Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's flag
Venture capital activity in Saudi Arabia hit an all-time high of $548 million (SAR 2.055 billion) in 2021, recording a surge of 270% year-on-year (YoY), according to a recent report by MAGNiTT.
The amount was raised across 139 venture capital (VC) deals, which rose by 54% YoY.
The number of investors that financed Saudi-based startups increased by 52% YoY, to hit a record-high of 76 in 2021.
The following table indicates the number and value of transactions at startups in 2020 and 2021:
|
Number and Value of Transactions at Startups |
||||
|
Week |
2020 |
2021 |
Variation |
|
|
Number of Transactions |
90 |
139 |
+54% |
|
|
Value of Transactions ($ mln) |
148 |
548 |
+270% |
|
The table below shows the number of transactions and value of venture investments since 2017:
|
Number of Transactions and Value of Venture Investments Since 2017 |
|||
|
Year |
Number of Transactions |
Value of Transactions ($ mln) |
Variation |
|
2017 |
30 |
43 |
-- |
|
2018 |
56 |
63 |
+47% |
|
2019 |
67 |
107 |
+70% |
|
2020 |
90 |
148 |
+38% |
|
2021 |
139 |
548 |
+270% |
Saudi Arabia advanced to the second place by total value of venture investment in the MENA region after the UAE. The Kingdom ranked third by the number of deals.
Venture capital deployed in Saudi Arabia accounted for 21% across the MENA region in 2021.
|
Venture Investments in the MENA Region in 2021 |
|||
|
Country |
Number of Transactions |
Value ($ mln) |
Annual Variation |
|
UAE |
155 |
1165 |
+93% |
|
Saudi Arabia |
139 |
548 |
+270% |
|
Egypt |
145 |
502 |
+176% |
|
Jordan |
46 |
119 |
+499% |
|
Bahrain |
-- |
52 |
+167% |
For top industries by number of deals in Saudi Arabia, e-commerce ranked first with $170 million, accounting for 31% of total venture capital.
Enterprise software and fintech followed, accounting for $132 million and $91 million of total venture capital raised in the Kingdom, respectively.
|
Top Sectors by Venture Investment Value in 2021 |
||
|
Sector |
Value ($ mln) |
Annual Variation |
|
e-commerce |
170 |
+492% |
|
Enterprise Software |
132 |
+2% |
|
Fintech |
91 |
+1% |
|
Beverage and Food |
37 |
(6%) |
|
Healthcare |
26 |
-- |
Comments
{{DisplayName}}
{{ElapsedTime}}