The Middle East and North Africa is in dire need of entrepreneurial growth and opportunities. With countries needing to create millions of jobs, new enterprises that do not simply start but grow can play an instrumental role in the region’s employment agenda while also supporting other regional goals such as economic diversification. However, research from the Wamda Research Lab highlights substantial challenges preventing companies from receiving the funding they need to grow. In our most recent report, Enhancing Access: Assessing the Funding Landscape for MENA’s Startups, we analyze a sample of 254 companies that have received equity investment and 65 institutions providing funding to entrepreneurs in the region to better understand the trends and challenges that characterize the funding process in MENA.
