We Raised $15 Million in Our Series B Funding Round

We raised $15 Million. This money is going to allow us to grow, so we can better serve you. 

Three years ago we launched Sarwa with a small team and a simple mission: to help people in the MENA region achieve financial independence by demystifying the tools the ultra-wealthy had at their disposal. Today, with over 40,000 registered users, the support of the community, and an incredible team, Sarwa continues to push forward on its mission: smart investing made easy, accessible to all regardless of their background, age, or net worth.  

The Series B round was led by Mubadala Investment Company with 500 Startups, Kuwait Projects Company, Shorooq Partners, Middle East Venture Partners, DIFC, Hambro Perks Oryx Fund, HALA Ventures, and Vision Ventures also participating.

This is a huge vote of confidence. It’s humbling to receive such incredible support to help us drive the changes within the fintech industry in the region. 

We will use the new capital to reach more people, grow our team, and launch several new products to address all aspects of personal finance.  

“Everyone on the team is excited to begin this new chapter. Thousands of clients already use Sarwa to grow their money and build a better future, and this investment will fuel our growth so that we can reach millions more. We want to ensure that everyone has access to simple, smart, and affordable financial products and services. Sarwa is built on the combination of innovative tech and a customer-centric brand. Having the support of some of the world’s leading investors proves that Sarwa is well-positioned to lead this transformation in the region. We will continue helping our clients build for a better financial future,” said Mark Chahwan, Co-Founder and CEO of Sarwa.

Ibrahim Ajami, Head of Ventures and Growth at Mubadala Investment Company said: “Sarwa is revolutionising the financial services landscape in the Middle East by offering a range of investment solutions to a large market that has had little access to such services in the past. In just three years, the company has nearly doubled its client funds and expanded its product base to include a wider range of securities and asset classes, reflecting the potential for further exponential growth.

When Mubadala looks at early-stage investment opportunities, the quality of the founders is of paramount importance, and we strongly believe that Sarwa’s management team has the vision and passion to lead the company into its next phase of growth.”

“At 500, we back companies that are leading the way in changing the world. Financial literacy and inclusion are key to improving lives and building better societies, and Sarwa has boldly tackled the issue by demystifying investment and making it easier than ever before for young people to get a head start on building their personal wealth. We are fully supportive of their goal and continue to be part of their exciting journey,” said Tim Chae, Managing Partner at 500 Startups.  

This is not only about the accomplishments during the last few years – this is also about you, the individual investors who trust us to help secure, manage, and plan your financial futures. We will use this as ammunition to provide you with more investment solutions and a diverse product selection.

Our journey so far has given us a quick look into what the future holds:

More products and features to ensure that everyone has access to simple, smart, and affordable investment solutions. Through our mobile app, we’ve launched products such as Sarwa Crypto and are about to launch the highly anticipated Sarwa Trade – a $0 commission stock trading platform that will allow individual investors to trade in themes they believe in with as little as $1. The Sarwa Crypto portfolios provide the same global diversification as the Sarwa Invest portfolios, with an added 5% exposure to Grayscale Bitcoin Trust GBTC, the world’s first and largest publicly-quoted Bitcoin investment vehicle. In June 2021, we also lowered our minimum investment amount to just $5 from an initial $500 to reflect our commitment to democratising investing.

Mahmoud Adi, Founding Partner at Shorooq Partners said: “We are extremely proud of the team at Sarwa and feel humbled to be part of their great journey. As Founders’ Partners, we are always keen on partnering with solid dreamers who are shaping the future of our communities and economies. We believe Sarwa has demonstrated consistent execution and growth, as the leading regional Robo-advisory and consumer investing platform. We are excited to continue our support for Sarwa as they embark on a new horizon of product and market growth, capturing the immense value within the regional consumer investing space.”

Rawad Khalife, Executive Director at MEVP added: “Sarwa created a unique offering that has helped many grow their wealth the right way. Their highly localized product was built by an incredible team that is passionate about the mission of democratizing financial investing in MENA. They have a rapidly growing base of clients with soaring retention rates, and we expect stickiness to be further strengthened as Sarwa introduces new product offerings soon. We are thrilled to double down on our investment and be part of Sarwa’s journey”.

Ali Qaiser, General Partner of Oryx Fund said: “As an early backer of Sarwa, we have long been impressed with the management team and their strong ambition to build an industry-leading investment platform.  We are delighted to be joining other esteemed investors in this funding round and look forward to being part of the continued growth and success of Sarwa.”

Hussain Al Marhoon, Founding Managing Partner at HALA Ventures said: ‘Since its inception, Sarwa has been filling a clear gap in the market. The main goal was to make investing in global markets effortless & accessible to nearly everybody, no matter what their income level is. Not only that, but also made spreading the investment knowledge an integral part of the business starting from its beginning. None of that would have been possible to achieve without the resilient founders of Sarwa, which was a key driver for us at HALA Ventures to continue supporting Sarwa ever since the seed stage.’

Kais Al Essa, Founding Partner and CEO of Vision Ventures said: “We, at Vision Ventures, back great entrepreneurs that change the status quo. We are delighted to continue to back Sarwa in its mission to democratize investment for the youth in our region. We believe investment literacy and planning are key gaps in the region. Sarwa is leading unlocking this potential so our youth will enjoy the financial success and freedom they deserve.”

The bottom line for us is that we will continue to improve and grow. We believe that financial independence should be for all. We want to make it easier than ever before for everyone to get a head start on building their personal wealth.

So, thank you for joining us on this wild ride.