Abu Dhabi's startup ecosystem is growing fast, and its venture capital firms are keeping pace. For founders, this means more opportunities to find the right funding partner.
Firms like Shorooq Partners have backed over 130 companies, and Plus Venture Capital has funded more than 40. It's clear that investors are actively looking for promising startups in the region.
Below is our list of the best 8 VC firms in Abu Dhabi.
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| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Mahmoud Adi, Shane (You Keun) Shin, Tamer Azer, Tarek Fouad |
| Total Funding | $200M |
| Industries | Healthcare, InsurTech, Marketplace, Big Data & Analytics, Supply Chain & Logistics, Fintech, Future of Work, AI & ML |
| Investment Stage | Convertible Note, Debt, Early Stage, Late Stage, Seed, Pre-Seed, Series A |
| Nº of Investments | 138 (69 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 7 |
| Top Portfolio Startups | Tamara, ZenLedger, Colabs |
| Contact | hello@shorooq.com / +971 02 671 1127 |
Backing pre-seed and seed stage founders across MENA and Europe, Anamcara Capital invests in startups building the future of finance, work, and commerce. They act as a "soul friend" to entrepreneurs, providing deep support beyond capital to a portfolio that includes companies like Pluto and Pemo.
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Annelie Ajami |
| Investment Stage | Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 20 |
| Nº of Exits | 2 |
| Contact | contact@anamcara.capital |
Further Ventures operates as an institutional co-founder for early-stage startups developing next-generation financial infrastructure. Their platform connects emerging economies to global capital markets, helping institutional partners with everything from asset tokenization to settling derivative transactions.
| Year Founded | 2022 |
| Founders | Faisal Al Hammadi, Gary Sheynkman, John Ounjian, Mohamed Hamdy, Mohammed Bashkeel |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 13 (10 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 1 |
| Contact | reach@further.ae |
Modus Capital helps build and fund startups primarily in MENA and other emerging innovation markets, offering hands-on operational support alongside capital. They use a distinct structure that combines a venture builder, a venture fund, and corporate innovation services to turn early-stage ideas into high-growth companies.
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Awad Makkawi, Kareem Elsirafy |
| Total Funding | $125M |
| Average Check Size | $1M |
| Industries | Fintech, Healthcare, SaaS, AR & VR, Social |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Seed, Series A, Late Stage |
| Nº of Investments | 8 (6 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 1 |
| Top Portfolio Startups | Biorestore Health, Chappme, Ogram |
| Contact | comms@modus.vc / 212-763-7266 |
XRG functions as both a venture builder and an investor, creating and backing companies set to define the next era of human-machine convergence. They concentrate on deep tech and frontier tech startups in fields such as AI, robotics, and computational biology.
| Year Founded | 2024 |
| Founders | — |
| Investment Stage | — |
| Nº of Investments | — |
| Nº of Exits | — |
Plus Venture Capital provides early-stage funding for tech startups from the MENA region and its diaspora, investing from seed to Series A rounds. They aim to give founders the capital required to build and scale their companies, fostering technological growth across the Middle East and North Africa.
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Hasan Haider, Sharif El-Badawi |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage |
| Nº of Investments | 43 (16 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | — |
Wealthes Capital invests in alternative assets, focusing on early-stage fintech in Europe and real estate in the Middle East. The firm generates returns and creates enduring value for its portfolio companies through a disciplined investment process that aligns its interests with its partners.
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Abdallah Mansour Ibn Rahman, Chadi M. Taleb, Masoud Hassan Ibn Amir Talal |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 2 (2 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 1 |
Phoenician VC backs early-stage technology companies, with a strong focus on the Fintech sector, across the MENA region, Europe, and the US. Its team of seasoned investors and entrepreneurs provides hands-on guidance and collaborative support to help founders build their ventures from the ground up.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | George Haimari, Jad Salame, Mohamed Ibrahim |
| Investment Stage | Early Stage, Seed |
| Nº of Investments | 22 (8 as Lead Investor) |
| Nº of Exits | 2 |
| Contact | info@phoenician.vc / 961 1 999 161 |