April 2025 – The Innovative Startups and SMEs Fund (ISSF) – the largest investment fund of its kind in Jordan has announced a USD 3 million investment in the Antler MENAP Fund LP. The USD 60 million early-stage venture capital fund, launched by Antler, focuses on pre-seed to Series A investments across the MENA region, with a sector agnostic mandate. This partnership underscores ISSF’s commitment to catalyzing Jordan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by backing prominent global venture capital funds with a strong regional focus.
Founded in Singapore, Antler is one of the world’s most active early-stage investors and a global leader in “Day Zero” investing, a unique approach focused on partnering with founders from the very beginning of their journey. Antler operates over 15 pre-seed funds in a distributed network led by a partnership of experienced operators. The firm is present in 27 cities across most leading technology ecosystems globally and has made over 1,500 investments into early-stage startups.
ISSF CEO, Mohammed Al Muhtaseb, commented:
“Our partnership with Antler reflects a shared commitment to Jordan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, it underscores the great potential for talent in Jordan and further emphasizes Jordan’s position as a regional innovation hub. Through Antler’s MENA fund and a dedicated program for Jordan, we aim to equip Jordanian founders with the capital, structure, and global networks needed to scale up their ideas into successful ventures. This partnership will support the development of a strong pipeline of high-potential startups. *Antler’s global reach, regional presence, and proven success working with founders across the world from Day Zero make them a strategic ally in our mission to accelerate the growth of high-potential Jordanian entrepreneurs.”
Antler Founder and CEO, Magnus Grimeland, added:
This partnership with Jordan is a powerful endorsement of the entrepreneurial potential we see in the country. Jordanian founders are distinguished by their creativity, resilience, and global mindset. With Antler’s global reach and local talent, we’re excited to back bold ideas and build lasting impact for the Jordanian startup ecosystem.