Lebanon’s startup ecosystem continues to produce talent and ideas, but limited access to capital is making it harder for companies to turn them into products, contracts and jobs locally.
The recently concluded Xperia 2026, presented by its organisers as Lebanon’s first interactive innovation exhibition, included a pitch competition held on October 9 with Endeavor and the Lebanese Angel Investors Network. Five finalists could receive up to $100K in investment for an equity stake, subject to a decision by the investment committee.
The opportunity is significant in a market where 12 Lebanon-based startups raised only about $1.1M in 2023, a 95% decline from the $22M raised by 25 companies the previous year. Across 2019 to 2025, Lebanese startups raised around $22.8M, including $20.6M in 2022. The other five years combined accounted for roughly $2.2M.
Lebanon ranked last among Arab countries by funding while remaining among the world’s top 100 startup ecosystems in the 2026 index, according to the source. The funding shortage has also pushed companies to move parts of their operations abroad. More than half reportedly transferred at least some activities outside the country, while 41.3% lost financing deals that had been planned before the crisis.
The exhibition’s long-term impact will depend on whether investor meetings lead to continued financing, rather than one-off awards for individual teams.
Source: Twasl News
