TruDoc raised $15 million pre-Series B to expand virtual-first care. 
Backed by Al Nahyan and Al-Ketbi families, plus Pulsar Capital. 
It aims to shift healthcare beyond ‘hospital walls’ into homes. 
Executives call it ‘healthcare as infrastructure’ for chronic disease pressures. 
Investors see virtual-first models as core to the Gulf’s future.

SAL Logistics will acquire Belgium’s Aviapartner Liège for €28 million. 
The deal secures a foothold at Liège Airport, a key European cargo hub. 
SAL aims to expand globally and diversify revenue beyond Saudi Arabia. 
The purchase, funded from cash reserves, awaits regulatory approval. 
The move signals Saudi firms’ growing ambition in international logistics.

Banque Misr and Modupay completed direct ATM integration across Egypt. 
Fintech cardholders access withdrawals, deposits, PIN changes and mini statements. 
Access to cash remains “absolutely crucial” as digital adoption accelerates. 
The system promises faster processing, real-time communication and fewer failed transactions. 
The partnership strengthens a “hybrid model” of banks backing fintech growth.

Fawry’s 2025 revenue jumped 57% to EGP 8.65 billion. 
EBITDA climbed 80.8%, pushing margins to record 57.4%. 
Financial Services revenue surged 135%, signalling neobanking momentum. 
Total throughput hit EGP 943.6 billion, wallets up 71.8%. 
AI tools, Soft POS and new funds point to continued expansion.

Alizz Islamic Bank and Sharakah expand their SME programme for a second year. 
Fifteen firms receive 12-month support, with “360-degree” assessments and tailored roadmaps. 
Another 300 SMEs get training in finance, marketing, digital transformation and growth. 
Leaders cite “tangible impact” and reaffirm SMEs as the backbone of progress. 
The initiative blends funding and advisory to strengthen Oman’s diversification drive.

MIS won a 12-month contract to build a private AI data centre for HUMAIN. 
The deal could exceed 155 per cent of its 2024 revenue. 
The project underlines Saudi Arabia’s push into serious AI infrastructure. 
Earlier awards and a 72MW expansion show rapid data centre growth. 
Large-scale, “heavy-duty facilities” promise scale but carry cost and delivery risks.

Infobip has opened a Saudi data centre to keep data secure and local. 
The move supports Vision 2030 and tightening data residency rules. 
Local AI workloads reduce latency, strengthen reliability, and ensure “operational continuity”. 
The facility targets government and enterprise clients needing compliant in-Kingdom infrastructure. 
It signals global tech firms are “planting flags” in Saudi’s AI future.

Network International has enabled Apple Pay through new card “tokenisation” licences in Egypt. 
Four major banks launched together under the Central Bank’s phased digital roadmap. 
Tokenisation replaces card details with a secure digital token, reducing fraud risk. 
The move strengthens Egypt’s payments infrastructure and supports a “cash-light” economy. 
For fintech founders, stronger rails signal faster, more scalable innovation ahead.

masterminds-3-7

MasterMinds (3)

Rimal Semiconductors secured KDTF backing, marking a serious deep-tech push. 
Founded in 2025, it’s the Kingdom’s first fabless power chip designer. 
The firm aims to go “from sand to silicon” locally. 
Investment will boost supply chains and partnerships in energy and transport. 
Officials see this as the start of a Saudi semiconductor industry.

Charikaty launches as Morocco’s first fully digital platform for company formation. 
It promises a “one-stop digital shop” replacing paperwork and middlemen. 
Services span incorporation, tax compliance, trademarks and legal templates online. 
Backed by investors, it plans expansion to Egypt and beyond. 
Winning founders’ trust will be crucial to cut delays and “bureaucratic drag”.

Weego raised $1,1 million from Azur Innovation Fund to expand in Morocco. 
Its platform unites buses, trams and taxis in one real-time interface. 
The startup serves five cities and targets businesses to cut costs and emissions. 
Funds will boost tech, widen coverage and support expansion beyond Morocco. 
Investors see multimodal mobility as essential infrastructure, despite scaling and regulatory hurdles.

SPARK signed an MoU with Nokia to boost “knowledge exchange” and innovation. 
The deal backs master classes, advanced training and capacity-building initiatives. 
An expanded “Tech Matchmaker” aims to connect ideas with scalable market solutions. 
Four pillars include joint innovation, global networks and structured support platforms. 
The partnership strengthens Sharjah’s push to become a leading technology hub.

