Paymob raised USD 35 million, co-led by Mubadala and the EBRD. 
It wants to expand across MENA and speed up products for SMEs. 
Its platform offers “60 payment methods” through one contract, API and dashboard. 
Paymob has moved into the UAE and onboarded around 20,000 GCC merchants. 
The real test is making one technology layer work across fragmented payment markets.

Egypt’s Meeza may link with PAPSS Card, taking the scheme beyond Egypt. 
The first job is building the &#8220;settlement layer&#8221; and connecting both payment infrastructures. 
If successful, travellers could pay in local currencies across connected African markets. 
PAPSS says the link will &#8220;complement&#8221; Meeza, not compete with its domestic role. 
There is no launch date yet; the project remains at procedures and integration stage.

Egypt’s Entrepreneur Awards returns for a sixth edition, with applications opening in Cairo. 
This year’s theme, “Collective Momentum”, puts networking and useful introductions centre stage. 
Organisers want more than a trophy, building ties for “longer-term business growth”. 
Ten categories reflect Egypt’s widening startup scene, from fintech and agritech to deeptech. 
A new heavyweight Advisory Board and broad partner backing aim to strengthen the ecosystem.

Monsha’at and STC Bank agreed a SAR 5 billion digital finance programme for SMEs. 
It offers Sharia-compliant funding, from &#8220;day-to-day operations&#8221; to loans lasting 10 years. 
Support covers working capital, equipment, receivables, projects, trade finance and business credit cards. 
E-commerce firms can access funding against point-of-sale takings, invoices and accounts receivable. 
The main question is whether delivery, pricing and access work well for smaller firms.

Octa raised $3.5 million in seed funding, taking total backing to $5.6 million. 
It launched OCTA Flow to handle “repetitive accounting work” like bookkeeping and reconciliations. 
The company says accountants remain in charge, with “no finished work” sent without review. 
Early demand looks strong, with 520 firms signing up within six weeks. 
The new funds will grow AI teams and expand further across the US and Gulf.

Lendo and Quantic launched a Saudi SME financing programme worth up to SAR 750 million. 
The scheme focuses on working capital, helping smaller firms keep “salaries paid” and operations running. 
Quantic will bring foreign investment and deploy funds through Lendo’s Shariah-compliant financing model. 
The deal signals growing confidence in Saudi debt crowdfunding and wider Vision 2030 fintech goals. 
If successful, it could build a lasting bridge between global capital and local SMEs.

TrueMoney and Visa now let Thai shoppers use linked cards at PromptPay QR merchants. 
Users scan the same familiar QR codes, but pay by card instead. 
The tie-up blends Visa perks with Thailand’s hugely popular PromptPay payment rail. 
PromptPay already handles vast volumes, so a small funding change could ripple widely. 
Cashback offers and Bangkok roadshows aim to make card-funded QR payments feel normal.

Watu secured a $7 million debt facility from AHL Venture Partners. 
The funding will grow its mobility and smartphone financing across African markets. 
Founded in 2015, Watu offers asset-backed loans for motorbikes, three-wheelers and smartphones. 
About 80% of its loans are smartphones, showing affordable connectivity is now essential. 
Watu has issued seven million loans and is expanding electric motorcycle finance too.

Coldreach says better outreach starts with a real reason, not a slick template.
It uses a ‘signal-first approach’ to spot companies showing genuine buying signs.
Research checks ‘why this company, why this person, why now’ before messaging.
The tool automates email and LinkedIn outreach, but timing and trust still matter.
Success should mean qualified meetings and pipeline, not just more messages or replies.

Brandlix wants one AI agent to handle the messy “chain of smaller jobs”.
It can plan, write, design, schedule and analyse across ten social platforms.
The tool works best with a strong brand profile and platform-specific direction.
Human approval still matters for complaints, claims, sensitive topics and reputational risk.
Its real promise is cutting repetitive work, not replacing strategy or judgement.

ACCE says there is no single “fair price”; valuation shifts with assumptions and comparisons.
It runs six models, then blends them into a confidence-weighted range, not one verdict.
A reverse DCF asks what the market already believes, rather than what stocks “should” be worth.
Screeners, research pages and AI tools help test ideas, challenge bias and narrow candidates.
The platform structures investing work, but leaves decisions and risk firmly with the investor.

Rize secured a USD 50 million Murabaha facility from Jadwa Investment. 
The funding backs its monthly rent contracts, not the main corporate balance sheet. 
Tenants pay in 12 instalments, while landlords still get full annual rent upfront. 
This keeps shareholder capital for product development, hiring, partnerships and expansion. 
Rize sees a “SAR 150 billion” market as flexible rent demand grows.

Madica picked five African startups, offering up to USD 200,000 and 18 months’ support. 
The cohort spans Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria, not just the “usual map”. 
Egypt’s Delta Oil and Bekia both tackle waste, linking collectors with buyers. 
Algeria’s Talenteo, Cameroon’s Paysika and Nigeria’s ChipMango target HR, banking and semiconductors. 
Madica’s model blends cash with mentorship, coaching and investor access for pre-seed founders.

