QIA Joins Speedinvest’s MEA Fund to Strengthen Doha VC Ecosystem

Doha, Qatar - European venture capital firm Speedinvest has launched a new Middle East and Africa-focused fund, backed by Qatar Investment Authority, Mubadala Investment Company and EIB Global, as the firm expands its presence across high-growth startup markets in the region. The move adds further momentum to cross-regional venture capital activity linking Europe, the Gulf and Africa.

QIA link strengthens Doha’s venture capital ambitions

The launch comes shortly after Speedinvest was named among the funds joining QIA’s expanded Fund of Funds programme. In February 2026, QIA said it had increased the programme’s total capital commitment to $3 billion and confirmed that Speedinvest was one of five new fund managers joining the platform, which now supports 12 regional and international managers in Qatar. QIA said the programme is intended to bring venture capital expertise to Doha and deepen the country’s links to global startup markets. 

Speedinvest expands beyond Europe

Founded more than 15 years ago, Speedinvest manages more than €1.2 billion in assets and has built a portfolio that includes companies such as Bitpanda, GoStudent and Tide. The new fund marks a broader strategic expansion beyond Europe, formalising the firm’s longer-term investment activity across Middle East and African startup ecosystems. 

Focus on growth sectors across MEA

The fund is aimed at early growth-stage startups across the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan, Türkiye and sub-Saharan Africa. Its investment focus includes fintech and embedded finance, artificial intelligence, climate technology and digital infrastructure, reflecting the sectors drawing the strongest investor attention across emerging venture markets. 

Building on an existing regional footprint

Speedinvest is not entering the region from scratch. The firm has already backed companies including Moove, FairMoney, Khazna, Abhi and Flow48, and says the new strategy will be supported by teams working closely with founders on the ground. That gives the fund a base of regional experience as it looks to scale its presence and support startups through the next stage of growth. 

European and Gulf institutions deepen regional startup exposure

The backing from QIA, Mubadala and EIB Global reflects growing institutional interest in startup ecosystems across the Middle East and Africa. EIB Global separately announced in March 2026 that it had committed €40 million to a Speedinvest Africa fund to support tech companies contributing to digital and financial inclusion and to strengthen innovation ties between Africa and Europe. Together, these commitments point to a broader effort to channel more long-term capital into scalable technology businesses across the region.

The fund launch highlights how major investors are increasingly treating the Middle East and Africa as connected venture markets with growing relevance for global capital. For Qatar, Speedinvest’s expansion also supports the wider aim of using the Fund of Funds programme to attract top international venture firms to Doha and strengthen the local startup ecosystem through knowledge transfer, market access and deeper investor networks.