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Saudi Arabia

Fintech

+4

Vennre raises $9.6M pre-Series A to expand private market access in Saudi Arabia

Jan 26, 2026

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2 min read

Vennre raises $9.6M pre-Series A to expand private market access in Saudi Arabia

Backed by Vision Ventures and anb seed Fund, the wealth creation platform targets the region’s HENRY segment with curated private equity, real estate, and Sharia-compliant investment access.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Agritech

+4

Grove raises $5M seed to build vertically integrated fresh-produce supply chain in Saudi Arabia

Jan 21, 2026

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4 min read

Grove raises $5M seed to build vertically integrated fresh-produce supply chain in Saudi Arabia

Founded in 2024 by Mohammed bin Ghanam and Ayman AlFifi, Grove operates as a consumer-facing fresh-produce brand built on a vertically coordinated, technology-enabled supply chain

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Startups

+4

Governata raises $4M seed to build Saudi Arabia’s first Arabic-first, AI-ready data governance platform

Jan 14, 2026

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2 min read

Governata raises $4M seed to build Saudi Arabia’s first Arabic-first, AI-ready data governance platform

The round was led by Vision Ventures, with participation from Mashhoor Aldubayan, Mazen Aldarrab, and Abdulla Nadeem Elyas.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Startups

+4

Saudi-based Madeed raises $400K as Eight Sleep exit founder Adam Bataineh launches preventative health and longevity platform

Jan 13, 2026

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2 min read

Saudi-based Madeed raises $400K as Eight Sleep exit founder Adam Bataineh launches preventative health and longevity platform

The round was led by Vision Ventures, with participation from Mashhoor Aldubayan, Mazen Aldarrab, and Abdulla Nadeem Elyas.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+5

Musk's xAI raises $20B Series E as Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based MGX anchor mega-round

Jan 7, 2026

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4 min read

Musk's xAI raises $20B Series E as Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi-based MGX anchor mega-round

The upsized $20 billion round highlights a deepening Gulf split in frontier AI, as sovereign funds increasingly pick sides across OpenAI, Anthropic, and Elon Musk’s compute-first platform.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+3

Red Sea Global partners with Bunat Ventures to launch AI-focused venture fund in Saudi Arabia

Jan 7, 2026

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2 min read

Red Sea Global partners with Bunat Ventures to launch AI-focused venture fund in Saudi Arabia

The new fund will back early- and growth-stage AI startups, combining capital with access to Red Sea Global’s operating environment, and builds on Bunat Ventures’ track record backing companies such as Ninja and the recently acquired CoinMENA.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

SaaS

+4

Saudi retail software startup Rewaa secures $45M Series B to double down on AI

Dec 30, 2025

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3 min read

Saudi retail software startup Rewaa secures $45M Series B to double down on AI

The round was led by Wa’ed Ventures (the VC arm of Saudi Aramco), Sanabil Investments, and Unifonic Ventures.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+2

CloudKitchens pauses Middle East IPO plans, weighs private placement instead

Dec 19, 2025

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2 min read

CloudKitchens pauses Middle East IPO plans, weighs private placement instead

The PIF-backed ghost kitchen operator has put a potential regional listing on hold and is exploring a private placement for its Middle East business, after previously targeting a $2bn valuation and a dual Abu Dhabi–Saudi IPO as early as 2026.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+1

Saudi delivery startup Mr Mandoob plans IPO in H1 2026 after valuation tops $213m

Dec 19, 2025

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2 min read

Saudi delivery startup Mr Mandoob plans IPO in H1 2026 after valuation tops $213m

CEO Obaid Al-Enazi says the Saudi delivery platform, which serves more than 14 million users, is working with regulators on a potential Nomu listing as it scales partnerships, technology and services amid rising competition and sector consolidation.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+3

The Gulf's Hollywood gambit unravels

Dec 19, 2025

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7 min read

The Gulf's Hollywood gambit unravels

Kushner exits, Trump turns hostile, and the WBD board calls Paramount's financing "illusory." Netflix wins, for now.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Contech

+2

From Careem $3.1 exit to disrupting Saudi construction

Dec 15, 2025

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1 min read

From Careem $3.1 exit to disrupting Saudi construction

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.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+3

Noon raises $500m from PIF-backed investors as Middle East e-commerce giant eyes IPO

Dec 12, 2025

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3 min read

Noon raises $500m from PIF-backed investors as Middle East e-commerce giant eyes IPO

Founded in 2016, noon launched with the PIF holding a 50% stake and investors led by Alabbar owning the remainder.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+4

Three Gulf sovereign funds team up on an unprecedented Hollywood hostile bid

Dec 12, 2025

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7 min read

Three Gulf sovereign funds team up on an unprecedented Hollywood hostile bid

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.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Startups

