Top Startups in Qatar, (Doha)

If you’re on the lookout for a city bursting with ambition, you could do a lot worse than Doha. Qatar’s capital has become the darling of the Gulf’s startup crowd – and not just because of that billion-dollar boost from the state’s sovereign wealth fund. With $3.5 billion earmarked for early-stage startups, founders now have access to plush incubators, co-working spaces, and fresh seed funding streams.

The city’s pitch decks are seeing more action, as locals and newcomers get their ideas in front of VC funds, accelerators, and angel investors. And with Web Summit Qatar 2025 set to draw thousands of tech types to town, you’d be hard pressed to find a more energised spot for startup magic on the peninsula. As the ecosystem evolves, here’s a look at a few homegrown ventures you’ll want to know.

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Bonocle has been leading the way for assistive tech in Qatar since 2014. The duo behind it – Abdelrazek Aly and Ramy Abdulzaher – are determined to use new technology to help people with visual impairments navigate everyday life. Their focus on accessibility and inclusion goes deeper than ticking a CSR box – it’s about real empowerment through clever devices that open up worlds.

It’s a reminder that for every glitzy VC round or slick accelerator, there are founders using the same support to make a real social difference in Doha and beyond.

Handling payments shouldn’t be a puzzle, and with Dibsy it isn’t. This Doha-based payment gateway upends clunky transaction systems, making online payments fast and friendly for merchants. They simplify the move from tangled old-school systems to streamlined digital setups, which suits early-stage retail or hospitality founders eager to scale without getting bogged down in admin nightmares.

As more founders bring digital innovation to legacy sectors, tools like this are a big part of why Qatar’s startup ecosystem keeps growing.

Kanari AI’s big claim to fame is making Arabic-language speech tech actually work – not just for standard Arabic, but for all those tricky dialects too. Founded by Ryan Carmichae, the company delivers automatic speech recognition and text-to-speech solutions tailored for the region, plugging a gap global tech often overlooks. It’s a cracking example of homegrown talent using deep R&D and a local edge to build technology few others try to tackle.

In a buzzy startup ecosystem like Doha’s, there’s real room for language specialists and software founders to make their mark (and even get a nod from Arageek readers).

Based in the buzzing Msheireb district, KARTY is out to simplify personal finance with its all-in-one app for managing spending, saving, and more. With $1.2 million raised in pre-seed funding from heavyweights like Visa and Qatar Foundation, plus local angel investors, KARTY proves Qatar’s venture capital scene is perfectly capable of getting behind big fintech ideas early on. Their blend of global backers and local focus is one reason why they’re a hot topic among founders hunting for scalable cap tables.

What KARTY demonstrates is how a supportive funding round with a clean term sheet can help founders focus on product, not paperwork, inside a vibrant startup accelerator scene.

Founded by Shada Bennbaia, MedivAI is moving Qatar’s healthtech scene forward with its AI-powered system for round-the-clock health monitoring. Rather than wait for symptoms to show, their tech helps both patients and hospitals catch trends early, making medical care more personalised and a lot less reactive.

MedivAI highlights how Qatari founders are embracing seed funding and technical partnerships to solve real-world health challenges in the region’s evolving tech landscape.

Muallemi, steered by Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Abdullah Nazeer, is tailor-made for Qatar’s education sector. By working closely with schools, their 1-to-1 maths learning system aims to boost understanding and close knowledge gaps. For founders obsessed with impact, there’s lesson here: if you can solve a real problem for a crucial sector, the city’s ecosystem – from angel investors to structured funding rounds – will have your back and even help you ace your cap table.

Clearly, whether it’s edtech, health, or good old-fashioned mobility, founders in Doha can acheive big things with the right support.

For those needing a lift, RYDE offers a Qatari take on ride-hailing, sporting bold orange branding and an easy-to-use app. With its focus on local needs (think: reliable pricing and on-demand rides tailored for Qatar), RYDE gives residents a homegrown alternative to the global giants. Plus, it’s another showcase for how local accelerators can breed solutions genuinely suited to the market.

That’s why the right push from an incubator or angel backer can be the difference between a concept and a citywide brand.

SkipCash is one of Doha's fintech frontrunners, offering a mobile payment app designed to make retail and business transactions a breeze. Think of it as streamlining your daily tap-and-go spending, catering to the city’s growing appetite for efficient financial tools. Recognised as Qatar’s second-best startup this year and already pocketing awards, it's clear they’ve struck a chord with both consumers and merchants craving modern solutions.

This kind of fintech innovation proves how solid support from local incubators can take ambitious projects from pitch deck to real-world impact in the Doha startup ecosystem.

At the top of Qatar’s startup charts for 2025 is Snoonu, the app shaking up shopping and delivery in Doha. Snoonu bills itself as a one-stop service for everything from grabbing groceries to sorting out your e-commerce needs, all wrapped up in a simple, seamless digital package. For those who want errands sorted with a tap and crave a smoother lifestyle, it’s a welcome relief that cuts out the hassel.

Their success highlights how the right accelerator and access to VC funding can catapult a solid idea straight to market leader in Qatar’s fast-moving digital sphere.

Doha’s startup ecosystem isn’t just alive – it’s thriving. That billion-dollar fund, fresh VC interest, and big accelerator bets are going to keep drawing in sharp minds and ambitious founders. If you’re plotting your own launch, don’t scrimp on your pitch deck, be picky with what co-working space you choose, and try swapping generic buzzwords for something that sticks. Add a tight bridging sentence and you’ll sound less robotic than half the AI out there – Arageek regulars know the difference. Here’s to seeing more ambitious startups turn their next funding round into lasting impact across Qatar.