Ibtikar Fund
Ein Misbah, Ramallah, West Bank, Palestinian Territory
Overview
Ibtikar (Innovation, in Arabic) is a disruptive fund that will invest in innovative Palestinian companies. Ibtikar’s investments begin at the seed level through local accelerators, continue in post-acceleration phases and can also include series A investments in its portfolio companies. Through this investment strategy we aim to close a critical funding gap between acceleration and VC and other later-stage investors. Our goal is to maximize return for our investors by helping high-potential Palestinian companies answer regional and global needs. We will do this through direct support from our management team and select group of advisors, and will leverage the strong network of our investors and partners for the benefit of each of our portfolio companies.
- Total investments
- 2
- Lead investments
- 0
- Investments · 12mo
- 1
- Active investors
- 2
Sector focus
- Venture Capital
Investment portfolio
- MilkStraw AI
Participated · Seed · Jan 2026
Founded in 2023 in the U.S. by Jawad Shreim and now headquartered in the UAE, MilkStraw AI provides an AI-powered cloud optimization platform that analyzes AWS usage, pinpoints savings opportunities, and automatically implements cost-saving measures for startups. The software simplifies cloud cost management, aiming to reduce spend without manual intervention. The company already serves more than 100 startups, including Thndr, Maqsam, Ziina, Beyond Limits, and Zero. Upcoming enhancements include The Feed, Right Sizing capabilities, and an AI-driven conversational interface for managing cloud infrastructure. With new capital, MilkStraw AI plans to accelerate product development and expand operations across MENA and additional international markets. The business is positioned within the fast-growing AI infrastructure SaaS and cloud optimization segment.
- Podeo
Participated · Series A · Sep 2024
Podeo is a UAE-based podcast distribution and creator platform offering end-to-end production tools (editing, sound design, branding, mixing), hosting, and programmatic ad insertion. The app enables creators to mark notes and receive a polished, ready-for-distribution episode within 24 hours. Podeo does not charge listeners a subscription fee and plans to eliminate creator subscription packages, instead relying on advertising and exploring memberships, tipping, and tokenization as monetization paths. The company has onboarded more than 100,000 creators in under two years and reached a subscriber base of 50 million. Podeo has formed partnerships with radio stations, the Jawaker game app, and in-flight entertainment provider Anuvu to distribute content across decentralized channels. The company came to life in 2020, relocated to Dubai, and plans to expand into Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. Podeo is a Lebanon-based mobile app that offers the largest podcast catalogue in the Arab world, localizing the audio experience with popular shows in Arabic and English. Founded in 2019, the company operates recording studios and offices in Beirut. It experienced a 48% drop in downloads and streams in 2020 but rebounded, reporting 700% growth in listens in Q2 of last year. Podeo raised an undisclosed Seed round led by Razor Capital with co-investment from Globivest VC and other investors; the funding will be used to widen accessibility to Arabic listeners. Management says the funds will strengthen Podeo's leading position in the Arab podcast industry and double down on growth. After the August Beirut explosion damaged its studios and offices, Podeo enabled listeners and creators to publish audio snippets that were heard by more than seven million people across 157 countries.