🗞️ Weekly round-up

🎙️ Interview📰 News🗞️ Weekly round-up🔍 Deep-dives🛠️ Strategy Breakdown📘 Founder Playbook🛣️ The Roadshow🎧 Podcast
🗞️ 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, +1
🗞️ 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, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Egypt’s $105M fintech fund pivots

Egypt’s $105M fintech fund pivots

Seesaw acquires Jordan’s Little Thinking Minds to deepen Arabic edtech push across MENA, BKN301 raises $23.8M to target UAE & Saudi expansion, Careem launches grocery delivery in Riyadh, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
The battle for Saudi quick commerce

The battle for Saudi quick commerce

Inside Rabbit’s Saudi expansion with CEO Ahmad Yousry, Saudi’s Sary and Bangladesh’s ShopUp merge to launch SILQ, a B2B commerce platform, with $110M in fresh funding, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Egypt's semiconductor renaissance

Egypt's semiconductor renaissance

InfiniLink raises $10M seed round to build next-gen optical connectivity chips for AI data centres, Fuse raises $6.6M to bring virtual IBANs to MENA, PayLater becomes first BNPL firm licensed by Qatar Central Bank, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Preventing illness with AI

Preventing illness with AI

UAE-based reverse logistics platform Cartlow acquired by Basatne, Warner Bros. invests $57 million in OSN+ for minority stake, UAE Central Bank unveils new dirham symbol, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Gulf funds are betting on biotech

Gulf funds are betting on biotech

ClearGrid emerges from stealth with $10M to modernise debt collection, QED leads NymCard $33m Series B round, Yango Group launches $20m VC fund, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
A 10x return for Saudi VC

A 10x return for Saudi VC

Lean banks Series B extension funding, Aramco Ventures doubles down on direct air capture, travel-tech Lokalee acquired for $12.8 million plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
MENA quick commerce is heating up

MENA quick commerce is heating up

Talabat acquires InstaShop, Ninja targets $1BN+ pre-IPO valuation, and Saudi BNPL Tamara receives SAMA license for consumer finance, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
5 VCs to set up MENA hubs in Doha

5 VCs to set up MENA hubs in Doha

Dubai-based Flow48 secures $69M, Seez acquired for $46.2 million, Disrupt.com to invest $100m to fuel AI-first startups, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Qatar's $1BN fund draws global VCs

Qatar's $1BN fund draws global VCs

Saudi VC hits first close of $30 million debut early-stage fund, Dubizzle continues pre-IPO acquisitions, Nice One surpasses $2 billion market cap, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1
🗞️ Weekly round-up🗞️ Weekly round-up
Tabby LEAPs to $3.3 billion valuation

Tabby LEAPs to $3.3 billion valuation

Over $330M raised across 24 startups, multiple new fund launches, unpacking LEAP 2025, plus this week’s MENA startup, VC, and tech news round-up.

Jamie Lane, +1