Week 40: Africa and Middle East Startup Funding Led by HyperGuest

Startups across Africa, the Middle East and Israel raised a combined $65.2 million this week, based on disclosed funding rounds tracked by Techloy, with investor capital flowing mostly into AI. HyperGuest picked up the biggest check at $25 million, with erad close behind at $22 million.

The Week's Largest Startup Funding Rounds

Here are the biggest disclosed startup funding rounds across Africa, the Middle East and Israel this week.

/1. HyperGuest, $25M, AI Travel Tech, Israel 

HyperGuest builds the behind-the-scenes tech that lets hotels connect directly with booking sites, travel agencies, and now AI agents, without needing a separate setup for each one. Apax Partners put in $25 million through its mid-market investment arm, AMI, and HyperGuest is using it to grow as AI tools start changing how people search for and book hotels.

/2. erad, $22M, Fintech, Saudi Arabia 

erad is a Riyadh-based fintech that gives small and medium businesses in Saudi Arabia Shariah-compliant working capital, the kind regular banks often turn down. MEVP led a $22 million Series A, with several other investors joining in, and erad is building new financing products for bigger, capital-heavy industries like logistics and manufacturing.

/3. Rig Security, $12M, AI Cybersecurity, Israel 

Rig Security just came out of stealth in Tel Aviv with a way to tell the difference between a real employee and an AI agent pretending to be one inside a company's systems. Ten Eleven Ventures and Brightmind Partners co-led a $12 million seed round, backed by CrowdStrike's venture arm and Wiz co-founder Ami Luttwak, and the money's going toward research, engineering and growing in the US.

/4. Amaani, $5M, Consumer, UAE 

Amaani is a Dubai-based beauty company behind AÏZA, a skincare and haircare brand built around Middle Eastern beauty traditions. BECO Capital led a $5 million Series A, joined by Homegrown Ventures and Peak XV's Surge, and Amaani is using it to launch AÏZA at Ulta Beauty stores in Saudi Arabia, with Kuwait and Qatar next.