Startups
+3
Dec 17, 2025
•
3 min read
The Cairo-founded ethics and compliance startup will use the new capital to expand in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and roll out advanced AI-driven case management and anonymity features for enterprises.
Algeria
The Algiers-based startup, which enables flight bookings in dinars via online payments or cash on delivery, plans to deepen its domestic footprint and expand across North and West Africa following a landmark raise led by Tell Group-backed investors.
Contech
+2
Dec 15, 2025
1 min read
Ibrahim Manna, who led Careem’s expansion across 11 of its 15 markets, joins the podcast. He is now the Founder and CEO of BRKZ, a Saudi-based construction tech company that has raised over $50 million to tackle inefficiencies in construction procurement.
Saudi Arabia
Dec 12, 2025
Founded in 2016, noon launched with the PIF holding a 50% stake and investors led by Alabbar owning the remainder.
Weekly round-up
15 min read
Qatar sets up Qai as state backed AI firm, CoinMENA acquired by Paribu in up to $240M deal, QIA brings another VC to Doha via $1B fund-of-funds, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.
+4
7 min read
Paramount's $108 billion offer for Warner Bros. Discovery marks a rare moment of Gulf cooperation – and signals the region's ambitions to control, not just consume, American entertainment.
Analysis
Dec 11, 2025
34 min read
Egypt’s semiconductor ecosystem has transformed from a quiet cluster in Heliopolis into a world-class engineering powerhouse, built slowly, deliberately, and mostly out of sight.
News
Dec 9, 2025
2 min read
The Qatar Investment Authority has set up a new AI company to invest in infrastructure, evaluate frontier models and build trusted systems, joining the UAE and Saudi Arabia in pushing for sovereign control over next-generation computing.
+5
Backed by A15, Beltone Holding and angels, Byit plans rapid expansion into Saudi Arabia after growing its network to more than 40,000 freelance brokers.
+1
Dec 8, 2025
Mark Kahn, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Omnivore, India’s leading agritech and climate-tech venture capital firm with more than $300M AUM, joins the podcast.
Fintech
Dec 5, 2025
The Turkish crypto giant gains VARA and Bahrain licenses through its purchase of CoinMENA, expanding regulated operations into the MENA region as consolidation accelerates across digital asset markets.
13 min read
Saudi cybersecurity startup raises $9.2M Series A, Plus VC to fund 30+ startups and double deployment to $10M in 2026, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.
Backed by Sanabil 500, Hub71 and Plus VC, Reno will use the new capital to scale its renovation operating system, launch an AI-powered design app and grow its footprint across Gulf markets.
Dec 4, 2025
The latest round was led by Paradigm, with participation from Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, CapitalG and several returning investors.
Zazu is targeting what economists call Africa’s “missing middle”: the continent’s 50 million SMEs that sit between micro-entrepreneurs served by mobile money and large enterprises supported by commercial banks.
Dec 3, 2025
The Cairo chip startup gives GlobalFoundries new silicon photonics design depth as AI data centres shift from copper to optical interconnects.
The Cairo startup, which acquired Saudi Arabia’s Arkan United last year, will use the funding to expand access to rapid, AI-driven radiology across MEA and strengthen its position in Saudi Arabia.
Impact46 doubles-down as COGNNA pushes into global markets with its agentic SOC platform, promising faster threat detection and lower security operations costs.
