From Tajarib. Re-published with permission by Iraq Business News. QiCard Acquires Miswag The fintech conglomerate continues its series of investments with the acquisition of Iraq's largest e-commerce platform for an undisclosed seven-figure sum Tajarib has announced the International Smart Card Company's (better known as Qi or QiCard) seven-figure acquisition of Iraqi e-commerce giant Miswag. The […]
By John Lee. The International Labour Organization (ILO) and Iraq's Higher Council for Youth launched a national program to equip Iraqi youth with skills in the green economy, career guidance, and decent work practices. The program includes ILO's "Start and Improve Your Business" (SIYB) initiative to help youth start and scale sustainable businesses. Trainer performance […]
By John Lee. Food and last-mile delivery service Alsaree3 has announced that it has successfully closed its 'Series A' capital raising round, securing an undisclosed seven-figure investment. A press release describes this funding round as particularly noteworthy due to the participation of Snoonu, which it says is Qatar's leading food delivery and e-commerce platform. It […]
Five One Labs Launches New Business Support Program in Iraq in Partnership with the World Bank Group The World Bank Group and Five One Labs, an international startup incubator with operations in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, are partnering to spearhead initiatives supporting forcibly displaced related startups and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in […]
By John Lee. The winners have been announced in the International Trade Centre (ITC)'s Agriculture Innovation Hackathon, held recently in Nineveh province. According to the organisers, Nineveh-based SMEs Nabu, BSF and Aero Plant stood out with their exceptional ideas for addressing the significant challenges of water scarcity and sustainable agriculture due to decreasing water levels […]
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. The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq and the United States Agency for International […]
By John Lee. Iraq's General Directorate for Industrial Development (GDID) has launched a new loan mechanism for small, medium, and micro enterprises (MSMEs). The loans are made in conjunction with the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), and can be worth up to 20 million Iraqi dinars ($15,000) per loan. Dr. Ali Ibrahim Janaan, Director General […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani chaired the fifth meeting of the Supreme Council for Youth, discussing and approving several initiatives: The Council launched the National Entrepreneurship Competition, in collaboration with the Riyada initiative, to support 100 youth-led entrepreneurial projects with loans up to 100 million dinars [$76,00] each. Additionally, the Council approved […]
By John Lee. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the German international development agency, has issued a press release outlining the success of its support for the 'Makers of Baghdad' innovation centres. Between 2019 and 2023, 1,236 Iraqis took part in business training and programming courses at the tech hubs. Subsequently, 221 of them […]
From Five One Invest. Re-published with permission by Iraq Business News. Over the past few years, Five One Invest has worked closely with Iraqi founders and investors. The major complaint from growth-stage startups is that investors in Iraq are risk-averse and do not know "venture investing." On the other hand, investors emphasize that there is […]
By John Lee. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), Iraq Venture Partners (IVP), and Innovest Middle East have created a new initiative that aims to address the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Iraq. A statement from IFC said the new program, "Scale Iraq (#ScaleIraq)", will support 20 startups, addressing their specific needs and gaps, esigning and […]
By John Lee. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Government of Germany, through the KfW Development Bank, have launched the sixth phase of their ongoing partnership, aiming to create 1,100 new jobs in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Iraq, via its Enterprise Development Fund (EDF) component. The program provides financial capital to […]
