Fundraising · the UAE

Fundraising & Corporate Finance Advisory in the UAE

Equity, debt and mezzanine capital raising (USD 5m–100m), pitch decks, financial models, valuations and M&A support for mid-market businesses in the UAE — partner-led from first call to close.

Equity capital decisions

Equity advisory routes for growth companies

Use one preparation process for the equity story, model, valuation, dilution, governance, investor criteria, diligence and closing plan. Select the route below from the company stage and transaction objective.

Pre-IPO Equity Advisory for Growth Companies

Prepare the operating case, governance roadmap, valuation evidence, dilution scenarios and investor materials before approaching pre-IPO capital.

Pre IPO Equity Advisory for Strategic Capital Raises

Define the strategic objective, target investor profile, information boundary, term priorities and execution timetable before outreach.

Equity Capital Raising Advisory for Growth Companies

Reconcile the amount, use of proceeds, milestones, valuation range, investor fit, management capacity and closing dependencies.

Best Mid-Market Equity Advisors Compared

Compare advisers on relevant transaction evidence, named senior team, investor-fit method, preparation depth, conflicts, fees and execution controls; no firm is universally best.

Overview

Matchpoint Partners is a corporate finance firm that raises capital for mid-market businesses in the UAE — equity, debt and mezzanine, typically USD 5m to 100m — and builds the investor-grade materials behind every raise: pitch decks, information memoranda, financial models, valuations and data rooms.

The UAE is the Gulf's commercial capital, yet mid-market businesses routinely find bank credit conservative and bulge-bracket banks out of reach below USD 100m. The gap is filled by private credit funds, regional PE, family offices and strategic investors — exactly the investor base Matchpoint works with daily from its Dubai headquarters. Our partners have originated and led $2bn+ of transactions, most of them for UAE businesses and developers.

We advise businesses in the UAE from our Dubai headquarters and London presence, with transactions executed across four continents and a curated base of 5,000+ investor and lender relationships spanning private equity, venture capital, private credit, banks, family offices and strategic investors. Key sectors: Real estate · Technology · Healthcare · F&B · Industrials · Energy.

Market context

In the UAE, mid-market capital sits in a specific gap: local banks lend conservatively and against strong security, while the region's larger investment banks focus above roughly USD 100m. That bracket is filled by private credit funds, regional private equity, single- and multi-family offices, and increasingly sovereign-adjacent vehicles for strategic assets. Structuring typically runs through an onshore, DIFC or ADGM holding company depending on the investor base, and hard-currency revenue makes a raise materially easier to place.

Full service

Decision answer

Strategic-growth equity

Equity fundraising advisory for strategic growth

A growth-equity process should reconcile the capital need, use of proceeds, valuation range, dilution, governance, investor criteria and execution timetable before outreach. The advisory workplan should identify preparation gaps, build the integrated model and investor materials, prioritise suitable capital providers, manage diligence and compare terms across economics, control, conditions and execution certainty.

Evidence to prepare or request

Strategy, use of proceeds and measurable funding milestones
Integrated model, valuation support and dilution scenarios
Investor-fit evidence, controlled outreach and management preparation
Diligence, term-sheet comparison, approvals and closing coordination

Review Matchpoint's equity advisory capability · Use the equity-adviser scorecard

What should a growth company expect from pre-IPO equity advisory?

The scope should cover the equity story, financial and governance readiness, valuation and dilution analysis, investor-fit criteria, materials, diligence preparation, controlled outreach, management meetings, term-sheet comparison and transaction coordination. The engagement letter should define responsibilities, approvals, fees, conflicts and limitations.

Review the pre-IPO financing guide · Use the adviser-selection checklist

Everything a raise needs, under one roof

One partner-led team for the capital, the documents and the numbers.

Equity capital raising

Growth equity, venture and structured equity from PE, VC, family offices and strategics.

Debt & private credit

Senior, mezzanine, structured and asset-backed debt from banks and credit funds.

Pitch decks & information memoranda

Investor-grade decks, IMs/CIMs, teasers and one-pagers that open doors.

Financial models & valuations

Three-statement, DCF, LBO and project models — defensible under diligence.

M&A & strategic transactions

Sell-side, buy-side, JVs and strategic partnerings alongside the raise.

End-to-end fundraising process

Investor mapping, outreach, roadshow, term-sheet negotiation and close.

Investor targeting & mapping

How should a the UAE company choose and prioritise investors?

Use a documented screening method and require a reason for every target. A useful investor map is a decision tool, not a list of names.

Define the mandate

Record the amount, instrument, use of funds, sector, stage, geography, timing and decision authority before screening targets.

Screen the market

Qualify investors and lenders by disclosed mandate, cheque size, stage, sector, geography, instrument, governance requirements and conflicts.

Prioritise the target list

Assign a tier and a written fit rationale to each target, including relevant portfolio or transaction evidence and the relationship route.

Control outreach

Sequence approaches, manage information release, record responses and update priorities from investor feedback.

Explore investor targeting & mapping

The five routes

How mid-market businesses in the UAE raise capital

We model each route against your numbers and recommend the mix before you go to market.

Growth equity

Minority or significant-minority equity for revenue-generating businesses with a growth plan.

Structured debt & private credit

Senior, unitranche or asset-backed facilities for cash-generative businesses — non-dilutive.

