EQ2 Ventures
Venture capitalDubai · Seed–Late Stage · 10 people tracked
Find your way into EQ2 Ventures
869 people in our graph share verified history with the EQ2 Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
EQ2 Ventures backs exceptional founders at Seed to Series A stages in emerging markets, primarily across the Middle East and Africa, targeting global opportunities. As an evergreen venture holding, it emphasizes long-term alignment with founders rather than fixed fund timelines, and can invest up to $3M in follow-on rounds. The firm applies an ecosystem approach that fosters synergies among portfolio companies, and pairs data-driven analysis with governance and emotional intelligence to build sustainable value. Preferred verticals include ad-tech, e-commerce, marketplaces, ed-tech, fin-tech, and AI-powered SaaS. Investment decisions are screened by an independent Investment Committee composed of operators, founders, and investors.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 20, 2026.
Team · 10 people
from the firm's website & curated
What they invest in
from 30 of 38 portfolio companiesSaaS ×12Consumer ×10E-commerce ×10AI & Machine Learning ×7Media & Entertainment ×7Marketplaces ×5AdTech ×4Marketing Tech ×4
HQs:United Arab Emirates×9Kenya×2Côte d’Ivoire×1Egypt×1India×1Jordan×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 18 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×82 founders×73 founders×24+ founders×1
Where their founders studiedfrom 13 founders with education data
INSEAD ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 13 founders with field-of-study data
Business & Management ×8Finance & Accounting ×5Economics ×3Computer Science ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
Investments · 38 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 22024 · 22021 · 15 dated
Afrilens Tech manufactures advanced prescription ophthalmic lenses in Kenya through an in-house production facility, serving opticians, retail chains, hospitals, clinics, and distributors across East and Central Africa.
Advanced ManufacturingHardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesNairobi, KE
Vincent Demassiet(Founder & CEO)inMichael Makonnen(Founder & COO)Salahaldeen Ahmed(Founder & Director)
Co-investorsTech Invest Com
ArabyAds operates a suite of adtech platforms for advertisers and publishers, covering influencer marketing, app discovery and monetization, retail media, CTV advertising, and consumer behavior analytics.
AdTechMarketing TechSaaS
Mohammad Khartabil(Founder)in
Co-investorsAfricInvest
Balio acquires SaaS software companies from founders, positioning itself as a founder-first alternative to venture capital and private equity with an 8-10 week close time.
Enterprise SoftwareSaaS
Esther Howard(Co-founder & CEO)
Co-investorsEastward Capital Partners
Campaign Middle East is a media publisher covering the marketing, advertising, PR, and creative industries in the MENA region, produced by Dubai-based publisher Motivate with 50 years of industry expertise.
Marketing TechMedia & EntertainmentDubai, AE
CarSwitch is an online platform for buying and selling used cars in the UAE, handling test drives, valuation, inspections, ownership transfer, insurance, and car loan approvals.
ConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesMobility & TransportationDubai, AE
Imad Hammad(Founder)in
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Co-investors500 GlobalBY Venture PartnersDubai Angel Investors
Coraly is an AI-powered platform that helps real estate agencies create and manage property listings at scale, automatically qualify leads, and standardize marketing across teams.
AI & Machine LearningLegalTechPropTechSaaSDubai, AE
Fouad Bekkar(Founder & CEO)Stuart Chapley
Co-investorsSalica Investments
Coralytics provides automated compliance tools for real estate agents and brokerages to detect digitally altered images in listings, generate required disclosures, and maintain audit trails under California's AB-723 law.
AI & Machine LearningLegalTechPropTechSaaSDubai, AE
Fouad Bekkar(Founder & CEO)Stuart Chapley
Empower Africa publishes content focused on business, investment, and technology developments across Africa, including topics such as AI, digital payments, and the AfCFTA trade framework.
