Flat6Labs, the leading seed and early stage VC firm in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has celebrated 10 years of supporting startups and empowering entrepreneurs all over the region. 

Launched in Cairo in 2011 by Sawari Ventures, Flat6Labs has since expanded to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Tunisia, Beirut, Bahrain, and most recently Jordan. The firm is currently managing 8 seed funds across the MENA region with a total value amounting to $85m, with over 25 institutional investors and limited partners.

“Since day one, Flat6Labs has been there to enable thousands of ambitious entrepreneurs to pursue their startups journey towards growth, by giving them an unparalleled opportunity to work with an expansive network that includes hundreds of business mentors, investors, and corporates,” said Ramez El-Serafy, Flat6Labs CEO. “We’re extremely proud to be celebrating 10 years as we look back to our fruitful work with our institutional investors, partners, startups, and community. It’s only onwards and upwards from here.”

In the past decade, Flat6Labs has funded over 1,000 startups that have been vetted from over 23,000 applications, and more than 2,000 founders supported, 36% of them being female founders.

The firm’s regional network has more than 1,000 mentors and coaches from all over the world, and 300+ corporate, governmental, and ecosystem partners. Currently, the Flat6Labs portfolio companies have thus far raised more than $70m in follow-on funding, and directly helped create more than 4,000 new jobs.

This milestone was marked with a grand ceremony that took place in Manial Palace last night. The event saw presence from all Flat6Labs offices across MENA, partners, startups, and mentors. The activities included panels with regional key opinion leaders, talks by Flat6Labs’ Limited Partners, and a celebration of Flat6Labs’ portfolio and achievements over the last decade.