Past Editions

📰 News📰 News
Saudi BNPL Tabby raises $160M Series E at a $3.3B valuation, becoming MENA’s most valuable fintech

Saudi BNPL Tabby raises $160M Series E at a $3.3B valuation, becoming MENA’s most valuable fintech

It is now the second most valuable internet company in the region, trailing only Talabat. Notably, Tabby reached this milestone in just five years—its seed round was in November 2019.

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
🔍 Deep-dives🔍 Deep-dives
+1+1
A closer look at Saudi’s first e-commerce IPO

A closer look at Saudi’s first e-commerce IPO

Nice One commands a 29% market share of the online beauty e-commerce landscape, but competition from giants is not far behind

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🎧 Podcast🎧 Podcast
VC React Podcast (Episode #24)

VC React Podcast (Episode #24)

Saudi fintech and building AI agents for MENA

Jamie Lane
Jamie Lane
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Qatar’s $1 billion Fund of Funds backs its first VC

Qatar’s $1 billion Fund of Funds backs its first VC

Dubai-based AI agent startup secures $10M Seed, Egypt’s Khazna raises $16M for its financial super app, SVC reports $1 billion invested across 54 funds, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🎙️ Interview🎙️ Interview
+1+1
Building agentic AI for Arabic dialects

Building agentic AI for Arabic dialects

Why it's so difficult, the benefits of offering LLM flexibility, and how AI is changing the enterprise pricing model.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Saudi startup Lendo secures $690M facility

Saudi startup Lendo secures $690M facility

UAE biotech BioSapien extends pre-Series A to $7M for cancer treatment platform, STC Bank secures approval to operate as a digital bank in Saudi, plus a round-up of this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🎙️ Interview🎙️ Interview
+1+1
Growing vegetables in the Saudi desert

Growing vegetables in the Saudi desert

Saudi Arabia’s reliance on food imports for 90% of its fresh produce is a problem. This startup thinks it has the food security solution.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
MENA's new early growth-stage fund

MENA's new early growth-stage fund

Saudi rent-now, pay-later firm Rize closes $35M, Egyptian payment orchestration platform MoneyHash raises $5.2 million pre-Series A for MEA expansion, plus a round-up of this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🎙️ Interview🎙️ Interview
+1+1
Scaling and exiting MENA's top cloud kitchen

Scaling and exiting MENA's top cloud kitchen

How an $80M Series B led to a strategic acquisition, the realities of navigating an exit, and starting fresh as a second-time founder.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Transforming job hunting in Palestine

Transforming job hunting in Palestine

Abu Dhabi’s ADQ offers to buy Aramex at $1.2 billion valuation, Dubai-based Sigma Capital launches $100M fund, and a round-up of this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🔍 Deep-dives🔍 Deep-dives
The Future of FWDstart

The Future of FWDstart

Building in public, introducing eight new premium deep-dive formats, and sharing our vision for future coverage and analysis

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
MENA's first tech IPO of 2025

MENA's first tech IPO of 2025

Nice One surges 30% on Tadawul public market debut, Zension raises $30 million series A, an exclusive interview, and a round-up of this week's MENA startup, VC, and tech news.

Jamie Lane
Zoe O Dwyer
Jamie Lane, +1
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