VC React Podcast (Episode #27)

In this week’s episode, we cover big funding rounds, a major acquisition, and cake – what’s not to like?!

Is EdTech finally entering a sustainable growth phase, or is this just another short-lived investment cycle? That question came up straight off the bat as we discussed Ula’s $28 million Series B round to expand its AI-powered learning platform in Saudi Arabia. Originally founded in Jordan as Jo Academy, Ula now serves over two million students, signaling strong demand – but is it enough to fuel long-term growth?

Next, with revenue-based financing (RBF) seeing mixed success globally, we looked at whether MENA’s SME ecosystem is big enough to support the model or if fintech investors are getting ahead of demand. Flow48 is putting that theory to the test after securing $69 million in Series A funding, a mix of debt and equity, to scale RBF in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Pinewood is making moves in automotive SaaS with a $46.2 million acquisition of Dubai-based Seez, completing its full takeover of the startup. Seez, which pivoted from a consumer marketplace to an AI-driven B2B platform, is a testament to perseverance. We consider when is the right time to exit?

And finally – cake! Bahrain-born Lola just raised $1.3 million in pre-seed funding to expand its personalised cake ordering platform. We get the inside scoop on why Plus VC backed the company from Hasan.

This week, Ahmad and I had the pleasure to be joined by:

• Hasan Haider, Founder and Managing Partner @ Plus VC

• Mohamad Khawaja, Founding Partner @ Fikr Ventures

• Sameer Sortur, Founding Partner @ SquareCircle Ventures

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