PayPal Ventures has paused new investment activity and is reviewing its structure, casting uncertainty over a US$100 million commitment to the Middle East and Africa (MEA), according to reporting from FWDSTART citing multiple sources.

A PayPal spokesperson confirmed the development, stating that the company is “exploring strategic options for our corporate venture arm” as part of efforts to sharpen its focus.

The review affects PayPal’s broader emerging markets strategy.

In September 2025, the company pledged US$100 million to support startups across the Middle East and Africa through minority investments, acquisitions, and follow-on funding, following the launch of its Dubai regional hub in April 2025.

PayPal Ventures has previously invested in UAE-based BNPL platform Tabby and Egypt’s payments provider Paymob.

It is now unclear whether PayPal will deploy the dedicated regional capital as originally planned.

The move comes amid leadership changes at PayPal, with former CEO Alex Chriss having led the earlier expansion push before Enrique Lores arrived as the company entered a broader restructuring phase.

Lores has told investors PayPal needs to “recommit to the fundamentals” and focus on “becoming a technology company again,” with further cuts expected over the coming years and the company reportedly exploring secondary sales of venture holdings, having hired Jefferies to run the process.

PayPal Ventures continues to manage a portfolio of more than 80 investments across three funds totaling US$850 million.

The pause in new deployments could limit access to growth-stage funding in MENA, where capital often concentrates in early-stage rounds and large deals, and leaves mid-sized transactions between US$20 million and US$75 million comparatively underserved.

Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News UAE, based on image by teki7 via Magnific