Qatar is ramping up its bet on startups and innovation, as the Qatar Investment Authority added $2 billion to its Fund of Funds program to draw global venture capital, strengthen the nation’s startup ecosystem, and deepen its links to international markets.
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the move at an event in Doha on Sunday, bringing the program’s total capital commitment to $3 billion. The expansion adds five new funds to the initiative, which already supports 12 regional and international fund managers operating in Qatar.
The newly joining funds include:
• Greycroft: A multi-stage, multi-strategy VC firm that partners with entrepreneurs building category-defining companies across software, sustainability, and consumer brands. Greycroft manages over $4 billion in assets.
• Ion Pacific: A VC structured secondaries and special-situations manager with approximately $700 million under management.
• Liberty City Ventures: A VC fund and incubator with $2.4 billion of assets under management.
• Shorooq: A tech-focused, multi-strategy investment firm from the GCC.
• Speedinvest: A European VC with more than €1.2 billion assets under management.
Launched in 2024 with $1 billion, the Fund of Funds programme was designed to attract top-tier venture capital firms and entrepreneurs to Qatar, bridging the funding gap for local and regional startups. With around $580 billion in assets under management, QIA ranks among the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, according to Global SWF.
📌 Why it matters: The expansion underscores Qatar’s ambition to become a regional hub for innovation, leveraging sovereign capital to attract global venture talent and accelerate high-growth sectors.
📌 Bottom line: By broadening its Fund of Funds program, QIA is signaling a long-term commitment to tech and healthcare startups, connecting Qatar’s capital with leading international venture managers to catalyze the local ecosystem.
