Welcome to this week's pulse on MENA's startup ecosystem! That’s right! As always, we have all the latest tech, unmissable events, and top opportunities coming your way!

Here’s What’s Sparking Intrest This Week:

• Weekly Funding Roundup

• In The News

• Upcoming Programs & Opportunities

• Cool Events

• Interesting Stuff

• Techy Bytes

Weekly Funding Roundup

• U-topia (UAE) raises $850K in funding

• Fortis (UAE) closes $20 million Series A

• DocsInBox (UAE) secures $500K in funding

• Penny Software (Saudi) raises undisclosed pre-Series A round

• Arab Therapy (Jordan) closes $1 million investment round

• The Potcast Productions (Egypt) secures early funding

In The News

• Microsoft invests $1.5 billion in Abu Dhabi’s G42 for AI and expansion

• Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures closes pan-African venture fund at $60m

• Algeria launches first digital business incubator for startups

• Saudi Arabia expands honey production with $37M investment

• QCP Capital and Further Ventures announce Middle East crypto expansion

• Qatar grants sponsorship-free business residencies

• NEOM plans $1.3 billion sukuk sale

• Hub71 welcomes 25 startups in Cohort 14

• Beltone Venture Capital (Egypt) partners with CI Venture Capital

• InDrive plans $10 million investment in Egyptian startups

Upcoming Programs & Opportunities

• Startupbootcamp MENA launches Fintech Solutions

• Startupbootcamp AIvolution opens for 2024

• Orange Corners PT starts Incubation Cycle 5

• MANTRA launches fintech incubator

• Africa Tech Startup Forum opens accelerator applications

• SLINGSHOT 2024 invites deep tech pitches

• Hasoub offers FemTech Innovation Program

• Plug and Play Morocco opens Smart Cities Accelerator Batch 7

• Sharjah Advanced Industry Accelerator (SAIA) is now open

Must-Attend Events

• Manama Entrepreneurship Week, April 21-25, Manama

• Balancing Decarbonization with Profitability, April 23, Dubai

• Mobilizing for Gaza: Creating Jobs for Palestinians, April 24, Virtual

• How to Acquire Your First Customers with SEO by Founder Institute, April 24, Virtual

• Gen AI Hackathon, April 28, Amman

Interesting Stuff

• The AI Workforce is Here

• How to Raise Pre-Seed (and Seed) Financing for Your Startup

• Digital Payments Revolution in the Middle East

• New app for waste recycling in Egypt

Techy Bytes

• Samsung overtakes Apple as the world's top smartphone seller

• Meta releases Llama 3 and integrates its AI chatbot across its apps

• A Lebanese newspaper launches the world's first AI President

• Khaleeji Bank introduces "Hafeez"

• Google debuts Vids AI

• Bitcoin has been halved