The Funding Gap: Why Female Founders in MENA Remain Underrepresented The startup ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been gaining momentum.
This is evident from the emergence of unicorns and innovative businesses in recent years. However, despite this progress, female founders continue to face significant barriers when it comes to accessing capital.
According to data from Wamda, female founded startups secured only $2. 5 million or 0. 14% of total VC funding in the first half of 2026.