14 Manama fintech investors fund Bahrain startups in 2026. Al Waha, Investcorp, and Tenmou back payments and open banking. Bahrain's fintech market reached $1.4B in 2025.
Bahrain built itself into a Gulf fintech hub early. Open banking rules pulled startups straight to Manama.
Al Waha and the BDB seed much of the local ecosystem. Investcorp and Mumtalakat back the largest fintech deals.
Most rounds need a CBB license path and real volume. Ellty tracks every data room open from these funds.
This guide lists 14 active Manama fintech investors in 2026.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Waha Fund of Funds | Fund of funds | $5M-$15M | Fintech, deep tech | alwahafund.com |
| Investcorp | Growth / buyout | $30M-$75M | Fintech, software, cybersecurity | investcorp.com |
| Bahrain Development Bank | Development bank | $50K-$5M | Fintech, SME, tech | bdb-bh.com |
| Tenmou | Angel network | $50K-$500K | Fintech, e-commerce, SaaS | tenmou.me |
| Hope Ventures | Pre-seed to Series A VC | $100K-$2M | Fintech, tech, consumer | hopeventures.io |
| Flat6Labs Bahrain | Accelerator + seed VC | ~$32K + follow-on | Fintech, SaaS, consumer | flat6labs.com |
| Brinc | Accelerator | $50K-$150K | Web3, AI, fintech-adjacent | brinc.io |
| 500 Global | Pre-seed / Seed VC | $100K-$1M | Fintech, SaaS, marketplaces | 500.co |
| MEVP | Seed to growth VC | $1M-$8.5M | Fintech, SaaS, healthtech | mevp.com |
| Shorooq Partners | Seed / Series A VC | $1M-$10M | Fintech, platforms, credit | shorooq.com |
| Mumtalakat | Sovereign wealth fund | $10M+ | Financial services, fintech | mumtalakat.bh |
| Beyon Ventures | Corporate VC | Undisclosed | Fintech, payments, telecom-tech | beyongroup.com |
| Gulf International Bank | Corporate / strategic | Undisclosed | Banking, digital finance | gib.com |
| Bahrain FinTech Bay | Ecosystem hub | Program-based | Fintech, open banking, payments | bahrainfintechbay.com |
Run your Manama fintech raise tight
Bahraini VCs open your license docs before your deck. Ellty logs every single view.
Start free 14-day trialWhat a Bahrain fintech VC backs
A fintech investor backs startups that move or lend money. In Bahrain that means a clear path to a CBB license.
Most Manama fintech VCs write seed and Series A rounds. Founders pitching Amman fintech investors face the same bar.
They want live volume, unit economics, and a license plan. A clean fundraising plan keeps the whole round tight.
Ellty gives each fund one trackable link and logs every open. You see who studied your license docs before the call.
Bahrain's proactive regulatory environment, exemplified by the Central Bank of Bahrain's pioneering fintech regulations, crypto assets, stablecoin and open banking framework, continues to attract global players looking to access the fast-growing GCC market.
14 Manama fintech investors
1. Al Waha Fund of Funds
Al Waha is Bahrain's $100M government-backed fund of funds.
Recent Activity: Backed VentureSouq's MENA FinTech Fund and launched a venture studio with Hambro Perks
LinkedIn: Al Waha Fund of Funds LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, deep tech
Stage Focus: Fund of funds
Check Size: $5M-$15M into funds
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: alwahafund.com
2. Investcorp
Investcorp is a Bahrain-listed global alternative asset manager.
Recent Activity: Closed its $570M Technology Partners V fund in 2024 for software and fintech
LinkedIn: Investcorp LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, software, cybersecurity
Stage Focus: Growth, buyout
Check Size: $30M-$75M
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: investcorp.com
3. Bahrain Development Bank
BDB is Bahrain's state development bank funding startups.
Recent Activity: Launched a $265M private credit SME growth fund and runs Al Waha and Hope
LinkedIn: Bahrain Development Bank LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, SME, tech
Stage Focus: Seed, growth, debt
Check Size: $50K-$5M
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: bdb-bh.com
4. Tenmou
Tenmou is Bahrain's first angel investor network.
Recent Activity: An active Bahraini angel network with 5 exits averaging around 6x returns
LinkedIn: Tenmou LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, e-commerce, SaaS
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: $50K-$500K
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: tenmou.me
5. Hope Ventures
Hope Ventures is a Bahrain startup investor listed on the BIM.
Recent Activity: Listed on the Bahrain Investment Market in 2024 and runs an accelerator
LinkedIn: Hope Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, tech, consumer
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to Series A
Check Size: $100K-$2M
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: hopeventures.io
6. Flat6Labs Bahrain
Flat6Labs runs a Tamkeen-backed seed accelerator in Bahrain.
Recent Activity: Graduated its latest cohort of 8 Bahraini startups in its funding cycle
LinkedIn: Flat6Labs LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, SaaS, consumer
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: ~$32K + follow-on
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: flat6labs.com
Share license docs and track every VC open
Ellty shows when Al Waha or Investcorp opens your license docs. Follow up fast.
Start free 14-day trial7. Brinc
Brinc is a global accelerator with a Bahrain MENA program.
