Weekly round-up

Saudi's new unicorn, Tabby hits $6.5B valuation

Sep 18, 2026

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7 min read

Saudi's new unicorn, Tabby hits $6.5B valuation

MNT-Halan wins EGX approval ahead of Cairo listing, SILQ launches $133M direct financing fund for Saudi SMEs, Mubadala co-leads Crusoe's $3.9B round at $30.9B, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Egypt-born founder's Clay hits $7.1B valuation, HUMAIN eyes IPO

Sep 11, 2026

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6 min read

Egypt-born founder's Clay hits $7.1B valuation, HUMAIN eyes IPO

PayTabs agrees $100M-plus deal for Amazon Payment Services MENA, UAE leads Boring Company's $3B round, inside Abhi's IPO and the gold book behind it, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

HUMAIN's $10B VC fund could grow larger, Keeta turns profitable in Saudi

Sep 4, 2026

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9 min read

HUMAIN's $10B VC fund could grow larger, Keeta turns profitable in Saudi

COFE closes $43M pre-IPO round targeting 2029 Saudi listing, Nvidia in early talks with Wa'ed-backed chip startup Rebellions, Adam Neumann's Flow enters the UAE, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Fasset joins the unicorn club, Builder.ai founder resurfaces in Dubai

Aug 28, 2026

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5 min read

Fasset joins the unicorn club, Builder.ai founder resurfaces in Dubai

Swvl secures $14.5M led by Sawiris-backed Coefficient as it targets US expansion, Talabat generated 94% of Delivery Hero's MENA profit, Ventures Platform closes $84M pan-African fund, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

What VNV's marks imply for Breadfast and Baly, new Saudi growth fund

Aug 21, 2026

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4 min read

What VNV's marks imply for Breadfast and Baly, new Saudi growth fund

HeyBreez raises $2.5M seed led by Lunara Partners, Saudi edtech AILA raises $3M pre-Series A, Exits MENA acquires Avanz Capital Egypt, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Tabby and Tamara diverge in Saudi, CMA probes the Kingdom's IPO flops

Aug 14, 2026

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7 min read

Tabby and Tamara diverge in Saudi, CMA probes the Kingdom's IPO flops

Talabat raises full-year guidance as non-GCC markets surge, Anghami co-founder Eddy Maroun launches $100M Arabic music IP fund, qlub wins in-principle UAE payments approval, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Mubadala makes Moove a unicorn, Careem hands Uber a widening loss

Aug 7, 2026

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6 min read

Mubadala makes Moove a unicorn, Careem hands Uber a widening loss

Tamara lands Saudi Arabia's first BNPL investment-grade rating, PIF-owned HUMAIN invests in MOZN, Beltone exits Egyptian proptech BirdNest at 3.5x, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

UAE credit files add Tabby and Tamara, Abhi eyes Karachi listing

Jul 31, 2026

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7 min read

UAE credit files add Tabby and Tamara, Abhi eyes Karachi listing

Brookfield buys Jordanian founder Moe Hajabed's Aypa Power for $7B, SILQ secures $75M debt facility from Fasanara, Abhi plans $11M Karachi listing, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Uber gets Delivery Hero, Tabby pushes beyond BNPL

Jul 17, 2026

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5 min read

Uber gets Delivery Hero, Tabby pushes beyond BNPL

Vercel acquires Egyptian-born DevOps agent startup Stakpak, Revolut wins in-principle crypto approval from Dubai's VARA, Saudi AI infrastructure startup Think raises $8M pre-Seed, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

BlueFive backs Kling AI's $3B round, Amazon Now enters Egypt

Jul 10, 2026

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5 min read

BlueFive backs Kling AI's $3B round, Amazon Now enters Egypt

Keyper raises $11M Series A led by Speedinvest, Jordan's ISSF brings STV's Google-backed AI Fund, edtech Noon Academy acquires Almakhf, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

OSN moves to take Anghami private, Tabby lands SAMA licences

Jul 3, 2026

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5 min read

OSN moves to take Anghami private, Tabby lands SAMA licences

1001 raises $30M Series A led by Lux Capital, Catalyst Fund reaches $30M for debut pan-African climate fund, Beehive acquires Saudi debt crowdfunding platform Themar, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

PayPal Ventures winds down, Revolut hits a wall in Morocco

Jun 26, 2026

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6 min read

PayPal Ventures winds down, Revolut hits a wall in Morocco

MNT-Halan weighs $1B Cairo IPO, Oman's Phaze Ventures backs AI fundraising startup from Airlift founder Usman Gul, MGX raises $50B AI fund, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Revolut nears UAE launch, Lean debuts Pay by Bank

