🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
AI, autonomy, and MENA cybersecurity

AI, autonomy, and MENA cybersecurity

A rare MENA cybersecurity startup exit, Money Fellows raises $13M pre-Series C, and Nama Ventures becomes first foreign VC licensed by Saudi CMA, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
📰 News📰 News
Turkey’s Dream Games hits $5B valuation in CVC-led deal, early VCs exit as founders retain control

Turkey’s Dream Games hits $5B valuation in CVC-led deal, early VCs exit as founders retain control

Backed by over $2B in combined equity and debt financing (including from Blackstone), the move positions Dream Games to expand its “Royal Universe” following a breakout 2023 with $1.5B in revenue and the launch of Royal Kingdom.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
📰 News📰 News
Money Fellows raises $13M pre-Series C to scale digital ROSCA platform across North Africa

Money Fellows raises $13M pre-Series C to scale digital ROSCA platform across North Africa

The round was co-led by Al Mada Ventures and DPI Venture Capital (via the Nclude Fund), with participation from Partech, CommerzVentures, and others.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
📰 News📰 News
Nama Ventures becomes first foreign VC licensed by Saudi CMA

Nama Ventures becomes first foreign VC licensed by Saudi CMA

Originally Cayman-based, Nama has now localised its regulatory base to align with Vision 2030 and will launch Shariah-compliant funds targeting high-growth startups across Saudi, MENA, and select global markets.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
📰 News📰 News
UAE’s CPX acquires Wa’ed-backed spiderSilk to bring offensive cyber-AI in-house

UAE’s CPX acquires Wa’ed-backed spiderSilk to bring offensive cyber-AI in-house

Founded in 2019 by Rami El Malak and Mossab Hussein, the startup has built an autonomous threat intelligence and exposure management platform used by public and private entities across MENA.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
🎙️ Interview🎙️ Interview
+1+1
AdalFi: Powering credit infrastructure across emerging markets

AdalFi: Powering credit infrastructure across emerging markets

What it takes to digitise lending inside legacy banks without triggering resistance, how to underwrite customers with no formal credit history, and why AdalFi’s refusal to lend may be its biggest strategic moat.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🎧 Podcast🎧 Podcast
VC React Podcast (Episode #33)

VC React Podcast (Episode #33)

Four moves that speak to a maturing ecosystem — from a pre-IPO restructure and SME fintech, to infra for private markets and a rare outbound acquisition from the Gulf.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Saudi’s IPO pipeline and $100M venture debt push

Saudi’s IPO pipeline and $100M venture debt push

STV launches $100 million venture debt fund, iMENA raises $135M in pre-IPO round, and Travis Kalanick’s CloudKitchens eyes IPO for Middle East unit, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
📰 News📰 News
Travis Kalanick’s CloudKitchens eyes IPO for Middle East unit

Travis Kalanick’s CloudKitchens eyes IPO for Middle East unit

Backed by Saudi Arabia’s PIF since a $400M investment in 2019, the ghost kitchen company operates under the KitchenPark brand in the UAE, Saudi, and Kuwait.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
📰 News📰 News
UAE-based Fuze raises $12.2 million Series A from Galaxy and e& Capital to scale its digital assets infrastructure

UAE-based Fuze raises $12.2 million Series A from Galaxy and e& Capital to scale its digital assets infrastructure

Founded in 2023 by Mo Ali Yusuf (CEO), Arpit Mehta (COO), and Srijan R Shetty (CTO), Fuze enables banks, fintechs, and enterprises to embed regulated crypto and stablecoin products through its Digital Assets-as-a-Service platform.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
📰 News📰 News
Saudi-based STV launches $100 million non-dilutive capital fund in partnership with SAB Invest and NTDP

Saudi-based STV launches $100 million non-dilutive capital fund in partnership with SAB Invest and NTDP

The fund uses a Sharia-compliant structure called Non-Dilutive Investment in Callable Equity (NICE) to offer growth-stage startups capital without giving up equity.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
📰 News📰 News
iMENA Holding raises $135M and restructures as Saudi company ahead of IPO

iMENA Holding raises $135M and restructures as Saudi company ahead of IPO

The round was backed by Sanabil Investments (Public Investment Fund), FJ Labs, Saygin Yalcin (Founder of SellAnyCar.com), and several prominent Saudi investors.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
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