INFOGRAPHIC: Startup Funding in Africa and the Middle East — Week 1, 2025
The venture funding activities we tracked in the Middle East and African region this week include Calo and YNMO.
It was a slow week in funding news as it's the start of the new year, but here are the deals we tracked in the region, including an infographic.
Saudi-headquartered food-tech startup Calo raised $25 million in a Series B round led by Nuwa Capital
- The startup allows users to create customized meal plans on its app, and receive heat-and-eat meals at their doorstep in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. With participation from STV and Khwarizmi Ventures, this funding reportedly values the company at $250 million.
KoBold Metals, a U.S.-based mining startup with operations in Zambia raised $537 million in its Series C funding
- Backed by billionaire investors including Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, the startup uses artificial intelligence and generative AI to sift through historical and scientific data to find mineral deposits. The funding round, co-led by investors Durable Capital Partners LP and T. Rowe Price, will be used to fund new exploration projects and boost research and development. It valued KoBold at $2.96 billion.
YNMO, a Saudi Arabian edtech raised $5 million in funding led by Wa'ed Ventures to expand into new markets
- Founded in 2017, the startup provides an integrated platform that enables specialists to develop AI-based advanced rehabilitation and educational programs for children with disabilities and their families. It plans to use the investment to strengthen partnerships with governmental, educational, and rehabilitative institutions across the Gulf region.