Recent Activity: Partnered with StartUp Bahrain to accelerate MENA startups from Manama
LinkedIn: Brinc LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Web3, AI, fintech-adjacent
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: $50K-$150K
Location: Manama / Hong Kong
Website: brinc.io
8. 500 Global
500 Global is a global early-stage VC active in Bahrain.
Recent Activity: Backed via the Al Waha Fund of Funds, an active MENA seed investor
LinkedIn: 500 Global LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, SaaS, marketplaces
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: $100K-$1M
Location: San Francisco / Bahrain-active
Website: 500.co
9. MEVP
MEVP is a MENA VC with a Bahrain office and growth-stage fintech.
Recent Activity: An investor in Bahrain's Rain and its $110M Series B, with $300M in assets
LinkedIn: MEVP LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, SaaS, healthtech
Stage Focus: Seed to growth
Check Size: $1M-$8.5M
Location: Dubai / Bahrain office
Website: mevp.com
10. Shorooq Partners
Shorooq Partners is a MENA VC based at Bahrain FinTech Bay.
Recent Activity: Took an Al Waha commitment, backs fintech like Tamara and Lean Technologies
LinkedIn: Shorooq Partners LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, platforms, credit
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: $1M-$10M
Location: Abu Dhabi / Bahrain office
Website: shorooq.com
11. Mumtalakat
Mumtalakat is Bahrain's $20B sovereign wealth fund.
Recent Activity: Invested in Singapore Gulf Bank, a digital and crypto-focused bank
LinkedIn: Mumtalakat LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Financial services, fintech
Stage Focus: Growth, strategic
Check Size: $10M+
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: mumtalakat.bh
12. Beyon Ventures
Beyon Ventures is the innovation arm of Bahrain telecom Beyon.
Recent Activity: Runs the Beyon Money open-banking super app under a CBB licence
LinkedIn: Beyon LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, payments, telecom-tech
Stage Focus: Seed, corporate
Check Size: Undisclosed
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: beyongroup.com
13. Gulf International Bank
GIB is a Bahrain pan-Gulf bank backing digital finance.
Recent Activity: An active Bahraini digital banking player behind the meem digital bank
LinkedIn: Gulf International Bank LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Banking, fintech, digital finance
Stage Focus: Corporate, strategic
Check Size: Undisclosed
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: gib.com
14. Bahrain FinTech Bay
Bahrain FinTech Bay is the country's leading fintech hub.
Recent Activity: Co-hosted Fintech Forward 2025 with 38 MoUs, runs the NBB Digital Challenge
LinkedIn: Bahrain FinTech Bay LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Fintech, open banking, payments
Stage Focus: Ecosystem, pre-seed
Check Size: Program-based
Location: Manama, Bahrain
Website: bahrainfintechbay.com
Bahrain as a fintech hub
Bahrain moved early to become a Gulf fintech base. Low costs and open rules pulled in many new founders.
Bahrain FinTech Bay anchors the whole local scene. It links startups, banks, and the regulators tightly.
Founders share metrics and a model with each fund. Keep board and investor relations updates current.
Run financial due diligence on your numbers early. Bahraini funds reward founders who arrive fully ready.
CBB rules and the regulatory sandbox
The Central Bank of Bahrain runs a fintech sandbox. It lets startups test new products under close watch.
More than 50 startups have passed through the sandbox. A clear license path gates most of the early funding.
Investors check your CBB readiness before they wire. Keep license files behind tight granular permissions.
Send monthly license and volume updates to keep VCs warm. Ellty shows you exactly who still reads each update.
Open banking and the Gulf market
Bahrain led the Gulf region on open banking rules. That opened the door for payment and data startups.
Bahrain's home market is small, so fintechs expand. Saudi and the UAE are often the much bigger prize.
Investors back teams that can scale across the Gulf. Cross-border deals need tight control on shared files.
Lock your sensitive files with password protection. Run operational due diligence before you scale.
How to pitch a Manama fintech investor
Lead with a license plan, live volume, and clean metrics.
- 1.Map your CBB license path first.A clear plan unlocks Bahraini VCs.
- 2.Show live volume and unit economics.Bahrain VCs fund traction, not slides.
- 3.Map your path across the Gulf.Show funds how you scale past Bahrain.
- 4.Share one Ellty link per fund and track opens.Follow up when a VC reads your license docs.
How Ellty helps you land a fintech investor in Manama
You've found your Manama fintech investors already. Set up a data room before your first pitch.
- 1.Upload your license docs, metrics, and deck to Ellty.Set NDA-gated access per investor.
- 2.Share a unique trackable link with each fund.Each fund gets one link. Ellty logs every open.
- 3.Track opens and follow up the moment they read.Use Ellty analytics to time your follow-up.
Manama fintech investor questions
- VCs, banks, and government funds. Al Waha, Investcorp, and Tenmou lead it.
- Cheques run $50K to $75M in 2026. Big funds write the largest ones.
- A license path, live volume, and clean metrics. Vague compliance kills deals.
- It moved early on open banking rules. The CBB sandbox draws startups.
- Yes, Saudi and the UAE are bigger. A clear export plan lifts your round.
- Before outreach starts. Track who opens your license and metrics docs.