+4

Saudi cybersecurity startup COGNNA raises $9.2M Series A to scale AI-led security operations

Dec 3, 2025

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3 min read

Saudi cybersecurity startup COGNNA raises $9.2M Series A to scale AI-led security operations

Impact46 doubles-down as COGNNA pushes into global markets with its agentic SOC platform, promising faster threat detection and lower security operations costs.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Fintech

+4

Saudi-based Erad secures $125M facility from Jefferies and Channel to scale embedded SME finance across the GCC

Nov 27, 2025

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3 min read

Saudi-based Erad secures $125M facility from Jefferies and Channel to scale embedded SME finance across the GCC

The capital will expand erad’s embedded finance solutions into new B2B verticals including manufacturing, logistics, distribution and real estate services, with financing ticket sizes of up to SAR 10 million.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Startups

+4

Strataphy raises $6M Seed to develop geothermal cooling systems for data centres and industrial infrastructure

Nov 25, 2025

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2 min read

Strataphy raises $6M Seed to develop geothermal cooling systems for data centres and industrial infrastructure

Outliers VC leads investment to scale subsurface-powered cooling technology across Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Startups

+3

Founders Fund leads $11.7M Series A in Mnzil, marking its first lead investment in Saudi Arabia

Nov 25, 2025

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2 min read

Founders Fund leads $11.7M Series A in Mnzil, marking its first lead investment in Saudi Arabia

The US firm, known for backing SpaceX, Airbnb and OpenAI, will support Mnzil’s expansion of workforce housing solutions across the GCC.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+2

HUMAIN partners with Adobe to develop Arabic-first generative AI on Saudi-built hyperscale infrastructure

Nov 20, 2025

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2 min read

HUMAIN partners with Adobe to develop Arabic-first generative AI on Saudi-built hyperscale infrastructure

Collaboration spans infrastructure, models and creative tools. Adobe to become first customer of HUMAIN’s AI data centres, with support from Qualcomm.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+3

HUMAIN leads Luma AI’s $900M Series C to train multimodal AGI using 2GW Saudi supercluster

Nov 20, 2025

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2 min read

HUMAIN leads Luma AI’s $900M Series C to train multimodal AGI using 2GW Saudi supercluster

Funding led by HUMAIN will accelerate development of frontier “World Models” as Luma positions to scale real-world AI across robotics, enterprise, entertainment, and regional customisation.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+2

Elon Musk announces 500MW xAI data centre in Saudi Arabia in partnership with HUMAIN

Nov 20, 2025

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2 min read

Elon Musk announces 500MW xAI data centre in Saudi Arabia in partnership with HUMAIN

Project launched during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s US visit. Built in partnership with Saudi sovereign-backed HUMAIN AI and powered by Nvidia chips.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+3

Saudi fractional real estate platform Ghanem raises $7.1M from Al-Romaih Group

Nov 19, 2025

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2 min read

Saudi fractional real estate platform Ghanem raises $7.1M from Al-Romaih Group

The newly launched startup aims to expand access to property investment through a regulated fractional ownership model.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Fintech

+3

Lean Technologies eyes new bets ahead of potential IPO

Nov 14, 2025

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3 min read

Lean Technologies eyes new bets ahead of potential IPO

Saudi fintech wants to push beyond open banking as it preps for a future listing, with CEO Hisham Al-Falih signalling a wider product roadmap.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Fintech

+3

Saudi BNPL Tamara turns profitable in 9M 2025 as revenue doubles and credit costs fall

Nov 14, 2025

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3 min read

Saudi BNPL Tamara turns profitable in 9M 2025 as revenue doubles and credit costs fall

Tamara doubled revenue and delivered its first sustained profit in Q3 2025, supported by the arrival of one of the Middle East’s largest BNPL financing facilities.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Saudi Arabia

+4

How the Gulf is Fighting for AI Supremacy on the Ocean Floor

Nov 12, 2025

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12 min read

How the Gulf is Fighting for AI Supremacy on the Ocean Floor

As hyperscalers like Google and Meta rewire the internet with private subsea cables, Gulf states are building their own routes to control the arteries of AI. The new battle for digital sovereignty is being waged on the ocean floor.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane

Startups

+3

Saudi VC firm SVC eyes $3 billion target by 2030 as over a dozen portfolio companies prepare IPOs

Nov 7, 2025

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2 min read

Saudi VC firm SVC eyes $3 billion target by 2030 as over a dozen portfolio companies prepare IPOs

SVC Chief Executive Nabeel Koshak revealed that more than 13 of the companies in its portfolio have begun preparations for an initial public offering on the sidelines of the Private Capital Forum in Riyadh.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
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