The Evolving Business Landscape in Iraq
Any country’s startup ecosystem is the indicator of the country’s innovation landscape. In developing nations such as Iraq, startups become even more critical, as they indicate the country’s move towards growth.
The past several years have seen Iraq’s entrepreneurial landscape drastically evolving in the positive direction, with several young startups seeing light of day. The country has approximately 1300 startups out of which nearly 96 have raised funding.
While the startup ecosystem is growing, yet entrepreneurs in the country continue to face several challenges, especially in terms of access to capital. Never the less, fostering a successful and vibrant investment ecosystem is essential for enhancing private sector entrepreneurial activity, which stimulates job creation, lowers unemployment, and opens up new opportunities.
The need of the hour is for Iraq and the various stakeholders in the ecosystem to work towards boosting Iraq’s startup capabilities.
In this edition meet Iraq’s upcoming entrepreneurs. One such name is Ahang Ashti, Co-Founder & CEO, grei Agency. He is a visionary marketing leader with nearly a decade of experience, Ahang combines strategic insight with creative excellence, driving innovation and measurable impact in the global arena. His leadership at grei has been marked by a focus on rigorous internal training, a “no comfort zone” policy, and a dedication to continuous learning and excellence.
Under his aegis, grei Agency has worked with major clients such as Toyota Iraq, Netflix, and Apple TV Plus, and became the first Iraqi marketing agency to receive the prestigious Kotler Award in 2025.
We also feature an interaction with Ali Al Shimmary, Managing Partner of Al Ameen Group, holds a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from NYIT. A visionary entrepreneur, he believes in living life with purpose and innovation, “We live once, so we must live it in a remarkable and pioneering way”, a philosophy reflected in his business journey.
To know more about these enterprising leaders powering Iraq’s startup prowess, read the current edition of CEO Insights magazine.
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