Qatar’s iQtech secured first investment round to scale AI medical training. 
Its platform “EsculapioVR” blends VR simulations with AI-driven assessment tools. 
European partners add technical know-how to modernise regional education standards. 
The startup targets universities, hospitals, and civil and military training centres. 
Despite cost and regulatory hurdles, it aims to reshape clinical competency.

Abu Dhabi’s 2PointZero has bought a stake in US wearable firm Whoop.
Whoop runs a subscription model tracking “performance, recovery and overall health metrics”.
The deal signals diversification and growing MENA appetite for global tech stakes.
Financial terms were undisclosed, prompting questions over the size of the holding.
Health tech wearables are gaining traction as consumers track “sleep score” and strain.

Proofpoint has launched an AI-powered archiving suite for small and medium businesses. 
Nuclei bundles governance and archiving in one cloud platform, cutting complexity and cost. 
It deploys “in minutes”, with AI supervision to flag compliance and insider risks. 
Simple per-user pricing covers 80-plus channels, with pooled storage and scalable options. 
The move targets firms struggling with compliance that is “hurting their growth”.

Iranian drone attacks damaged AWS data centres in the UAE and Bahrain. 
Strikes caused power cuts, structural harm and fire suppression ‘water damage’. 
Amazon warned cloud services were disrupted and recovery could be prolonged. 
Regional startups with “everything on AWS” faced serious operational headaches. 
The incident raises doubts over resilience as Gulf tensions sharply escalate.

New Zealand telcos signed an MoU under the GSMA Open Gateway initiative. 
They will build standardised network APIs to combat rising scams. 
“Number Verification” and “SIM Swap” aim to stop fraud in real time. 
The scheme aligns with global Open Gateway standards, spanning 300 networks. 
Unified APIs are in development, with rollout expected later this year.

GMS and Shabodi partner to speed up Network API enablement and monetisation. 
Platform aggregates enterprise demand, linking operator capabilities with real business use. 
Standardised APIs support SIM swap checks, verification, fraud prevention and QoS. 
Operators monetise network data without costly core overhauls, using GSMA Open Gateway. 
Move could shift telcos from selling connectivity to selling embedded network intelligence.

Android has launched “Android Network Ready” to simplify premium service rollouts. 
It uses GSMA standards to streamline onboarding, integration and validation for carriers. 
Features include RCS messaging, seamless eSIM management and satellite connectivity. 
Secure phone verification and RCS for Business create fresh revenue opportunities. 
The aim is broader access, smoother operations and consistent global user experiences.

MWC26 opens in Barcelona, signalling a shift beyond “faster phones” to AI and security. 
GSMA urges deeper standalone 5G, wider AI access, and safer digital ecosystems. 
Mobile generated $7.6 trillion in 2025, set to reach $11.3 trillion by 2030. 
Despite 96% coverage, over three billion remain offline due to affordability and skills. 
Cybercrime could hit $15.63 trillion by 2029, raising pressure on operators.

SAMA granted HyperPay the National Payment Gateway certification, tightening digital payment standards. 
The approval confirms compliance with national regulations and technical requirements. 
HyperPay can now integrate with national infrastructure, boosting secure, scalable services. 
SAMA sees NPG certifications as foundations for a cashless Vision 2030 economy. 
The move signals Saudi fintech is “growing up” with stronger regulatory maturity.

SentinelOne named a Leader in SACR’s first “Unified Agentic Defense” evaluation.
The report reviews platforms unifying AI, data and security across systems.
SentinelOne ranked top “Innovator” for vision and real-world execution.
Its AI-native Singularity platform uses “agentic” defence to investigate and respond autonomously.
As AI becomes business-critical, protecting models, data and workflows is now board-level priority.

Brookfield plans to acquire Ori, folding it into Radiant Infrastructure. 
The deal boosts Saudi data centres and “edge computing” capabilities. 
Edge processing cuts latency, vital for industry, energy and smart cities. 
It backs Vision 2030 ambitions to lead in advanced computing. 
Investors are strengthening the “plumbing behind the promise” of AI.

Sympl secured the Startup Label under Egypt’s National Startup Charter. 
The scheme offers “official recognition” and clearer regulatory footing for startups. 
Assessment covered innovation, scalability, infrastructure, investment readiness, and market traction. 
Benefits include smoother administration, government access, and wider investor visibility. 
The move boosts credibility as Egypt’s fintech sector gathers pace.

Mohammed Fathy

Mohammed Fathy, Author at Arageek

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

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