The Startup Ecosystem of Qatar

Qatar has 1 city in the top 1000 and is one of Middle East’s best countries for setting up a startup.

COUNTRY RANKING

Since 2023, Qatar lost 4 spots in the Global Startup Ecosystem Index, having now positioned itself as 90th worldwide.

Population

2.7
Million

Regional Ranking

7th
0
In Middle East

Global Ranking

90th
-
4
Worldwide

Ecosystem

Startup Ecosystem Overview

aerial photography of concrete buildings
Qatar is one of the world’s richest countries due to large oil and gas reserves, but should prepare for a period when oil will not be able to sustain its economy. According to the Qatar National Vision 2030, the government is making efforts to expand the economy and make it more flexible and competitive. In spite of the Qatar diplomatic crisis (2017-2021), the local tech ecosystem has remained relatively unscathed with several promising startups, such as Snoonu which raised the highest Seed investment to date and At-Home-Doc which raised the highest Series A investment. The eventful 2022 World Cup also brought Qatar to the attention of the world and creates a branding opportunity for the country and its startup ecosystem.


In recent years, the country has started to attract foreign startups due to a favorable business environment for tech initiatives. When it comes to attracting foreign startups, entrepreneurs, and investors to the country, Invest Qatar is a key organization to recognize. They work closely with businesses from ideation to operations, understanding their overall objectives and connecting them with the right stakeholders, resources, and platforms. Invest Qatar Gateway platform acts like a bridge between companies to partner, find resources, and connect with the Invest Qatar team.

In addition to an attractive investment environment, Qatar has a tight-knit startup community with a number of incubation centers, seed funding programs, and hubs, like the Qatar Science & Technology Park, the Qatar Business and Incubation Centre, the Digital Incubation Center, and the Qatar Foundation (QF).

Qatar has many things to offer entrepreneurs, satisfying key conditions like talent, capital, and market, to build a thriving startup ecosystem. To grow faster, the government should encourage the launch of more private sector venture capital funds in order to produce scalable startups and success stories to make Qatar a regional hub.

Startups

Qatar Top Startup Industries

Software & Data icon
Software & Data
7 startups

7 startups

Fintech icon
Fintech
4 startups

4 startups

Healthtech icon
Healthtech
4 startups

4 startups

Ecosystem HealthCheck

Qatar Ecosystem Health Check

The health check tables allow you to look at the performance Qatar has in each of the parameters that are part of StartupBlink's ranking algorithm. There are five tables, corresponding to the three subscores, the subscore analysis and industry ana...

  • Overperformance
  • Performance equal to global ranking
  • Underperformance
ParameterParameter Global rankParameter rank change since 2022ResultContribution to total scoreRank gain / loss due to parameter
Total Score90-40.574100%0
Quantity Score86-30.19133.22%-3
Sample size of startups102-10401429.72%-4
Sample size of accelerators100-105-1510%-7
Sample size of coworking spaces7912230%-9
Community Score66N/A0.023.5%0

ECOSYSTEM

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Ecosystem

The Startup Ecosystem in Qatar

In 2023, Qatar register a rise in Software & Data startups. Some of the most notable success stories in this industry are those of , Snoonu.

Global Rank

Qatar is ranked within the top 100 startup ecosystems globally.

Top Industries

Qatar’s startup scene is best represented in Software & Data, Fintech, and in and Healthtech.

Top Cities for Startups in Qatar - Ranked by StartupBlink
StartupBlink ranks the startup ecosystems of 100 countries and 1,000 cities. Download our latest Global Startup Ecosystem Report.
Rows:
2023 National Rank & Change ▲
2023 National Rank & Change City
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Global Rank & ChangeTotal Score
Access subscores for 1000 cities and 100 countries
Quantity Score
Quality ScoreBusiness Score
1st
0
536th
-
5
0.438
00.00
00.00
00.00
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Startups

Notable Startups in Qatar
Snoonu startup icon
Snoonu
SkipCash startup icon
SkipCash
At-Home-Doc startup icon
At-Home-Doc

Startups

Successful Software & Data startups in Qatar
History Adventures startup icon
History Adventures
eHaris startup icon
eHaris

Featured Startup Ecosystems

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