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Invest Qatar launched a new VC Funding Module on its online gateway Tuesday in partnership with the Qatar Investment Authority, enabling startups to connect directly with QIA-backed venture capital funds and investors. The feature centralizes discovery of investment criteria, eligibility requirements and pitch submissions while positioning Qatar as a more accessible startup funding hub in the region, according to the agency. Venture capital deployed in Qatar increased 81 percent year-on-year in 2025 to a record QR 214 million, a Magnitt report showed.
The module is available to all Invest Qatar Gateway members and streamlines the entire fundraising process from initial research to direct applications, Invest Qatar reported. Startups can explore focus areas of participating funds, many backed through the Qatar Investment Authority’s $3 billion Fund of Funds program, and access associated support services. The platform also facilitates value-added initiatives and direct submissions to fund managers, enhancing overall efficiency, transparency and connectivity between founders and investors, according to the launch details.
Dr. Hamad Rashid Al-Naimi, chief strategy officer at Invest Qatar, described the development as a deliberate enhancement to the gateway platform. “The VC Funding Module is the latest addition to the Invest Qatar Gateway, a platform we have built deliberately to streamline and simplify every stage of a founder’s journey. By bringing QIA-backed funds together on a single, transparent platform, we offer startups something rare in emerging ecosystems: a clear, direct path from idea to institutional capital, with access to the networks, expertise and resources needed to scale and succeed globally,” Al-Naimi said. The module forms the newest layer in efforts to bolster Qatar’s entrepreneurial environment through simplified access to capital.
Haya Al Ghanim, director of Qatar Funds at the Qatar Investment Authority, emphasised the module’s role in an evolving landscape. “As Qatar’s venture capital ecosystem continues to evolve, this module will provide entrepreneurs with a centralised platform that enables them to have greater visibility of the opportunities available, and clearer pathways to connect with the relevant fund managers,” Al Ghanim said. “This module supports our shared mission of establishing Qatar as a leading destination for innovation and entrepreneurship,” she added. The Qatar Investment Authority expanded its Fund of Funds program to $3 billion and it now backs 12 regional and international managers active in Qatar, a QIA statement from January indicated.
Initial funds featured on the module include the Tech Venture Fund from Qatar Science and Technology Park along with QIA-supported vehicles such as A-Typical Ventures, B Capital, Builders VC MENA, Deerfield, The Utopia Studio, Founders Circle Capital, Greycroft, Human Capital, Ion Pacific, Liberty City Ventures, Rasmal Ventures, Shorooq, Speedinvest and The Radical Fund, Invest Qatar listed. Entrepreneurs are advised to register on the gateway, evaluate specific investment criteria and submit pitches directly via the new system. This curated network aims to reduce friction in the funding cycle for both local and regional startups seeking institutional backing.
Qatar’s startup ecosystem advanced three places to rank 73rd globally in StartupBlink’s 2026 Global Startup Ecosystem Index, achieving a 43.5 percent growth rate that marked the country’s highest position to date. The improvement coincides with heightened investor engagement and policy measures designed to nurture innovation beyond the energy sector, according to the index compilers. Total startup funding in Qatar exceeded $35 million in 2025, StartupBlink figures show. These trends complement the new module’s objective of broadening capital access.
The Qatar private equity and venture capital market stood at $2.82 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $17.59 billion by 2034, an IMARC Group assessment found. Such expansion forecasts highlight the potential impact of digital tools that connect founders more efficiently with available capital pools. Invest Qatar has urged eligible startups to utilise the gateway and the VC Funding Module to engage with the listed funds and associated ecosystem partners.
