The number of investors based outside of MENA that invested in Egypt-based startups touched an all-time-high (63), accounting for 51% of the 124 total investors
- Egypt also saw the highest participation from non-local investors accounting for 77% of total active investors compared to 44% across MENA, 46% in UAE and 25% in KSA
- VC firm Sequoia Capital backed Egyptian startup Telda’s $5M Pre-Seed round, marking its debut investment in MENA and highlighting Egypt’s importance in the regional ecosystem
Venture funding and deals hit a record high in Egypt in 2021, as a total of $491M was invested across 147 transactions; Venture capital in Egypt continued to climb for the fourth consecutive year, having grown at a CAGR of 117% between 2017 and 2021. The number of VC deals observed a 26% YoY increase since 2020 to reach a record-high of 147 transactions in 2021.
Egypt ranked first by deals across Africa and second across MENA. In a shift of investor appetite, 2021 saw more late stage transactions in Egypt than ever before, accounting for 10% of all deals. The average round size rose to $3.3M in 2021 from $1.5M in 2020, while the average Series A recorded the highest growth rate from $4.9M in 2020 to $21.4M in 2021.
In 2021, EdVentures have completed 13 investments growing its portfolio of EdTech companies featuring: OTO Courses, Colnn, eYouth, iSchool, Career 180, Entreprenelle, OBM, Crafty, SuperFny, Sprints, Greenish & Akhdar.
EdVentures, the corporate VC arm of Nahdet Misr Publishing Group, was launched in 2017 to invest in EdTech startups in MENA and Africa.
Source: MAGNiTT
