For years, conversations about Middle Eastern startups have largely centered around the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. But a new generation of Iraqi founders is quietly building technology companies designed to solve local challenges, attract private capital, and reshape key sectors of the country’s economy.
That momentum was underscored this week as two Iraqi startups, Mabiati and Al Jabal Agriculture, announced separate six-figure investments from Iraqi investors and strategic partners. Both companies are backed by Orange Corners Baghdad and the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF) Iraq, signaling growing confidence in Iraq’s emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The investments represent more than just growth capital. They offer evidence that Iraqi founders are increasingly capable of building scalable businesses that address real market needs while attracting institutional support.
Mabiati Is Building Iraq’s Digital Commerce Infrastructure
Founded by Iraqi entrepreneur Mohammed Al Sultan, Mabiati is tackling one of the biggest barriers facing aspiring entrepreneurs in Iraq: the difficulty of launching and operating an online business.
The platform allows individuals and small businesses to create and manage online stores without significant upfront investment. By integrating merchants, suppliers, logistics providers, and customers into a single ecosystem, Mabiati aims to simplify the fragmented processes that often prevent entrepreneurs from participating in the digital economy. Since its launch, the company says it has served more than 20,000 customers while maintaining average growth of approximately 40 percent.
The newly secured investment is already being deployed across several strategic initiatives. These include restructuring existing obligations, strengthening operational sustainability, expanding the company’s workforce, launching the second generation of the Mabiati platform, upgrading server infrastructure, implementing automation systems, establishing an in-house content production studio, and expanding marketing partnerships.
In a country where digital commerce remains relatively underdeveloped compared with neighboring markets, platforms such as Mabiati could play an important role in lowering barriers to entrepreneurship and accelerating the adoption of online business models.
Al Jabal Agriculture Is Bringing AI to Iraqi Farms
While Mabiati focuses on commerce, Al Jabal Agriculture is applying technology to one of Iraq’s oldest and most important sectors. Founded in 2022 by remote sensing specialist Mohammed Nabeel Al-Ruwaishdi, the agritech startup combines satellite monitoring, geographic information systems, artificial intelligence, and agricultural analytics to improve farm productivity and decision-making.
The company currently manages and monitors thousands of dunams of farmland across Iraq through its technology-enabled systems. Over the next year, Al Jabal Agriculture plans to exceed 100,000 dunams under management.
According to the company, its solutions have helped clients improve agricultural productivity by more than 25 percent while reducing unnecessary spending and resource waste worth more than IQD 600 million.
The newly raised capital will support expansion of its technical infrastructure, development of more advanced AI-powered agricultural capabilities, and broader deployment across farming regions throughout Iraq.
For a country where agriculture remains a critical contributor to livelihoods and food security, technologies that improve efficiency and resource management could have significant economic impact.
Orange Corners Is Helping Shape Iraq’s Startup Pipeline
Both startups emerged from Orange Corners Baghdad and continue to receive support through the Orange Corners Innovation Fund Iraq, a growth and investment readiness program implemented by Iraq Venture Partners.
Programs such as these are becoming increasingly important as Iraq works to strengthen its entrepreneurial ecosystem. Beyond providing founders with mentorship and training, they help startups improve governance, prepare for fundraising, and build relationships with investors.
The success of companies like Mabiati and Al Jabal Agriculture suggests that these support mechanisms are beginning to produce tangible outcomes.
A New Chapter for Iraqi Entrepreneurship
Iraq’s startup ecosystem remains relatively young compared with more mature regional markets. Yet transactions such as these point to a broader shift taking place within the country.
Investors are increasingly looking beyond traditional sectors and recognizing opportunities in technology-enabled businesses that address local inefficiencies. Founders, meanwhile, are building solutions tailored specifically to Iraqi market realities rather than importing models developed elsewhere.
Whether enabling thousands of entrepreneurs to participate in e-commerce or helping farmers make smarter decisions through artificial intelligence, startups like Mabiati and Al Jabal Agriculture reflect a growing confidence that innovation can emerge from Iraq and scale beyond its borders.
Their latest investments may be measured in six figures, but their significance extends much further. They signal the rise of an ecosystem beginning to find its footing and a generation of Iraqi entrepreneurs determined to shape the country’s economic future through technology.
