During the first week of June 2026, startup investments reach $258.5 million

Startup investments in startups across the Middle East, Africa, and the Gulf recorded a total of new deals during the first week of June 2026, specifically from June 1 to June 6. A total of 3 deals were completed, with the largest share going to the United Arab Emirates, followed by Egypt.

According to the weekly investment report issued by “entArabi,” total investments exceeded $258.5 million. The deals included two disclosed transactions in the logistics technology and gaming sectors, in addition to an undisclosed funding round in the recycling sector for an Egyptian company.

The main deals include a single deal worth $250 million in the logistics sector, a single deal worth $8.5 million in the gaming sector, and one undisclosed-value deal in the recyclable materials sector.

CargoX – Autonomous Delivery Services

UAE-based CargoX, a delivery services platform, raised a $250 million funding round led by a consortium of investors, including BlueFive Capital.

The round aims to support the company’s expansion plans in the autonomous logistics sector across the UAE and international markets, with a focus on developing vehicle technologies, strengthening operational infrastructure, and building long-term strategic partnerships with key players in e-commerce, retail, and logistics sectors.

SPARQ – Game Engine Development

UAE-based SPARQ, a company specializing in AI-powered game engine development, raised $8.5 million in a seed funding round with early participation from the Scout Fund of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).

The round comes after more than two years of product development, during which the founders invested around $2.5 million of their own capital to build a fully proprietary game engine based on C++, featuring more than 3 million lines of code.

The company has also built a team of over 20 engineers and attracted a waitlist of more than 6,000 content creators before securing external funding.

DAWAR – Recycling Tracking and Verification

Egypt-based DAWAR, a digital platform specializing in tracking recyclable materials, secured a six-figure funding round from GlobalCorp, Tawasoa, and the Commercial International Bank (CIBP).

The funding aims to support the company’s expansion and enhance its infrastructure for verification and tracking of material flows.

It will also strengthen DAWAR’s ability to document recyclable waste movement in line with regulatory requirements and the needs of international markets that prioritize transparency and reliable supply chains.