[Manama, Bahrain] — 3 March 2025: Foras, a prominent investment firm based in Abu Dhabi
and focused on innovative startups in the MENA region, has announced its acquisition of a 36%
stake in Beban, a licensed company by the Central Bank of Bahrain as a Crowdfunding Platform
Operator. This strategic investment aims to foster the growth of startups and enhance access to
capital for entrepreneurs throughout the region.
“This acquisition marks a significant milestone for both companies” said Mohamed Abouelnaga,
Founder of Foras ” We are excited about the potential to collaborate and drive growth in the
MENA startup landscape through Beban Crowdfunding and our collective mission to empower
entrepreneurs.
We aim to bridge the gap between SMEs seeking funding and regional individual
and accredited investors as the Venture Capital funding market in Africa alone is valued at $2.9
billion while the SMEs credit group is valued at $450 billion, whereas the Crowdfunding market
is expected to reach USD 40.03 billion by 2033. By providing innovative solutions to access
funding through Sharia‘a compliant Murabaha debt and equity crowdfunding that will enable
SMEs to solve their current liquidity issues and will pave the way for them to succeed and make
a lasting impact.”
Beban Crowdfunding has established itself as a significant player in the crowdfunding
landscape, providing a unique take on equity investment as it brings together opportunities
highlighted in the Beban TV Show as well as other opportunities from the local and regional
ecosystem that support entrepreneurs with essential resources to secure funding for their
ventures.
With Foras” investment, the platform is set to expand its offerings and further support
the entrepreneurial ecosystem as Foras has a proven record of increasing awareness in the
region regarding investments through its media channels such as Elmal Elhalal podcast.
From his end, Sh. Hamed AlKhalifa, Chairman of Hope Ventures Holding, the parent company
of Beban, commented saying “We are thrilled to welcome Foras as a strategic partner. Their
expertise and extensive network will be instrumental in enhancing our platform and expanding
our support for entrepreneurs. Together, we are committed to fostering innovation and providing
more with Beban Crowdfunding which has provided alternative funding for businesses in
Bahrain and the GCC with over $250,000 secured from more than 5000 individual and
corporate investors.”
This collaboration between Beban and Foras is an important step on the path to the
development of new features and resources, ultimately benefiting both entrepreneurs seeking
funding and investors looking for promising opportunities.
