FWDStart logo
FWDStart
PodcastSponsor Us
Subscribe!
๐Ÿ“ฐ News๐Ÿ“ฐ News
STV launches $100M AI fund backed by Google, marking tech giantโ€™s first VC bet in MENA
May 15, 2025

STV launches $100M AI fund backed by Google, marking tech giantโ€™s first VC bet in MENA

MENAโ€™s largest VC firm, with over $900M in AUM, also recently launched a $100M non-dilutive NICE Fund in partnership with SAB Invest.

Jamie Lane
๐Ÿ“ฐ News๐Ÿ“ฐ News
Saudi Arabia launches HUMAIN to anchor AI leadership, signs landmark deals with NVIDIA, AMD, and AWS
May 15, 2025

Saudi Arabia launches HUMAIN to anchor AI leadership, signs landmark deals with NVIDIA, AMD, and AWS

Its executive team includes former leaders from Microsoft, Nokia, and Groq, and it is closely aligned with SDAIA, the Saudi Data and AI Authority.

Jamie Lane
๐Ÿ” Deep-dives๐Ÿ” Deep-dives
+2+2
How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers
May 14, 2025

How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers

An 18,000-word playbook drawn from interviews with 7 of MENAโ€™s top post-Series A founders, tackling how to build trust before brand equity, validate before users, retain in transient markets, and know when to follow data โ€“ and when to trust your gut.

Jamie Lane, +1
๐Ÿ” Deep-dives๐Ÿ” Deep-dives
+1+1
How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers (#2)
May 14, 2025

How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers (#2)

An 18,000-word playbook drawn from interviews with 7 of MENAโ€™s top post-Series A founders, tackling how to build trust before brand equity, validate before users, retain in transient markets, and know when to follow data โ€“ and when to trust your gut.

Jamie Lane, +1
๐Ÿ” Deep-dives๐Ÿ” Deep-dives
+1+1
How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers (#3)
May 14, 2025

How to get (and keep) your first 100 customers (#3)

An 18,000-word playbook drawn from interviews with 7 of MENAโ€™s top post-Series A founders, tackling how to build trust before brand equity, validate before users, retain in transient markets, and know when to follow data โ€“ and when to trust your gut.

Jamie Lane, +1
๐ŸŽง Podcast๐ŸŽง Podcast
VC React Podcast (Episode #34)
May 12, 2025

VC React Podcast (Episode #34)

Two stories that hint at how exits are evolving in the region โ€” from a cybersecurity acquisition that keeps the core team and tech intact, to a surprise IPO push from one of Silicon Valleyโ€™s most controversial founders, now looking east.

Jamie Lane
๐Ÿ—ž๏ธ Weekly round-up๐Ÿ—ž๏ธ Weekly round-up
AI, autonomy, and MENA cybersecurity
May 09, 2025

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 weekโ€™s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
๐Ÿ“ฐ News๐Ÿ“ฐ News
Turkeyโ€™s Dream Games hits $5B valuation in CVC-led deal, early VCs exit as founders retain control
May 08, 2025

Turkeyโ€™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 โ€œRoyal Universeโ€ following a breakout 2023 with $1.5B in revenue and the launch of Royal Kingdom.

Jamie Lane
๐Ÿ“ฐ News๐Ÿ“ฐ News
Money Fellows raises $13M pre-Series C to scale digital ROSCA platform across North Africa
May 08, 2025

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
๐Ÿ“ฐ News๐Ÿ“ฐ News
Nama Ventures becomes first foreign VC licensed by Saudi CMA
May 08, 2025

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
๐Ÿ“ฐ News๐Ÿ“ฐ News
UAEโ€™s CPX acquires Waโ€™ed-backed spiderSilk to bring offensive cyber-AI in-house
May 08, 2025

UAEโ€™s CPX acquires Waโ€™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
๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Interview๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Interview
+1+1
AdalFi: Powering credit infrastructure across emerging markets
May 07, 2025

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 AdalFiโ€™s refusal to lend may be its biggest strategic moat.

Jamie Lane, +1
FirstBack
12345678
Next Last
MENA start-up, VC and tech stories direct to your inbox twice a week ๐ŸŒ

FWDStart

MENA start-up, VC and tech stories direct to your inbox twice a week ๐ŸŒ

Home

Posts

Account

Upgrade

ยฉ 2025 FWDstart Ventures LLC.

Privacy policy

Terms of use

Powered by beehiiv