Media & Entertainment
Eyewa is an online eyewear retailer selling contact lenses, sunglasses, and glasses, with a click-and-collect option across 260+ stores.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceRetail Tech
Mehdi Oudghiri(Founder)inAnass Boumediene
Co-investors500 GlobalGeneral AtlanticKhwarizmi VenturesNuwa CapitalWamda Capital
Feel22 is an e-commerce platform specializing in beauty products in Lebanon, offering a curated selection of beauty items and customer service.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceBeirut, LB
Flowcart provides AI agents and an in-chat checkout that let e-commerce shoppers browse, add to cart, and pay entirely within WhatsApp, plus tools for cart recovery, winback, upsells, loyalty, and broadcasts.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceSaaS
Ananth Gudipati(Founder)in
Co-investorsAccionNairobi Business Angel Network
Fresha is a booking platform and business management software for salons, barbershops, medspas, and wellness studios, letting consumers discover and book beauty and self-care appointments while providing businesses with online booking, payments, reminders, and consultation forms.
MarketplacesSaaSWellness & Fitness
William Zeqiri(Founder)inNick Miller(Founder)in
Co-investorsBECO CapitalCOTU VenturesMiddle East Venture Partners (MEVP)Target Global
Geeks provides IT support services, managed infrastructure, cloud solutions, and cybersecurity services to small and medium-sized businesses and individuals across the Middle East.
Cloud ComputingConsumerCybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaSDubai, AE
Co-investorsVision VenturesPropeller Inc.Wamda Capital
Golden Scent is an online retailer of perfumes, cosmetics, skincare, haircare, home fragrance, and personal care products from a wide range of international and Arabic brands.
ConsumerE-commerceRetail Tech
Co-investorsRAED VenturesSTVWamda Capital
A personal blog about cars, travel, and driving in the UAE, featuring articles on off-roading, real estate, car insurance, and traffic fines in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Media & Entertainment
Co-investorsAll In CapitalRecur Club
Homzmart is an online marketplace for home furniture and furnishings, selling sofas, dining sets, bedroom furniture, kids' furniture, home appliances, lighting, and decor to consumers in Egypt.
ConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesPropTech
Mahmud IbrahimMahmoud Ibrahim(Founder)inRamy E. Husseinin
Co-investors500 GlobalMSA NovoNuwa CapitalOutliers VCImpact46MSA Capital+3 more
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Invygo operates a car subscription and ownership platform in the Middle East, offering monthly rentals, weekly/daily short-term plans, and a 36-month subscribe-to-own model for car ownership without traditional bank financing.
B2B MarketplacesFintechMobility & TransportationDubai, AE
Eslam Ahmed HusseininPulkit Ganjoo
Co-investors500 GlobalAmaana CapitalMiddle East Venture Partners (MEVP)STVKnollwood Investment AdvisorySignal Peak Ventures
Julaya offers a professional account and platform for African businesses and public institutions to manage their finances, enabling transfers to mobile money, mobile banking and bank accounts, instant bill payments, and cash collection via mobile money networks.
FintechSaaSAbidjan, CI
Mathias Léopoldie(Founder)in
Co-investors50 PartnersSaviu VenturesVKAV (Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures)
Pan-African eyewear brand expanding access to affordable eye care across 10 countries with 134+ stores.
Co-investorsAsia Africa Investment & Consulting (AAIC)Beyond Capital VenturesSaviu VenturesAfricInvestFINCA VenturesProparco
Magnitt, based in the United Arab Emirates, operates a subscription financial data platform covering startups and investment activity.
Data & Infrastructure
Philip BahoshyinDana Aljawderin
Co-investors500 GlobalHALA VenturesMerak Capital
Mawdoo3 is an Arabic-language content platform and publisher providing credible articles, specialized information, and AI-powered writing tools to Arabic speakers.
AdTechAI & Machine LearningConsumerMedia & EntertainmentAmman, JO
Rami Qawasmi(Co-founder)Mohammad Jaber(Co-founder)
Co-investorsEndeavor CatalystEndure Capital
Needle is an AI-powered marketing solution designed to help smaller brands compete with larger enterprises by providing agency-quality services at accessible pricing.
AdTechAI & Machine LearningMarketing TechSaaSLos Angeles, US
Jeannie (Ngoc) Nguyen(Founder)in
Co-investorsAlpha Startups Pre-AcceleratorITERATIVERembrandt Venture PartnersShasta Ventures
Speero is a platform that enables users to request pricing for spare parts, receive multiple quotes, communicate with specialists, and have parts delivered throughout Saudi Arabia.
