By Amb. Hamdi Saleh
Abu Dhabi–based alternative asset manager Shorooq has announced the launch of a new $200 million fund aimed at supporting late-stage companies across the Gulf region as they prepare for potential public listings. The fund is backed by Qatar Investment Authority, alongside other sovereign and institutional investors from the Gulf and Asia.
The initiative targets a critical gap in the region’s investment ecosystem: the shortage of structured growth capital for companies that have moved beyond early-stage venture funding but are not yet ready to access public markets. While the Gulf has seen strong momentum in startup formation and early-stage investment, many companies struggle to scale sustainably or meet the governance and capital requirements needed for initial public offerings.
Shorooq stated that the fund will focus on businesses that have already demonstrated commercial viability, with real revenues and strong margins, but require institutional backing to expand operations, professionalize governance, and prepare for IPOs within the next two to three years.
According to co-founder and partner Mahmoud Adi, the strongest opportunities lie in companies with solid economic fundamentals that remain underserved by traditional financing channels. These businesses often sit at a pivotal stage, where access to patient, structured capital can determine whether they successfully transition into regional or global market leaders.
The fund’s investment strategy prioritizes sectors considered strategically important to regional economic development, including fintech infrastructure, enterprise software, artificial intelligence, and technology platforms serving regulated or critical industries across the Middle East and North Africa.
Shorooq emphasized that investment decisions will favor companies aligned with national and regional development priorities, reflecting the Gulf’s broader ambition to deepen capital markets, strengthen private-sector champions, and reduce reliance on early-stage venture funding alone.
The participation of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund highlights growing cross-Gulf cooperation in technology investment and capital formation. As Gulf economies accelerate diversification efforts and seek to build globally competitive technology ecosystems, late-stage growth capital is increasingly viewed as a missing link in transforming startups into publicly listed, scalable enterprises.
