Country comparison
Italy vs Saudi Arabia: startup funding compared
Since 10 June 2025, startups in Italy raised $1.8B across 117 rounds, 1.8 times Saudi Arabia's $976M.
Capital raised running total by month
Where the money goes share of capital by sector
Italy
Saudi Arabia
Biggest rounds
Stage mix share of rounds
Most active investors rounds joined
| Investor | Italy | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| CDP Venture Capital | 29 | · |
| Vento | 11 | · |
| 360 Capital | 8 | · |
| United Ventures | 8 | · |
| Italian Founders Fund | 6 | · |
| 500 Global | · | 5 |
| Club degli Investitori | 5 | · |
| Impact46 | · | 5 |
| Vento Ventures | 5 | · |
| Vertis SGR | 5 | · |
| Base10 Partners | 4 | · |
| COTU Ventures | · | 4 |
Startup hubs rounds and capital by city
Italy
Saudi Arabia
Latest rounds
Questions
Which country raised more startup funding, Italy or Saudi Arabia?
Italy. Since 10 June 2025, startups in Italy raised $1.8B across 117 rounds, against $976M across 42 rounds in Saudi Arabia, 1.8 times more. That is 0.3% and 0.1% of all the capital FundraiseBase tracked worldwide over the period.
How many startup funding rounds were announced in Italy and Saudi Arabia?
117 rounds in Italy and 42 rounds in Saudi Arabia since 10 June 2025, about 7 and 2 a month.
Are startup rounds bigger in Italy or Saudi Arabia?
The median round is $3.8M in Italy and $3.5M in Saudi Arabia, and the average round $15.3M 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 Italy?
The biggest startup rounds in Italy since 10 June 2025 are Exein ($270M, 15 Sept 2026), Bending Spoons ($270M, Growth, 30 Oct 2025) and AAVantgarde Bio ($141M, Series B, 3 Nov 2025).
What is the biggest startup round in Saudi Arabia?
The biggest startup rounds in Saudi Arabia since 10 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 Italy and Saudi Arabia?
In Italy, AI ($544M, 30% of the capital), Enterprise software ($358M, 20%) and Health ($335M, 19%) lead. In Saudi Arabia, Fintech ($485M, 50% of the capital), Consumer ($257M, 26%) and Enterprise software ($116M, 12%) lead.
Is Italy or Saudi Arabia better for early-stage startups?
Early-stage rounds (Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A) make up 57% of rounds in Italy and 79% in Saudi Arabia. Italy recorded 52 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds and Saudi Arabia 24 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds, with a median of $2.3M and $1.7M.
How much growth funding (Series B and later) goes to Italy and Saudi Arabia?
Startups in Italy raised $461M in 8 Series B or later rounds, 26% of the country's capital. In Saudi Arabia, $132M in 3 rounds, 14% of the capital.
Who are the most active startup investors in Italy?
CDP Venture Capital (29 rounds, 10 led), Vento (11 rounds) and United Ventures (8 rounds, 6 led) are the most active investors in Italy.
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 Italy and Saudi Arabia?
1 investor joined rounds in both countries. The most active: Qatar Development Bank (1 in Italy, 1 in Saudi Arabia).
Which cities lead startup funding in Italy and Saudi Arabia?
Milan leads Italy with $976M across 53 rounds, ahead of Rome ($381M). Riyadh leads Saudi Arabia with $920M across 27 rounds, ahead of Jeddah ($1.2M).
Which month brought the most startup funding?
In Italy, October 2025 ($474M). In Saudi Arabia, September 2026 ($364M).
How much did startups in Italy and Saudi Arabia raise in the last 90 days?
In the 90 days to 12 Nov 2026, startups in Italy raised $391M across 12 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.