by powerhouse markets such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE. After slowdowns in 2024, both regions saw capital re-accelerate into their most promising sectors.

1. Optasia (US$277.5M)
   The largest deal in MEAPT venture capital in October 2025, Optasia secured a major corporate round to expand its AI-driven financial-services infrastructure across Africa and Asia.

2. Property Finder (US$250M)
   A landmark debt financing round that propels Property Finder into unicorn status. The company will accelerate regional expansion and invest in AI-led product innovation.

3. Spiro (US$100M)
   This fund will be used to scale Spiro’s battery-swapping network, expand production capacity, and accelerate clean-mobility adoption across multiple African markets.

4. MNT-Halan (US$71.3M)
   Through its latest securitization issuance, MNT-Halan will recycle capital to grow its loan book, supporting Egypt’s underserved SMEs and consumers.

5. Astra Nova (US$41.6M)
   The gaming and AI entertainment ecosystem secured funding to grow its tokenized content platforms and expand globally into the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

6. BRKZ (US$30M)
   A growth debt round that will boost BRKZ’s digital marketplace for construction materials, enabling further expansion.

7. Prisma Photonics (US$30M)
   This deep-tech fiber-sensing startup raised funds to scale deployment with global utilities and accelerate international expansion across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America.

8. Arsann (US$26.7M)
   A strategic investment that will enhance Saudi Arabia’s smart-parking and mobility infrastructure while advancing data-driven urban-mobility solutions aligned with Vision 2030.

9. CyberRidge (US$26M)
   Seed and Series A financing will help CyberRidge scale its photonic-layer encryption technology, delivering next-generation post-quantum security for global enterprises.

10. Cercli (US$12M)
    The HR and payroll platform will use its Series A funding to build new AI-powered workforce tools and expand further within MENA’s rapidly growing enterprise software market.

Macroeconomic Forces Reshape Funding Behavior

What is certain is that MEAPT venture capital in October 2025 is entering a new era: concentrated, high-value, and increasingly dominated by markets capable of attracting global-scale capital.

Global financial conditions continue to shape VC behavior across MEAPT. According to the IMF’s Global Financial Stability Report (April 2025), emerging markets are under pressure from both high borrowing costs and tighter access to global funding, with interest rates still elevated even after peaking in late 2024. This environment pushes investors to be more selective, putting more money into fewer deals, and mostly backing later-stage startups with strong revenue or ties to large national projects like those of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. 

A New Normal?

As we move into the final stretch of 2025, MEAPT is on track to post its highest annual funding total since 2023 at the least with a strong, albeit concentrated, pipeline. Are we witnessing the contours of a new normal - fewer bets, bigger deals - or is this a shift back toward high-value funding cycles no matter the number?