Startup wrap — Funding momentum continues in MENA despite regional headwinds
Summary
Startups in MENA continued to attract capital despite regional uncertainty, with August funding more than doubling month over month. TalMal raised an undisclosed pre-seed round to expand its Saudi salary-backed purchasing platform and grow its employer and merchant network. Paymob secured $35 million to expand its payments infrastructure business across the region, add new products for SME merchants, and scale its omnichannel acceptance platform. AREP also closed pre-seed funding to develop its edtech and research marketplace products and widen operations in Saudi Arabia. Huspy expanded into Italy by acquiring Integra Finance as it pursues a larger real estate and mortgage finance strategy.
Funding
Amount
-
Total raised
Date
September 26, 2026
Announcement date
Investors
Maison Galaxy, AREP, Global Ventures
Lead investors
Company
talmal.com
Funded company
AskAI Classifications
Sectors
Fintech, Banking and Payments
General FinTech
Payment Processing
Functions
Developer and IT Infrastructure
Development Platforms
Linked Companies
Paymob
$250M to $500M