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Go beyond the headline

FWDstart reports on the stories shaping MENA tech, then goes deeper into the numbers, business models and people behind them.

Analysis

The rise and fall of the B2B e-commerce marketplace

Jul 29, 2026

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27 min read

The rise and fall of the B2B e-commerce marketplace

Across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, B2B marketplaces like Wasoko, Sary and MaxAB raised hundreds of millions to digitise informal retail, backed by aggressive growth capital from kingmakers like Tiger Global. But when subsidised expansion collided with razor-thin margins, the category unravelled. Inside the boom, the bust, and the quiet pivot of the survivors.

Jamie Lane

Analysis

The year debt out-deployed equity in the Gulf

Jul 8, 2026

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13 min read

The year debt out-deployed equity in the Gulf

From Capifly to Stride Ventures to Jefferies, GCC startups climbed a three-tier debt ladder in 2025, as global desks including Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan moved in behind the region's own funds.

Jamie Lane

Analysis

Digging into Travis Kalanick’s $2B Gulf food computer

Aug 5, 2026

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24 min read

Digging into Travis Kalanick’s $2B Gulf food computer

Inside the cloud-kitchen infrastructure bet once headed for Tadawul, which survived the bust, expanded across the Gulf and now sits beneath Kalanick’s $1.7B a16z-backed Atoms comeback.

Jamie Lane

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Built for understanding MENA tech, not just following it

Original reporting

Reporting on companies, investors, transactions and developments that goes beyond the press release.

Deep dives

Long-form investigations into the companies, sectors and business models reshaping the region.

Analysis

Financials, charts and context that help explain what the numbers actually mean.

Founder & VC interviews

Candid conversations with the people who have spent years building and investing across the region.

Market intelligence

Funding, IPOs, M&A and emerging themes across MENA technology.

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What FWDstart readers say

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FWDStart is the easiest subscription that I’ve made. I use it to stay on top of everything happening in the startup ecosystem in MENA. And the deep dives are very relevant and useful. I have more FWDStart articles bookmarked than any other publication.

Moataz Soliman

Co-Founder & CTO of Luciq (formerly Instabug)

I’ve been fortunate to work in the MENA venture ecosystem for the past eight years, but it wasn’t until FWDstart launched that I felt we finally had a publication that truly matches the region’s trajectory. Fundraising headlines are easy; what sets FWDstart apart is the depth and quality of its deep-dive interviews that spotlight the real builders and decision-makers shaping the ecosystem. If you work in MENA VC and you’re not subscribed, you’re genuinely missing essential reading.