By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has chaired the periodic meeting of the Supreme Council of Youth, coinciding with World Youth Day and the second anniversary of the Council's establishment. The meeting was attended by several ministers and senior advisers. The Council approved reallocating IQD 75 billion [$57 million] recovered from Agricultural Initiative […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Trade has held discussions with a delegation from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Technology Centre for Entrepreneurship to explore joint mechanisms for empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Iraq. According to the Ministry's media office, Director General of the Private Sector Development […]
By John Lee. EQIQ, a UAE-based venture capital fund, has unveiled its $1.5 million pre-seed investment in Boxy, which it says is Iraq's first AI-powered logistics aggregator. Boxy aims to unify over 1,500 last-mile couriers into a single intelligent platform, addressing the fragmented logistics landscape in Iraq. EQIQ says Boxy has demonstrated early product-market fit, […]
By John Lee. Netaj, an Iraqi platform for innovation and entrepreneurial support, has announced a series of strategic partnerships, "aimed at enabling thousands of Iraqi youth to enter the e-commerce space with the tools and support they need to succeed." Among the most notable collaborations is one with Haeiz, which it describes as a leading […]
By John Lee. On 12 July 2025, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) welcomed 524 young participants from Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon to the Japan-funded "RISE LAB: Igniting Youth Potential through Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Resilience" training programme. Designed as a multi-phase approach, this programme aims to empower motivated entrepreneurs and leaders, both men and […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has launched the "Knights" [Al Fursan] programme, a locally-developed initiative aimed at fostering youth entrepreneurship and supporting the private sector's role in national economic development. The launch event, held at the CBI's headquarters on 25 June 2025, was attended by Governor Ali Mohsen Al-Allaq, who emphasised […]
By John Lee. Netaj -- a Baghdad-based innovation firm that offers venture support, strategic consulting, and capability-building for entrepreneurs and institutions -- has announced the official launch of Nawat, which it describes as the country's first-ever Venture Capital (VC) Studio. According to a press release, Nawat is designed to identify, support, and invest in high-potential […]
By John Lee. ToolMart, an Iraqi-based e-commerce platform that sells tools and hardware products, has successfully closed its seed funding round led by Plus VC and Oasis500, along with prominent angel investors from across the region. The newly-secured capital will be used to accelerate the company's growth, expand its workforce, and scale operations into new markets […]
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By John Lee. Iraq's state-owned Al-Rafidain Bank has announced the launch of the second phase of its "Riyada" initiative [Iraqi Riyada Network for Access Development and Advancement, IRADA Network], following the success of the first phase, which it says funded over 8,000 productive projects with a total of more than 107 billion IQD [$82 million]. The […]
By John Lee. A delegation of 46 Iraqi entrepreneurs and business leaders are participating in the SelectUSA Investment Summit, taking place in the US from May 11th to 14th. The event, which brings together investors, companies, and industry experts, provides a platform to explore investment opportunities in the United States. The Iraqi delegation aims to […]
From the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Fresh solutions: youth tackle tomato waste in Iraq When Zaid, a veterinarian and university lecturer, decided to enter a hackathon to dream up innovations in agriculture, he turned to […]
