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Nawah Scientific operates as the Middle East and Africa's largest Contract Research Organization (CRO) and first cloud lab, offering comprehensive analytical and research and development services. The company provides crucial scientific capabilities across life sciences, pharmaceutical, and food and agriculture sectors, alongside producing certified reference materials. Its technical approach centers on delivering precise and accessible scientific analysis through an outsourced model, enabling a broad range of clients to advance their research and product development.
The company was founded in 2015 by Omar Sakr, a scientist who envisioned democratizing access to advanced scientific testing and R&D infrastructure within the MENA region. Sakr's insight stemmed from the need for high-quality, efficient, and regionally available scientific services, eliminating geographical barriers and fostering scientific progress in the area. His background as an experienced scientist informed the development of Nawah Scientific's robust service offerings.
Nawah Scientific serves over 5,000 companies globally, providing essential testing and analytical support for product development and quality control. The company's vision is to continue setting regional standards for scientific excellence, aiming to empower innovation by providing reliable and accessible research solutions. It works towards a future where scientific breakthroughs are accelerated through its dedicated and high-standard service ecosystem.
Nawah Scientific has raised $25.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Nawah Scientific has raised $25.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Nawah Scientific has raised $25.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $23.0M Series A in December 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 20, 2025 | $23M Series A | Life Ventures Holding | AfricInvest, DEN Ventures, Elsewedy, Empire M | Announced |
| Jan 8, 2021 | $1M Seed Plus | Ahmed Gomaa | Alexandria Angels, Tarek A. Elkady, Cairo Angels | Announced |
| Dec 1, 2018 | $1M Seed | — | 500 Falcons, Endure Capital, Alex Angels (alexandria Angel Network), Egypt Ventures | Announced |
Nawah Scientific has raised $25.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Nawah Scientific's investors include Life Ventures Holding, AfricInvest, Den Ventures, Elsewedy, Empire M, Ahmed Gomaa, Alexandria Angels, Tarek A. Elkady, Cairo Angels, 500 Falcons, Endure Capital, Alex Angels (Alexandria Angel Network).
Nawah Scientific is a deep-tech life sciences company founded in 2015 that operates MENA and Africa's first cloud lab, providing remote analytical and R&D services via an online platform.[1][5] Researchers and companies submit experiment requests and samples digitally; Nawah's scientists perform advanced testing across life sciences, food and agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and certified reference materials (CRM), delivering results online to clients in over 30 countries.[1][5] It serves industries needing product development, quality control, and compliance testing, solving the problem of limited access to expensive lab infrastructure by enabling remote, on-demand high-precision analysis—having processed over 1 million samples with 160 researchers.[1][5] The company recently raised $23 million in a Series A round (mix of equity and debt) led by Life Ventures Holding, with participation from Den Ventures, Empire M, AfricInvest, and others, fueling 10-year anniversary growth including doubled lab capacity in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, a 10,000-sqm global R&D center in Rwanda, and expansion into North Africa and Europe.[1][4][6] Prior funding totaled around $3.15 million.[2][3]
Nawah Scientific was founded in 2015 in Cairo, Egypt, by Omar Shokry Saqr, who serves as CEO, addressing the gap in accessible advanced research equipment for natural and medical sciences in the region.[1][5][7] The idea emerged from recognizing that academics and industries—like pharmaceuticals, agriculture, chemicals, and oil—lacked affordable, on-demand analytical services, leading to the cloud lab model where users request experiments online, submit samples (with pickup in Egypt), and receive digital results.[1][2][5] Early traction built over years: by around 2019, it had analyzed over 30,000 samples from 9 countries; pivotal moments include US FDA accreditation for food analysis in 2023 (first for an African entity), ISO 17034 accreditation for CRM production, and the landmark $23 million Series A in late 2025 marking a decade of operation.[1][3][5] These milestones, including partnerships like the Zewail City-led CRM Alliance winning a presidential initiative, propelled Nawah from a local hub to a regional leader trusted by 6,000+ clients worldwide.[5]
Nawah stands out in the life sciences testing space through these key strengths:
Nawah rides the deep-tech wave in African and MENA life sciences, capitalizing on rising demand for localized R&D amid global supply chain shifts and continent-specific needs like food security, pharma localization, and agrotech.[1][3] Timing is ideal post-COVID, as remote/cloud lab models surged for resilient testing, while Africa's biotech boom—fueled by investments and initiatives like presidential alliances—creates tailwinds; Nawah's FDA/ISO creds reduce reliance on overseas labs, saving African firms time and costs.[1][3][5] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering CRM production (scarce regionally), enabling startups/universities in underserved areas, and driving exports—highlighted by Egypt's GAFI as a model for research-to-value creation—while expansions into Rwanda, North Africa, and Europe amplify Africa's role in global standards and deep-tech.[1][4]
Nawah's $23 million Series A positions it for explosive scale, with the Rwanda R&D hub and lab doublings unlocking capacity for 2-3x growth in high-margin services like CRM and pharma R&D.[1] Trends like AI-driven analysis, pan-African trade blocs, and ESG-focused ag/food testing will shape its path, potentially capturing more of the $10B+ global CRO market underserved in emerging regions. Its influence may evolve from regional pioneer to global player, exporting standards and tech—echoing its founding vision of democratizing science, now supercharged for a decade-ahead dominance in cloud-enabled life sciences.[1][5]