B2B MarketplacesConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesMobility & TransportationSaaSRiyadh, SA
Abadullh Bin ShamlanAbdulaziz AlAshraminAmeen MahfouzAmin Mahfouzin
Co-investors500 GlobalNuwa CapitalImpact46JIMCO
Step runs technology and startup events using a host partner model that lets local hosts bring the conference to their cities, and publishes a weekly newsletter and an audio channel covering tech, business, and economy topics.
Media & Entertainment
Co-investorsWamda Capital
Flowcart (Sukhiba) offers an AI-powered WhatsApp commerce platform that lets shoppers browse, receive personalized product recommendations, add to cart, and pay entirely within WhatsApp, with agents for cart recovery, upsell, winback, reviews, loyalty, and broadcasts.
AI & Machine LearningE-commerceSaaS
Co-investorsCRE Venture CapitalNairobi Business Angel NetworkQuona CapitalAntlerChandaria CapitalGoodwater Capital+1 more
Anthropic is an AI company developing Claude, a large language model, and is building custom chips in-house to improve performance and efficiency of its AI models for customers.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareMedia & EntertainmentQuantum ComputingSemiconductorsTokyo, JP
Kan Takase(Representative Director and CEO)Dario AmodeiDaniela AmodeiMansour Al Ketbi(Chief Information Officer)
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AI powered global talent mobility platform
Co-investorsLeo Capital VenturesRTP GlobalSeedToBLeo CapitalLocalGlobeNotion Capital+1 more
The Luxury Closet is an online marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned luxury goods, including designer handbags, watches, fine jewelry, clothing, shoes, and accessories from brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Rolex.
Circular EconomyE-commerceMarketplaces
Co-investorsCedar Mundi VenturesTech Invest ComWamda Capital
Uncover is a skincare brand offering barrier-first, dermatologist-tested products that combine K-Beauty ingredients with African botanicals, formulated for melanated skin.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceWellness & FitnessNairobi, KE
Jade Oyateru(Founder)inJade Oyateru, MBA(Founder)in
Co-investorsChui VenturesFirstCheck AfricaigniteXL VentureNairobi Business Angel NetworkRising Tide Africa (RTA)ABSeed Ventures+1 more
Uncover operates a chain of dermatologist-led clinics in Delhi NCR offering skin, hair, and body treatments such as laser hair removal, hair transplants, facials, and weight-loss programs.
Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessGurgaon, IN
Naveen Nishchal(Co-Founder)inSaurabh Kochhar(Founder & CEO)in
Co-investorsPICUS CAPITALABSeed VenturesChui VenturesCloud9 CapitaligniteXL Venture
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
AbwaabAlfluenceCashiDesigner-24Fresha
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Magnitt · enterpriseam.com · Aug 30, 2026
Uncover · arabfounders.net · Jun 8, 2026
Uncover · arabfounders.net · Jun 8, 2026
Hala · marcamoney.com · Jan 20, 2026
Supermama · dbcsingapore.org · Nov 17, 2025
Julaya · weetracker.com · Oct 21, 2025
TERN · spacewar.com · Oct 9, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has EQ2 Ventures made?
- EQ2 Ventures has 38 tracked investments, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does EQ2 Ventures invest at?
- EQ2 Ventures invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Late Stage stages.
- What is EQ2 Ventures's typical check size?
- EQ2 Ventures typically writes checks of $3M.
- What sectors does EQ2 Ventures focus on?
- EQ2 Ventures focuses on AdTech, AI & Machine Learning, E-commerce, EdTech, Fintech, Marketplaces, Retail Tech, SaaS.
- Where is EQ2 Ventures located?
- EQ2 Ventures is headquartered in Dubai, AE.
- Does EQ2 Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, EQ2 Ventures leads investment rounds.
- Who does EQ2 Ventures co-invest with?
- EQ2 Ventures most often shares deals with 500 Global, Wamda Capital, Nuwa Capital, among 44 tracked co-investors.
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