Qatar Wealth Fund Plans to Invest in Five New VC Funds
DOHA — Qatar Investment Authority has announced plans to invest in five new venture capital funds as part of an expanded $3 billion venture capital program, reinforcing the Gulf state’s ambition to establish itself as a regional hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
In a statement issued on Monday, the sovereign wealth fund said it will back new funds operated by Greycroft, Ion Pacific, Liberty City Ventures, Shorooq, and Speedinvest. All five are expected to open offices in Doha, supporting efforts to deepen Qatar’s venture capital ecosystem and attract global fund managers to the country.
The initiative falls under QIA’s “Fund of Funds” program, launched in 2024 to draw international venture capital firms to Qatar, foster a robust startup environment, and accelerate economic diversification away from fossil fuel revenues — mirroring similar strategies adopted by other Gulf economies.
On Sunday, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani announced an expansion of the Fund of Funds initiative, raising its target size to as much as $3 billion.
“This year, we move from momentum to scale,” Sheikh Mohammed said while opening the Qatar edition of the Web Summit.
The expanded mandate could also extend beyond traditional Series A and B funding rounds. Mohsin Pirzada, head of funds at the Qatar Investment Authority, said the program is exploring later-stage investments as part of its broader strategy.
“We are now expanding the scope to do later rounds, so that may open up conversations with a different set of managers,” Pirzada said in an interview with Reuters.
He added that QIA would continue supporting early-stage investments as well, noting that Qatar already has sufficient domestic capital pools to pursue those opportunities, including credit lending facilities.
According to Global SWF, QIA manages assets worth approximately $580 billion. As part of its diversification strategy, the fund launched an artificial intelligence-focused company, Qai, late last year, signaling a stronger push into high-growth technology sectors.
In parallel, Qatar has introduced a pilot computing credit program offering free computing resources to Doha-based startups. The initiative could also benefit fund managers participating in the Fund of Funds scheme.
“The pilot program is going to be a big differentiator in terms of what our program is offering vis-à-vis our peers in the region,” Pirzada said.
The latest announcement highlights Qatar’s growing commitment to venture capital, technology investment, and long-term economic transformation.
