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News

Dubai backs robotaxis: WeRide & Uber join RTA pilot after Apollo Go deal

Apr 3, 2025

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2 min read

Dubai backs robotaxis: WeRide & Uber join RTA pilot after Apollo Go deal

Dubai’s shift to a multi-vendor strategy – following setbacks with GM’s Cruise – suggests a broader commitment to autonomous mobility.

News

Egypt’s InfiniLink raises $10M seed round to build next-gen optical connectivity chips for AI data centres

Apr 3, 2025

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3 min read

Egypt’s InfiniLink raises $10M seed round to build next-gen optical connectivity chips for AI data centres

The round was led by MediaTek – the Taiwanese semiconductor giant – alongside Sukna Ventures, with participation from Egypt Ventures and angel investors from the US, Europe, and MENA.

Podcast

Mar 31, 2025

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3 min read

VC React Podcast (Episode #30)

Exploring what it looks like when local founders tackle legacy systems head-on — from automating debt collection and rebuilding Africa’s financial rails, to creating real-time AI dubbing engines that break language barriers at scale.

Weekly round-up

Mar 28, 2025

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14 min read

Preventing illness with AI

UAE-based reverse logistics platform Cartlow acquired by Basatne, Warner Bros. invests $57 million in OSN+ for minority stake, UAE Central Bank unveils new dirham symbol, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

News

Mar 28, 2025

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3 min read

Warner Bros. invests $57 million in OSN+ for minority stake

Warner Bros. Discovery has just acquired a ~30% stake in OSN+, the streaming arm of Dubai-based OSN Group, for $57 million. While the deal is still subject to regulatory approval, it marks the deepening of a relationship that’s been quietly building.

News

UAE-based reverse logistics platform Cartlow acquired by Basatne

Mar 28, 2025

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2 min read

UAE-based reverse logistics platform Cartlow acquired by Basatne

Founded in 2019 by Mohammed Sleiman, Cartlow last raised $18 million in Series A funding from AlSulaiman Group back in 2022, and expanded across the UAE and KSA.

News

Valeo Health secures $12 million Series B to scale AI-personalised healthcare

Mar 28, 2025

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3 min read

Valeo Health secures $12 million Series B to scale AI-personalised healthcare

Founded in 2021 by Sundeep Sahni, Nadine Karadag, and Ankur Majumder, the round was led by Flintera, with participation from Nuwa Capital, FJ Labs, Oryx, Mindshift Capital, and new backers Oraseya and Eirad.

Interview

MNT Halan: from ride-hailing to fintech unicorn

Mar 26, 2025

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9 min read

MNT Halan: from ride-hailing to fintech unicorn

CEO Mounir Nakhla on achieving fintech ecosystem lock-in, the company's acquisition and expansion strategy, why tailored risk models beat copy-paste approaches, and the potential path toward becoming a fully-fledged digital bank.

Weekly round-up

Mar 21, 2025

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18 min read

Gulf funds are betting on biotech

ClearGrid emerges from stealth with $10M to modernise debt collection, QED leads NymCard $33m Series B round, Yango Group launches $20m VC fund, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

News

Yango Group launches $20m VC fund to back startups across MENA, Africa, and Latin America

Mar 21, 2025

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2 min read

Yango Group launches $20m VC fund to back startups across MENA, Africa, and Latin America

The fund will focus on O2O (online-to-offline), B2B SaaS, and fintech, aiming for high-growth opportunities without taking control stakes.

News

NymCard raises $33m in Series B led by QED to scale banking infrastructure across MENA

Mar 21, 2025

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3 min read

NymCard raises $33m in Series B led by QED to scale banking infrastructure across MENA

Founded in 2018 by Omar Onsi, NymCard is a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) provider that enables fintechs, banks, and enterprises to issue and process payment cards, provide embedded lending, and facilitate digital transactions without relying on traditional banking infrastructure.

News

Gulf sovereign wealth funds are betting big on biotech – why?

Mar 21, 2025

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3 min read

Gulf sovereign wealth funds are betting big on biotech – why?

QIA just backed Latigo Biotherapeutics’ $150 million Series B, meanwhile ADIA participated in Lila Sciences’ $200 million seed round. This isn’t just a passing interest – there’s a very clear pattern emerging across Gulf SWFs.

News

ClearGrid emerges from stealth with $10M to modernise debt collection in MENA with AI

Mar 21, 2025

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4 min read

ClearGrid emerges from stealth with $10M to modernise debt collection in MENA with AI

Dubai-based ClearGrid has emerged from stealth with $10 million in pre-seed and seed funding, aiming to modernise debt collection and recovery with AI-driven automation.

Interview

Mar 19, 2025

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6 min read

Rise, fall & reinvention

An honest reflection with Idriss Al Rifai on Fetchr’s hypergrowth, what went wrong, the isolation of being a founder, and the emotional cost of tying self-worth to a company, plus hard-won lessons on hiring, scaling, and the $140 billion SME financing opportunity in MENA.

Podcast

Mar 17, 2025

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3 min read

VC React Podcast (Episode #28)

Breaking down Talabat’s unusual acquisition of InstaShop, a rumoured billion-dollar funding round for Saudi q-commerce outfit Ninja, and the evolution of BNPL in Saudi Arabia.

Weekly round-up

Mar 14, 2025

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14 min read

A 10x return for Saudi VC

Lean banks Series B extension funding, Aramco Ventures doubles down on direct air capture, travel-tech Lokalee acquired for $12.8 million plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

News

Aramco Ventures doubles down on direct air capture with investments in Spiritus and Ucaneo

Mar 14, 2025

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2 min read

Aramco Ventures doubles down on direct air capture with investments in Spiritus and Ucaneo

Established in 2012 and headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Aramco Ventures manages multiple VC programmes with a total allocation of $7 billion.

News

Saudi VC Impact46 announces 10x exit from Tadawul-listed Rasan

Mar 14, 2025

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2 min read

Saudi VC Impact46 announces 10x exit from Tadawul-listed Rasan

The offering included 17.16% of Rasan’s issued share capital, priced at $18.40 per share, with a total size of $245 million, covered multiple times.