Country comparison
France vs Saudi Arabia: startup funding compared
Since 2 June 2025, startups in France raised $11.8B across 366 rounds, 12.0 times Saudi Arabia's $976M.
Capital raised running total by month
Where the money goes share of capital by sector
France
Saudi Arabia
Biggest rounds
Saudi Arabia
Stage mix share of rounds
Most active investors rounds joined
| Investor | France | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Bpifrance | 55 | · |
| Kima Ventures | 46 | · |
| Daphni | 11 | · |
| Y Combinator | 10 | 1 |
| 50 Partners | 10 | · |
| Better Angle | 10 | · |
| EIC Fund | 10 | · |
| Speedinvest | 10 | · |
| Alven | 9 | · |
| BNP Paribas Développement | 9 | · |
| Elaia | 9 | · |
| OVNI Capital | 9 | · |
Startup hubs rounds and capital by city
France
Saudi Arabia
Latest rounds
Questions
Which country raised more startup funding, France or Saudi Arabia?
France. Since 2 June 2025, startups in France raised $11.8B across 366 rounds, against $976M across 42 rounds in Saudi Arabia, 12.0 times more. That is 1.7% and 0.1% of all the capital FundraiseBase tracked worldwide over the period.
How many startup funding rounds were announced in France and Saudi Arabia?
366 rounds in France and 42 rounds in Saudi Arabia since 2 June 2025, about 20 and 2 a month.
Are startup rounds bigger in France or Saudi Arabia?
The median round is $6.9M in France and $3.5M in Saudi Arabia, and the average round $32.1M and $23.2M. The median shows the typical round; the average is pulled up by a few very large ones.
What is the biggest startup round in France?
The biggest startup rounds in France since 2 June 2025 are Mistral ($3.5B, Series D, 8 Sept 2026), Mistral AI ($2B, Series C, 9 Sept 2025) and Alan ($547M, 29 Jun 2026).
What is the biggest startup round in Saudi Arabia?
The biggest startup rounds in Saudi Arabia since 2 June 2025 are barq ($330M, Series A, 15 Sept 2026), Ninja ($254M, Growth, 8 Jul 2025) and Gathern ($72.1M, Series B, 20 Aug 2025).
Which sectors attract the most startup funding in France and Saudi Arabia?
In France, AI ($7.7B, 66% of the capital), Health ($752M, 6%) and Fintech ($594M, 5%) lead. In Saudi Arabia, Fintech ($485M, 50% of the capital), Consumer ($257M, 26%) and Enterprise software ($116M, 12%) lead.
Is France or Saudi Arabia better for early-stage startups?
Early-stage rounds (Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A) make up 66% of rounds in France and 79% in Saudi Arabia. France recorded 172 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds and Saudi Arabia 24 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds, with a median of $3.1M and $1.7M.
How much growth funding (Series B and later) goes to France and Saudi Arabia?
Startups in France raised $6.8B in 30 Series B or later rounds, 58% of the country's capital. In Saudi Arabia, $132M in 3 rounds, 14% of the capital.
Who are the most active startup investors in France?
Bpifrance (55 rounds, 8 led), Kima Ventures (46 rounds, 5 led) and Daphni (11 rounds, 8 led) are the most active investors in France.
Who are the most active startup investors in Saudi Arabia?
Impact46 (5 rounds, 3 led), 500 Global (5 rounds) and Merak Capital (4 rounds, 3 led) are the most active investors in Saudi Arabia.
Which investors back startups in both France and Saudi Arabia?
3 investors joined rounds in both countries. The most active: Y Combinator (10 in France, 1 in Saudi Arabia), Andreessen Horowitz (3 in France, 1 in Saudi Arabia) and Silicon Badia (1 in France, 1 in Saudi Arabia).
Which cities lead startup funding in France and Saudi Arabia?
Paris leads France with $6.1B across 198 rounds, ahead of Grenoble ($327M). Riyadh leads Saudi Arabia with $920M across 27 rounds, ahead of Jeddah ($1.2M).
Which month brought the most startup funding?
In France, September 2026 ($3.7B). In Saudi Arabia, September 2026 ($364M).
How much did startups in France and Saudi Arabia raise in the last 90 days?
In the 90 days to 12 Nov 2026, startups in France raised $4.2B across 29 rounds and in Saudi Arabia $381M across 9 rounds.
Where does this data come from?
FundraiseBase lists startup funding rounds from public announcements: press releases, company posts and news coverage, checked and updated every day. Amounts are in US dollars. Some rounds are never announced, so the figures show what was made public, not every round. Corrections are welcome.