Fina launched the Fina Fund, targeting USD 133 million for Saudi business financing. 
It aims to place funding inside everyday workflows like buying stock and paying suppliers. 
The move tackles a huge SME funding gap, with lending still below 2030 goals. 
Joa Capital manages the closed-ended fund, while Fina provides technology, data and trade links. 
If it works, working capital could become part of commerce, not a separate event.

Barq raised $329.5 million in Series A, reaching &#8220;unicorn territory&#8221; at a $1.85 billion valuation. 
It says it gained over 15 million users in two years across 210 nationalities. 
The app offers accounts, cards, transfers, rewards and &#8220;Gutta&#8221;, aiming to be all-in-one. 
New funding will back business services, product development and expansion into new markets. 
Barq’s rise reflects Saudi fintech’s rapid growth, with digital payments now about 70% of retail payments.

Creditchek bought Uganda’s Algosys, expanding into East Africa and adding banking tools. 
The deal links ‘credit data’, identity checks, loan management and collections together. 
Algosys stays a subsidiary, keeping 22 institutional clients and strong SACCO lending ties. 
Creditchek says East Africa is ‘not one market’ and products must fit local realities. 
The move follows a $600,000 raise and strengthens its Uganda base for regional growth.

Salam and Dell signed an MoU at LEAP 2026 in Saudi Arabia. 
The deal adds Dell’s cloud and edge AI to Salam’s services. 
They aim to help firms and government modernise, strengthen security and integrate systems. 
Dell says it will cut ‘operational complexity’ and speed innovation under Vision 2030. 
The real test is rollout speed, affordability and whether customers see measurable gains.

Tabby raised $233 million in Series F, lifting its valuation to $6.5 billion. 
The profitable fintech now serves 25 million users and handles over $18 billion yearly. 
It has grown from a checkout “button” into lending, accounts, cards and transfers. 
New Saudi and UAE licences give it crucial regulatory rails for broader financial services. 
Tabby is scaling steadily, with no rush to IPO despite a “strong hand”.

Emirates Development Bank has passed AED 30 billion in financing approvals since 2021. 
The milestone backs the UAE’s “industrial growth” and wider economic diversification plans. 
More than 1,000 firms were supported, mainly in manufacturing and other priority sectors. 
EDB says the funding boosted industrial GDP, jobs, investment and local supply chains. 
It has helped firms expand output, upgrade technology and compete at home and abroad.

Ajman University and Arizona’s Eller are bringing the GALA programme to the UAE. 
It marks GALA’s first Middle East launch, aimed at government and industry leaders. 
The course tackles AI strategy, governance and turning experiments into “measurable value”. 
Its three levels cover C-suite strategy, enterprise transformation and practical implementation. 
The UAE version uses GCC case studies and supports individuals, teams and whole organisations.

Tarabut secured USD 50 million to go deeper in Saudi Arabia’s embedded finance market. 
It helps lenders use ‘real-time cash-flow information’ instead of static paperwork and forms. 
The platform aims to speed SME funding and widen access for overlooked consumers. 
Banks could offer financing within existing transactions, with ‘less friction’ and faster decisions. 
The deal still needs SAMA approval, but strong backers suggest infrastructure is taken seriously.

Synapse Analytics raised USD 13 million, taking total funding since 2018 to USD 17 million. 
Its platform helps banks automate onboarding, credit, fraud and anti-money laundering decisions. 
Clients can run it on-premises, in cloud, sovereign cloud or “fully air-gapped” environments. 
The new funding will grow the team, speed product development and support expansion abroad. 
Synapse is betting regulated finance needs AI with “auditability and governance”, not flashy shortcuts.

Clay raised $115 million in Series D, lifting valuation to about $7.1 billion. 
Revenue leapt from $1 million to $100 million in just two years. 
The company pivoted from easier coding to AI-powered sales and marketing software. 
Customers including Anthropic, Airbnb and DoorDash use it to find and reach prospects. 
Clay is not planning an IPO, focusing instead on expanding AI agents and growth.

Charikaty closed a pre-seed round at a €3 million valuation with Gulf investors. 
It began by making company setup less of a faff, fully online. 
Services now cover accounting, compliance, trademarks, domiciliation and company dissolution. 
A diaspora channel lets Moroccans abroad launch firms without travel or consular appointments. 
Charikaty is building around the full business journey, with regional expansion ahead.

nuwa and TASC are joining forces for Expo 2030 Riyadh preparation ‘starting now’. 
They will tackle staffing, compliance, business setup and ‘market-entry’ for Expo-linked work. 
The aim is stronger Saudi talent in hospitality, visitor services and live event delivery. 
Foreign firms get a ‘springboard into Riyadh’ with local support and Expo know-how. 
Previous Expos showed vast workforce needs, so early planning looks far less risky.

Abdelrahman Amr

Abdelrahman Amr, Author at Arageek

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Arageek: MENA&#039;s Tech Pulse — Web3, AI &amp; Startups

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