LvlUp Ventures’ MENA Global Investment Hub has backed over 50 startups and reviewed 500+ applications since its launch three months, advancing toward its goal of 250 companies by 2027.
DUBAI, UAE — 04 Aug, 2026 — LvlUp Ventures’ MENA Global Investment Hub has backed its first 50 companies across the region and reviewed more than 500 startup applications during its first three months, marking strong early momentum toward its goal of backing 250 companies across MENA over the next 12 months.
Launched in Dubai earlier this year, the hub serves as LvlUp Ventures’ regional platform for investing in and supporting high-potential founders across the Middle East and North Africa. Since launch, LvlUp has continued building a growing network of regional ecosystem partners and plans to expand its presence into Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
The hub is part of LvlUp Ventures, a globally ranked venture capital firm recognized by PitchBook as the world’s #7 most active venture capital firm and #2 most active early-stage investor, with more than 1,000 companies across its portfolio and programs.
Applications received to date have spanned sectors including fintech, artificial intelligence, B2B software, e-commerce, and consumer technology, reflecting the breadth and growing sophistication of the region’s startup ecosystem.
LvlUp currently has more than 80 additional companies in its active due diligence pipeline. Its most recent regional investment is Gameball, an AI-native customer loyalty platform serving MENA’s rapidly growing e-commerce market. LvlUp participated in the company’s Pre-Series A round.
Beyond investment activity, LvlUp has expanded its on-the-ground founder programming through the LvlUp Labs MENA event series, connecting founders with operators, mentors, corporate partners, and investors who can support their next stage of growth.
“More than 500 applications and our first 50 companies backed within three months demonstrate both the strength of MENA’s founder ecosystem and the demand for a deeply engaged investment platform in the region,” said Aaron Golbin, General Partner at LvlUp Ventures. “Our focus is not simply on deploying capital. It is on building long-term infrastructure around founders, bringing more global investors and partners into the ecosystem, and helping the region’s most ambitious companies scale internationally. We are still at the very beginning.”
LvlUp Ventures is inviting founders building across MENA to apply to the Global Investment Hub. The firm continues to expand its ecosystem partners including corporations, family offices, and institutional investors interested in supporting the region’s next generation of category-defining companies.
About LvlUp Ventures
LvlUp Ventures is a globally ranked venture capital firm, PitchBook’s #7 most active VC globally and #2 most active early-stage investors worldwide, with more than 1,000 backed portfolio companies. The LvlUp MENA Global Investment Hub launched in Dubai in 2026 with a mandate to back 250 companies across the region.
Aaron Golbin, GP, LvlUp Ventures and Sanjana Raheja, Associate MENA Partner, LvlUp Ventures
[aaron@lvlup.vc, sanjana@lvlup.vc]
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Company: LvlUp Ventures
Contact Person: Aaron Golbin and Sanjana Raheja
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