Jun 19, 2026

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5 min read

Revolut nears UAE launch, Lean debuts Pay by Bank

Ninja lines up banks for Delivery Hero bid, UAE AI startup closes $60M Series A to scale sovereign AI infrastructure, Alaan launches AI-native business bank account, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Ninja weighs Delivery Hero bid, Thndr eyes Saudi expansion

Jun 12, 2026

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6 min read

Ninja weighs Delivery Hero bid, Thndr eyes Saudi expansion

ex-Deliveroo Middle East head emerges from stealth with AI startup, Jordan's ISSF commits $7M to Endeavor Catalyst V, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Uber takes back Careem, SVC names new CEO

Jun 5, 2026

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6 min read

Uber takes back Careem, SVC names new CEO

Two new $50M funds announced, ex-talabat chief to lead $250M autonomous delivery venture, Byju's founder faces Singapore jail sentence in QIA dispute, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Calo winds down in UK, Uber closes in on Delivery Hero

May 29, 2026

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3 min read

Calo winds down in UK, Uber closes in on Delivery Hero

What a potential acquirer is actually buying inside Talabat and HungerStation, Uber increases its Delivery Hero stake to 37% at €12B valuation, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Noon may cut staff 50%, Fresha is a unicorn

May 22, 2026

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6 min read

Noon may cut staff 50%, Fresha is a unicorn

A new $70M growth fund for Jordanian tech startups, Uber emerges as Delivery Hero's largest shareholder, RemotePass raises $17.4M Series B, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

May 15, 2026

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7 min read

a16z's first GCC bet, Breadfast layoffs

Tabby and Tamara's surprising Q1 2026 results, Qatar launches new $30M deep tech venture fund, Delivery Hero CEO to step down under activist pressure, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Tech layoffs hit MENA, Careem pulls back

May 8, 2026

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5 min read

Tech layoffs hit MENA, Careem pulls back

Mubadala leads $15M Series A for UAE embedded finance startup, Moroccan founders raise $5.5M pre-Seed from Balderton, Lean expands Pay By Bank across UAE, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

MENA generates 60% of Delivery Hero's EBITDA, Talabat braces for Keeta in Egypt

May 1, 2026

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6 min read

MENA generates 60% of Delivery Hero's EBITDA, Talabat braces for Keeta in Egypt

Comfi raises $65M pre-Series A to scale B2B BNPL across MENA, Gulf sovereigns to own 38.5% of merged Paramount-WBD in close to $24B investment, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

$200M Saudi grocery darling Nana cracks, Speedinvest launches MEA fund

Apr 24, 2026

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6 min read

$200M Saudi grocery darling Nana cracks, Speedinvest launches MEA fund

Cerebras refiles for IPO at $23B with 86% of revenue still from Abu Dhabi, Uber raises Delivery Hero stake to 7% as questions mount over Gulf food delivery empire, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Tamara turns a profit, Egypt's cybersecurity moment

Apr 17, 2026

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5 min read

Tamara turns a profit, Egypt's cybersecurity moment

Saudi fashion startup raises $7M Series A drawing PIF's Sanabil, Tabby expanding into spending accounts, cards, and money management tools in UAE, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Nubank setting up in Abu Dhabi, YC's first Algerian female founder

Apr 10, 2026

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13 min read

Nubank setting up in Abu Dhabi, YC's first Algerian female founder

Egypt's Lucky raises $23m Series B, Abu Dhabi owns a stake in $90B venture firm Insight Partners, Kingdom Holding acquires stake in Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Tabby profitable in Saudi, MGX co-leads OpenAI's $122B round

Apr 3, 2026

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14 min read

Tabby profitable in Saudi, MGX co-leads OpenAI's $122B round

SpaceX files for a record IPO with Gulf sovereigns on the cap table, Tunisian founders get into YC, Egyptian-American founder Will Ahmed's Whoop raises $575M at $10.1B, plus this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane

Weekly round-up

Bezos pitches Gulf for $100B fund, Lean gets SAMA sign-off

Mar 27, 2026

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15 min read

Bezos pitches Gulf for $100B fund, Lean gets SAMA sign-off

Lebanese founder Tarek Mansour's Kalshi valued at $22B, Delivery Hero's strategic review raises questions for Talabat and HungerStation, Ninja still pursuing 2026 Tadawul IPO, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane