In a time when global fintech is heating up, MENA-based investors are keeping their eyes on one powerful direction: U.S.-based fintech infrastructure. That’s why Alpaca, a San Mateo-based API-first brokerage platform, is catching serious attention. With its recent $52 million Series C raise, Alpaca is making strategic moves toward international expansion, and investors from the Middle East are all in.
VC firms with deep roots in the GCC and wider MENA region see Alpaca not just as another U.S. fintech startup, but as a gateway to unlocking the U.S. stock market for millions across our region.
The Alpaca Opportunity
Alpaca’s platform allows financial institutions—especially those outside the U.S.—to offer stock trading on U.S. exchanges through clean, modern APIs.
With over 5 million brokerage accounts across 40 countries and 200+ financial clients, Alpaca is doing what many have failed to: make U.S. equity trading borderless, compliant, and seamless.
Their mission aligns perfectly with our goals:
- ✔️ Enable financial inclusion across the MENA region
- ✔️ Support fintech innovation with scalable infrastructure
- ✔️ Accelerate cross-border investing in U.S. and global markets
Series C: Fuel for Global Scale
This round—joined by Derayah Financial (Saudi Arabia) and National Investments Company Kuwait, among others—brings Alpaca’s total funding to $170 million.
Here’s what the new capital will power:
- ✅ Expansion into Europe, Asia, and the Middle East
- ✅ Opening new offices (including New York)
- ✅ Securing local regulatory licenses beyond the U.S., Japan, and the Bahamas
- ✅ Adding non-U.S. equity products to the platform
- ✅ Launching 24/5 trading for U.S. stocks
As MENA investors, we’re especially excited about the push toward compliance-friendly infrastructure. Alpaca is handling the “tough, tedious” work of regulatory clearance so fintech platforms in our region can integrate trading with confidence.
Why MENA Needs Alpaca
Our region is home to a young, tech-savvy population eager to access global markets. Yet legacy platforms are costly, slow, and lack local relevance.
That’s where Alpaca shines:
- 🧩 Modular APIs let regional banks, neobanks, and wealthtechs plug-and-play U.S. trading
- 🔒 Self-clearing capabilities provide built-in compliance and risk controls
- 📊 Support for stocks, ETFs, options, and fixed income enables full-fledged investment experiences
With fintech regulations evolving rapidly across the GCC, Alpaca offers the flexibility and reliability needed to thrive.
What’s Next
From our standpoint, this isn’t just a funding round—it’s a strategic play for the future of investing in MENA. Alpaca’s momentum is strong:
- Revenue and assets under custody have tripled
- Trading volume has quadrupled
- Their global, remote-first team of 200+ is growing fast
As MENA VCs committed to global innovation, we’re proud to support Alpaca’s vision. They’re not just enabling U.S. stock access—they’re building a borderless brokerage infrastructure for tomorrow.