Netaj launches Nawat, Iraq's first VC studio to back high-potential startups
Iraq-based innovation platform Netaj has launched "Nawat", a venture capital studio that offers a six-month hands-on programme for 40 selected startups across three tracks: ideation, MVP, and early-stage.
The studio provides tailored support, including expert-led bootcamps, mentorship, and direct access to investors while offering hybrid investment: in-kind support ($10K–$25K) and direct funding ($25K–$250K) via convertible notes or equity.
Netaj aims to invest in 5–10 high-potential startups, helping transform Iraq's startup landscape with local infrastructure, capital, and founder-first tools, while enabling scalable, investor-ready businesses that can expand across the region and beyond.
Press release:
Netaj, Iraq's leading innovation and entrepreneurship platform, proudly announces the official launch of Nawat, the country's first-ever Venture Capital (VC) Studio, marking a milestone in Iraq's evolving startup ecosystem.
Nawat, Netaj's VC Studio, is designed to identify, support, and invest in high-potential Iraqi startups through a tailored 6-month journey that combines mentorship, product development, market access, and funding readiness.
'Nawat is a movement to reimagine how startups are built and backed in Iraq,' said Wissam Mattout, CEO of Netaj. 'We are bridging the gap between raw talent and structured capital, offering founders a launchpad to scale both locally and globally.'
'For too long, Iraqi entrepreneurs have had to build in isolation,' added Mattout. 'Nawat will equip them with the expertise, tools, and capital they need, not just to survive, but to lead the next wave of innovation in the region.'
A Studio Model Built Locally
Unlike one-size-fits-all traditional accelerators, the VC studio model takes a hands-on, co-building approach, allowing Netaj to work closely with founders from idea validation to product-market fit, and ultimately, investment.
The studio is open to 40 startups, segmented across three tracks:
• Ideation stage
• MVP/Prototype stage
• Early-established startups
Each startup receives customised support, including expert-led bootcamps, one-on-one consultations, mentorship from industry veterans, and direct access to investors through demo days and curated matchmaking.
'This is Iraq's moment,' said Mattout. 'If we want to build serious startups, we need serious infrastructure. Nawat is the missing puzzle piece — designed for founders, by founders.'
Strategic Investment + In-Kind Support
Nawat offers a hybrid investment model, combining:
• In-kind investment (product development, branding, digital tools) valued between $10K and $25K.
• Direct financial investment ranging from $25K to $250K using convertible notes or equity.
Netaj aims to invest in the top 5–10 startups that demonstrate traction, scalability, and founder commitment to operational growth.
A New Era for Iraqi Startups
With its headquarters in Baghdad's Jadriyah district, Netaj has positioned itself as a central hub for entrepreneurship in Iraq. Through Nawat, it seeks to nurture and back problem-driven founders, market-ready, and positioned for regional and ultimately global expansion.
The launch of Nawat arrives at a time when the Iraqi private sector is in urgent need of innovation-driven ventures, digital solutions, and youth-led economic activity.
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