Erika Masako Welch

The State of Unicorns: Turkey 2026 Report, developed and published by Lucidity Insights and Entrepreneur Middle East, covers the global unicorn landscape as context, Turkey's structural advantages and constraints, full company profiles and milestone timelines for all eight unicorns, the female founder data, the cautionary tales of Getir and Papara told fully and fairly, and a chapter on the earlier generation of Turkish startups — GittiGidiyor, Yemeksepeti, Gram Games — that paved the way.

As global headlines distort the reality on the ground, startups across the Middle East are facing a new challenge: perception. While ecosystems remain active and resilient, shifting investor sentiment is quietly reshaping capital flows, forcing founders to adapt to a more disciplined and selective funding environment.

EW Partners, led by Jessica Wong, is scaling Saudi startups globally. With over $1 billion AUM, international investors, and successes like J&T Express, the firm combines strategic support and sector focus to turn local ventures into global champions.

Khalid Alsaeed highlights why Saudi Arabia has become the “land of opportunity,” citing Vision 2030 reforms, a young entrepreneurial population, and a tech-driven ecosystem that is attracting global investors.

At SuperReturn Saudi, Katja Rieger of Women for Boards GCC explains why the real barrier to women joining boards isn’t talent—it’s trusted access to decision makers, and how the region is accelerating change.

At SuperReturn Saudi in Riyadh, “Crazy John” John Kojiro Moriwaka isn’t pitching hype—he’s mapping where capital should go next.

Raed Ventures, one of Saudi Arabia’s pioneering VC firms, is doubling down on early- and mid-stage tech startups and embedding AI as a strategic advantage, positioning its portfolio for sustainable growth in the Kingdom’s evolving ecosystem.

Inside Saudi Venture Capital Company, CEO Nabeel Koshak is transforming the Kingdom’s startup scene. Through strategic fund-of-funds investments, growth-stage support, and sector-focused programs, SVC is building a sustainable, globally competitive VC ecosystem in Saudi Arabia.

At SuperReturn Saudi, Ali Abussaud of Hala Capital explains how the Kingdom’s venture ecosystem is evolving. With a focus on FinTech, AI, logistics, and expanding into private equity and credit, Hala Capital is positioning itself to lead Saudi Arabia’s next era of financial growth.

The appeal of neobanks lies in their customer-centricity and lean operating models.

Fintechs have been bubbling up the world over, and their strong foothold in the Middle East is no exception.

Middle East fintech funding peaked in 2023, with US$4.2 billion worth of funding raised by fintech startups.

Seha Virtual Hospital (SVH) isn't just another telehealth platform—it's the world's largest virtual hospital - with a Guinness World Record to show for it.

The renewable energy projects coming online are still not enough to meet our global 2030 targets, or 2050 targets, for that matter. It is time for world leaders to act.

Download the report and get a detailed look at Dubai's renewable energy journey.

Learn more about global energy use, the role that renewables are playing, and how to think about the different types of renewable energy sources that are coming online, and what are some of the unique characteristics we can attribute to each renewable energy source.

Stay informed on Dubai's renewable energy journey.

The Sustainability and Innovation Centre stands as a testament to the UAE's commitment to a sustainable and innovative future.

Dubai's Commitment to Net Zero by 2050 In November 2015, Dubai launched the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050.

The success of the energy transition depends on the transformation of the global energy sector from fossil-based to zero-carbon sources by the second half of the century, which is why so many nations, companies and institutions have committed to net-zero targets.

From the early foundational years of the United Arab Emirates, the environment has been top of mind for the first leaders of the country.

Investments made in the adoption of mass solar power have resulted in strong R&D and have helped to drive down the global cost of solar power per unit of energy created.

Financing in this space globally climbed 17% and reached a peak in 2023, when global investment in cleantech and energy transition reached US $1.8 trillion.

Dubai is setting out to become a city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050, and heavy investments in renewables are paving the way. The new report is packed with data on Dubai's strategies, initiatives, and mega-projects that are propelling the emirate to a net zero future.

Nclude has funded startups across fintech such as Paymob, Khazna, Lucky, and FlapKap, and it also has done investments in proptech, healthtech, foodtech, and agritech.

There are many markets in Africa that are looking increasingly attractive for Egyptian startups to not only compete in, but where Egyptian startups may have the competitive edge.

Egypt is the MENA's most populous country, Africa's third most populous market, and the world's 15th most populous nation, being home to over 110 million inhabitants.

Unlike conventional stethoscopes that transmit sound through traditional tubing, Eko Health's device leverages digital technology to capture and analyze heart sounds with unparalleled precision.

Built by Entrepreneur Middle East and Lucidity Insights, The Business of Healthtech in MENA is a report that explored innovation in the region's healthcare sector in 2023.

The latest research shows that the digital health market, a growing segment within healthtech, in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia alone could reach $4 billion by 2026.