Saudi digital payments company barq has closed a $329.5 million Series A at a valuation of $1.85 billion. Noon Investments, Sohar International Bank and M20 Fund took part in the round. barq plans to spend the money on new products, on running its operations more efficiently, and on moving into markets outside Saudi Arabia. Farooq now runs barq PK, the group's Pakistani arm, as Managing Director.

Sindh Enterprise Development Fund has extended its Enterprise Grant Scheme application deadline to September 30, giving eligible SMEs in five Sindh districts more time to apply.

Accelerate Prosperity is offering subsidized business financing of up to PKR 6 crore to eco-friendly startups and small businesses with at least two years of operation across Pakistan.

LSE Financial Services Limited will raise Rs159 million through a 58.89% rights issue, with most proceeds earmarked for SPAC and early-stage investment activity.

Edversity, an Ignite-backed edtech startup, has secured strategic investment from Rapidev Group to expand its AI-powered platform across Saudi Arabia and the GCC.

Metal, founded by Airlift co-founder Usman Gul, has raised $4.5 million in seed funding led by a16z Speedrun and Y Combinator.

QistBazaar has raised PKR 500 million through Pakistan's first unrated, privately placed Sukuk, subscribed by Alfalah Shariah Private Financing Fund-I.

Irbanah Ventures International LLC-FZ has acquired 4 million shares in Clover Pakistan Limited through two market purchases on August 27 and 28, 2026, at prices of PKR 6.85 and PKR 6.83 per share respectively, with no change to management or board composition reported.

Fasset has reached a $1 billion valuation after raising $68 million in Series C funding led by Japan's SBI Group, expanding its stablecoin network.

Pajic AI Lab has announced pre-seed funding for two Pakistani AI startups offering LLM access at 60-70% lower cost with local PKR payment integration.

SECP has approved the IPO of Agro Processors and Atmospheric Gases Limited for listing on Pakistan Stock Exchange, with the company offering 58.05 million shares at a price range of PKR 32 to PKR 44.80 per share to raise up to PKR 2.6 billion.

MENA startups raised $172.6 million across 45 deals in July 2026, according to Wamda, with debt financing accounting for 56 percent of total capital as Saudi Arabia led regional funding.