April 2025 - Top Funded Startups in GCC

GCC VC Funding Roundup – April 2025 | $1.45B Raised Across 97 Deals

April 2025 marks a sharp recalibration in the GCC’s venture capital landscape. After a record-breaking 2024, the region’s startup ecosystem is now facing a sobering cooldown. Year-to-date funding dropped to $1.45 billion, a steep 67% decline from the $2.36B raised by this time last year. Deal count also fell—from 178 to just 97 rounds.

But here’s the twist: last April’s numbers were skewed by G42’s $1.5B mega-deal. Strip that out, and 2025 actually looks stronger—this April’s total is up nearly 70% from the adjusted figure.

📌 Top 5 Funding Rounds – April 2025:

HRA Experience (UAE) – €35M in an undisclosed round. Building a Web3-powered travel ecosystem with crypto wallets, digital IDs, and borderless booking.

Cledor (UAE) – $18M corporate round. Amwaj International acquired an 18% stake. Redefining real estate through joint ventures and strategic branding.

Erad (Saudi Arabia) – $16M seed round backed by Y Combinator and Nuwa Capital. Offers Shariah-compliant, collateral-free SME financing2.

Fuse Financial Technologies (UAE) – $6.6M seed round led by Northzone. First in the region to offer virtual IBANs for seamless cross-border payments.

True Gamers (UAE) – $5M seed round. Expanding its e-sports café network across MENA and Europe.

With four of the top five deals based in the UAE, the Emirates continue to dominate the region’s funding charts. Average deal size climbed to $15 million, but the absence of mega-rounds suggests investors are tightening the reins.