CADO Secures $4.5M to Revolutionise Global Gifting Scene from UAE Roots

CADO, the premium gifting platform born in the UAE, has just wrapped up a $4.5 million pre-seed funding round—quite the feat for a company that started out as a three-person team in Dubai. The capital injection came from Sanabil 500, a German family office, and several high-net-worth individuals and angel investors, pointing to growing confidence in the region’s taste for boutique tech ventures.

Founded by Leila Al Marashi, CADO has expanded beyond its beginnings to operate across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and even the United States. The idea? To make gifting smarter, faster, and frankly, a bit more thoughtful. It’s not just about sending a box tied with a ribbon—it’s about blending design, logistics, and tech so that corporate gifting feels personal again. As Al Marashi once put it, she wanted to “modernise and elevate the art of gifting.” I reckon that’s spot on for a part of the world that prizes hospitality and connection as much as innovation.

The company’s client roll reads like a who’s who of luxury and tech: Netflix, Gucci, Cartier, TikTok, and LinkedIn, alongside others like American Express and Julius Baer. With over 500 repeat partners, that’s a serious stamp of approval in what used to be a rather old-fashioned industry.

The fresh funding will mainly fuel CADO’s push in Saudi Arabia—where it’s building a creative ecosystem linking artisans, local suppliers, and investors—and in New York, its first big international step. If it pulls that off, CADO might just become the first gifting powerhouse from the Middle East to genuinely go global.

Amal Dokhan from Sanabil 500 called CADO a brand that “merges creativity, technology, and cultural relevance,” which, coming from one of the region’s most active VCs, is high praise indeed. That said, it’ll be interesting to see how CADO keeps its signature Middle Eastern charm while scaling abroad. I’ve seen plenty of startups lose a touch of their magic when they grow too fast—but then again, CADO’s approach seems anything but rushed.

Having followed Gulf startups for a while through Arageek’s coverage, I can’t help but appreciate how these ventures—whether in e-commerce, fintech, or, in this case, creative gifting—bring a dash of local flair to global markets. And yes, watching founders like Al Marashi carve out something new makes all those long pitch nights and endless demo days feel a bit less of a faff.

Beyond the numbers, there’s a quiet sense of ambition here—one that could redefine how people think about gifting in the digital age. Believe it or not, a few years back, no one would’ve bet on a gifting startup from Dubai taking on New York. Times have definately changed.

🚀 Got exciting news to share?

If you're a startup founder, VC, or PR agency with big updates—funding rounds, product launches 📢, or company milestones 🎉 — AraGeek English wants to hear from you!

✉️ Send Us Your Story 👇

https://en.arageek.com/send-us-your-story-or-a-news-tip