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Home/Business/Rylo Leads $319.7M Africa & ME Tech Fund…

Rylo Leads $319.7M Africa & ME Tech Funding Surge

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By ThePip Desk•
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A tablet on a wooden desk displays a sign language application with a blue hand gesture and the words "RYLO TRANSLATE."

Tablet displaying a sign language translation application on a wooden desk.

Key Highlights

Israeli AI firm Rylo leads a $319.7M funding surge in Africa & Middle East tech. Investments focus on AI, fintech, and cybersecurity.

Africa & Middle East Tech Sees $319.7M Investment Surge

Startups across Africa and the Middle East collectively raised a significant $319.7 million in disclosed funding during Week 24. Investments poured into artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and fintech, with Israeli companies dominating larger growth rounds.

Top Funding Rounds Highlight AI & Fintech Growth

The week’s largest funding rounds showcased key players and strategic investments across the regions:

  • Rylo (Israel), an AI accessibility company formerly Nagish, led with $85 million from General Catalyst and Canaan. This investment values the company at approximately $500 million and will fuel its expansion into sign language translation and new markets.
  • PointFive (Israel), focused on cloud and AI efficiency, secured $60 million in a Series B round led by Accel, planning product enhancement and U.S. growth.
  • Egyptian fintech startup Blnk raised $37.1 million, comprising $12.5 million in Series A equity and $24.6 million in debt. Blnk uses AI for instant loans at checkout, targeting women and first-time borrowers.
  • Three Israeli cybersecurity firms received significant backing: A Security raised $37 million, Aryon Security secured $29 million Series A, and Pi received $25 million Series A for AI-powered software flaw detection.
  • Further Israeli AI investments included Jedify with $24 million for AI infrastructure and Upriver with $14 million in seed funding for AI data cleaning automation.
  • In the UAE, Algebra AI received $7 million for custom AI systems, and Zuvees raised $1.6 million for its AI-powered gifting platform.

Regional Trends: Israel Leads AI & Cybersecurity, Fintech Strong in Africa & Gulf

The funding landscape clearly demonstrated a strong focus on Israeli cybersecurity and AI, securing a substantial portion of the capital. Meanwhile, robust fintech activity continued to attract significant investment across both Africa and the Gulf regions.

Other notable activities included Egypt’s MNT-Halan achieving a $1.4 billion valuation for international expansion, Kenyan healthtech Tibu Health securing financing, and Iraqi startups Mabiati and Al Jabal Agriculture raising six-figure sums.

AfricaEgyptIsraelMiddle EastRyloUAE