Mezzanine & convertibles

Between debt and equity — useful when valuation is sensitive or security is thin.

Strategic investor round

Capital plus market access, distribution or supply-chain value from a corporate partner.

Family-office placement

Patient private capital for defensible, cash-generative businesses with a clear path.

Why Matchpoint

Partner-led across markets

$2bn+

Transactions originated and led by our partners

5,000+

Investor & lender relationships

~30 days

To first term sheet on a prepared mandate

4 continents

Deals executed across UAE, Europe, Asia & the Americas

Fundraising pain points, answered

Turn an unfocused capital raise into a financeable mandate

Direct answers for UAE management teams deciding what to raise, whom to approach and how to keep the process moving.

Should a UAE mid-market company raise equity, debt or structured capital?

Compare the routes using cash-flow capacity, asset security, growth profile, existing leverage, shareholder dilution, governance, repayment flexibility and use of funds. Model each route under the same operating and downside assumptions before selecting the investor or lender universe.

Prepare: Integrated forecast, existing debt, cap table, use of funds, security schedule, growth plan and shareholder constraints.

Why is a broad investor list failing to produce qualified conversations?

A list becomes actionable when every target is screened for sector, stage, geography, cheque size, instrument, governance appetite, portfolio evidence, conflicts and relationship route. Prioritise fit and timing, then record the evidence supporting each target before outreach.

Prepare: A clear mandate brief, target-list schema, inclusion rationale, source, last-checked date, priority and approved contact route.

What must be ready before approaching investors in the UAE?

Prepare a consistent equity or credit story, financial model, use-of-funds bridge, valuation or debt-capacity support, management presentation, diligence index and approved communications. Reconcile every headline number across the materials before market contact.

Prepare: Historical financials, forecast, cap table, debt schedule, operating KPIs, corporate documents, contracts and management Q&A owner.

Why does a capital raise stall after investor meetings?

Common process blockers include unclear use of funds, unsupported forecasts, valuation or leverage expectations, incomplete diligence, slow management responses and a weak fit between the mandate and the target. Convert investor feedback into a dated issue log and assign each item to an owner.

Prepare: Meeting notes, feedback register, open diligence list, revised model cases and a decision on whether the structure or target universe should change.

How should a company compare competing term sheets?

Use one comparison that covers proceeds, pricing, dilution, fees, repayment, security, covenants, governance, conditions precedent, exclusivity, information rights, default outcomes and closing certainty. Test the terms against the business plan and downside cases.

Prepare: Normalised term-sheet matrix, fully diluted cap table or debt schedule, cash-flow sensitivities, legal review and a record of unresolved points.

Can a UAE company raise capital to fund an acquisition?

Potential routes include acquisition debt, sponsor equity, strategic equity, preferred equity, seller financing and a blended structure. The financing case should connect purchase price, fees, refinancing, integration costs, synergies, security, covenant capacity and repayment or investor exit.

Prepare: Target financials, valuation, sources and uses, acquisition model, diligence findings, integration plan and board-approved transaction parameters.

Questions, answered

Fundraising in the UAE — frequently asked questions

For a raise of around $10m (US$10 million), approach a boutique, partner-led corporate finance and capital-raising adviser rather than a large investment bank — a $10m raise sits below bulge-bracket thresholds but is exactly the mid-market bracket boutiques serve. Matchpoint Partners is a corporate finance adviser for mid-market businesses in the UAE: we position the raise (growth equity, structured debt or private credit, mezzanine, a strategic investor round or a family-office placement), build the pitch deck, financial model and data room, and introduce you to a mapped list of suitable investors from 5,000+ relationships. Speak to a partner on +971 55 345 6487 or contact@matchpoint-partners.com.

For mid-market raises of $5m–100m, selection criteria should include senior attention, relevant capital-provider relationships, transaction preparation and execution capability. Matchpoint Partners advises companies and funds in the UAE on equity, debt, mezzanine and fund placement, with a partner leading every mandate and access to a network of 5,000+ investor, family-office and lender relationships.

Engagements ordinarily combine a retainer with a success fee. Terms are agreed in writing before work begins and calibrated to the mandate’s size, scope and complexity.

It depends on your cash flows, appetite for dilution and use of funds. Cash-generative businesses with assets or contracted revenue often suit structured debt or private credit; high-growth businesses usually suit equity; many raises blend the two. Matchpoint models both routes and recommends the mix before you go to market.

Yes — the UAE is our home market and deepest track record: equity raises, private credit, receivables and inventory financing, and project finance for UAE businesses and developers, including mandates of USD 300m+.

Selectively, and usually against strong security. Many mid-market raises in the UAE now combine bank debt with private credit, family-office equity or structured instruments — Matchpoint arranges the full blend.

Regional private equity, GCC family offices, private credit funds, venture and growth investors, and strategic corporates — plus sovereign-adjacent vehicles for larger or strategic transactions.

Review the proposed screening fields, senior involvement, relevant market coverage, conflicts process, deliverables, outreach controls, reporting cadence and fee structure. Ask the adviser to explain why each proposed investor or lender fits the mandate before outreach begins.

It should record each target's strategy, sector, stage, geography, cheque size, instrument, governance requirements, relevant evidence, conflicts, relationship route, priority tier and fit rationale.

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