Country comparison
Italy vs United Arab Emirates: startup funding compared
Since 10 June 2025, startups in Italy raised $1.8B across 117 rounds, 1.1 times the United Arab Emirates' $1.7B.
Capital raised running total by month
Where the money goes share of capital by sector
Italy
United Arab Emirates
Biggest rounds
United Arab Emirates
Stage mix share of rounds
Most active investors rounds joined
| Investor | Italy | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| CDP Venture Capital | 29 | · |
| Vento | 11 | · |
| 360 Capital | 8 | · |
| United Ventures | 8 | · |
| Italian Founders Fund | 6 | · |
| Club degli Investitori | 5 | · |
| Plus VC | · | 5 |
| Vento Ventures | 5 | · |
| Vertis SGR | 5 | · |
| Base10 Partners | 4 | · |
| Entourage | 4 | · |
| Oraseya Capital | · | 4 |
Startup hubs rounds and capital by city
Italy
United Arab Emirates
Latest rounds
Questions
Which country raised more startup funding, Italy or the United Arab Emirates?
Italy. Since 10 June 2025, startups in Italy raised $1.8B across 117 rounds, against $1.7B across 52 rounds in the United Arab Emirates, 1.1 times more. That is 0.3% and 0.2% of all the capital FundraiseBase tracked worldwide over the period.
How many startup funding rounds were announced in Italy and the United Arab Emirates?
117 rounds in Italy and 52 rounds in the United Arab Emirates since 10 June 2025, about 7 and 3 a month.
Are startup rounds bigger in Italy or the United Arab Emirates?
The median round is $3.8M in Italy and $4.5M in the United Arab Emirates, and the average round $15.3M and $32.6M. 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 the United Arab Emirates?
The biggest startup rounds in the United Arab Emirates since 10 June 2025 are Cadena ($275M, Series C, 10 Jun 2026), Moove ($250M, Series C, 5 Aug 2026) and Tabby ($233M, 15 Sept 2026).
Which sectors attract the most startup funding in Italy and the United Arab Emirates?
In Italy, AI ($544M, 30% of the capital), Enterprise software ($358M, 20%) and Health ($335M, 19%) lead. In the United Arab Emirates, AI ($684M, 40% of the capital), Fintech ($384M, 23%) and Enterprise software ($62.5M, 4%) lead.
Is Italy or the United Arab Emirates better for early-stage startups?
Early-stage rounds (Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A) make up 57% of rounds in Italy and 65% in the United Arab Emirates. Italy recorded 52 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds and the United Arab Emirates 28 Pre-Seed or Seed rounds, with a median of $2.3M and $2M.
How much growth funding (Series B and later) goes to Italy and the United Arab Emirates?
Startups in Italy raised $461M in 8 Series B or later rounds, 26% of the country's capital. In the United Arab Emirates, $696M in 6 rounds, 41% 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 the United Arab Emirates?
Plus VC (5 rounds, 2 led), Oraseya Capital (4 rounds, 1 led) and Salica Oryx Fund (3 rounds, 1 led) are the most active investors in the United Arab Emirates.
Which investors back startups in both Italy and the United Arab Emirates?
6 investors joined rounds in both countries. The most active: Plug and Play (2 in Italy, 2 in the United Arab Emirates), Partech (1 in Italy, 2 in the United Arab Emirates), Balderton Capital (1 in Italy, 1 in the United Arab Emirates), Picus Capital (1 in Italy, 1 in the United Arab Emirates) and Tether (1 in Italy, 1 in the United Arab Emirates).
Which cities lead startup funding in Italy and the United Arab Emirates?
Milan leads Italy with $976M across 53 rounds, ahead of Rome ($381M). Dubai leads the United Arab Emirates with $1.1B across 35 rounds, ahead of Abu Dhabi ($302M).
Which month brought the most startup funding?
In Italy, October 2025 ($474M). In the United Arab Emirates, January 2026 ($429M).
How much did startups in Italy and the United Arab Emirates raise in the last 90 days?
In the 90 days to 12 Nov 2026, startups in Italy raised $391M across 12 rounds and in the United Arab Emirates $261M across 6 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.