Top 10 Venture Deals Dominating MEAPT in 2025

This ranking profiles the ten largest disclosed funding rounds in 2025 across the Middle East, Africa, Pakistan, and Turkey (MEAPT). It spans late-stage equity, sizeable debt facilities, and one hybrid equity–debt round, with check sizes ranging from $250M to $1.25B. The cohort skews toward fintech, AI/cybersecurity, gaming, deep tech, and proptech, and is geographically concentrated in Israel, the UAE, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

The list is dominated by fintech, deep tech, AI, cybersecurity, and gaming, with Israel, the UAE, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia emerging as the most active hubs. Debt financing also featured prominently, signaling a maturing ecosystem where established companies can raise non-dilutive capital to extend runway and accelerate growth.

Top 10 Largest Funding Rounds of 2025 in MEAPT

Much of the year’s biggest activity was driven by a mix of mega debt financings and late-stage equity rounds backing category leaders with regional or global ambitions.

1. Dream Games (Turkey) — US $1.25B (Debt Financing)
   The largest round of the year, this gaming giant secured a massive debt facility, highlighting how cash-generative entertainment companies are increasingly tapping structured capital instead of equity.
2. Zelo (United Arab Emirates) — US $715M (Funding Round)
   One of MEAPT’s largest fintech raises ever, Zelo’s round reinforced investor conviction in B2B finance platforms addressing liquidity and SME cash-flow challenges across the region.
3. Lendo (Saudi Arabia) — US $690M (Debt Financing)
   Lendo’s sizable facility reflects continued momentum in alternative lending and SME credit infrastructure, as demand for non-bank financing solutions grows in the GCC.
4. Cato Networks (Israel) — US $359M (Series G & Debt)
   This hybrid round pushed Cato deeper into late-stage territory, reinforcing Israel’s dominance in cybersecurity and enterprise cloud infrastructure.
5. AI21 Labs (Israel) — US $300M (Series D)
   One of the largest AI rounds in the region, AI21’s funding highlights sustained appetite for foundational AI models and enterprise-grade generative AI platforms.
6. Optasia (United Arab Emirates) — US $277.5M (Corporate Round)
   Optasia’s raise signals strong investor confidence in fintech solutions focused on financial inclusion and digital credit across emerging markets.
7. Ninja (Saudi Arabia) — US $254M (Unknown Series Round)
   The quick-commerce player’s large round underscores continued belief in logistics-driven consumer platforms, particularly those with strong regional scale.
8. XPANCEO (United Arab Emirates) — US $250M (Series A)
   One of the year’s largest Series A rounds, Xpanceo’s raise reflects growing interest in deep-tech and next-generation hardware innovations.>
9. Property Finder (United Arab Emirates) — US $250M (Debt Financing)
   The PropTech leader’s debt round highlights how mature digital marketplaces are increasingly using structured financing to optimize capital structure.
10. Sun King (Kenya) — US $236M (Debt Financing)
    The company plans to use the funds to expand its decentralised solar energy systems across Africa and Asia, and its continued development of new products.

What This Says About the MEAPT Market

These ten transactions illustrate what the upper tier of MEAPT financing looked like in 2025: category leaders securing large late-stage equity, companies with predictable cash flows tapping non-dilutive debt, and one hybrid round in enterprise security. While half of the list involves debt or hybrid structures, this pattern reflects an increasing trend in the region.