Knot Technologies Secures $1.1M to Revolutionise Ticketing with AI-Driven Platform

Editorial Team

Last updated 19-01-2026

3 min

Knot Technologies raised USD 1,1 million pre-seed to tackle ticketing’s “stubborn problems”.

The startup says ticketing is a “data failure”, driving fraud and inflated resale prices.

Its AI platform authenticates identity and tracks real-time demand for organisers.

Founders aim to rebuild trust and stop value leaking into secondary markets.

The funding supports product development and international expansion plans.

Knot Technologies, a young startup working at the crossroads of AI and live events, has picked up USD 1.1 million in pre-seed funding as it looks to take on some of ticketing’s most stubborn problems. The round was led by A15, backing the company’s plan to scale what it calls an AI‑native platform for ticketing and access control.

If you’ve ever tried to get hold of tickets for a popular concert and felt it was all a bit of a faff, you’re not alone. Organisers often have little idea of real demand, while fans are left exposed to fraud or inflated resale prices. A big chunk of value, the company argues, leaks into unregulated secondary markets. Knot’s bet is that this isn’t just bad luck, but a data failure that can be fixed with the right tools.

“Ticketing has become a financial black hole, with value leaking into unregulated channels and no modern tools to prevent it,” said Ahmed Abdalla, co-founder and chief executive of Knot Technologies. He added that organisers lack visibility and control, and that fans end up paying the price—one of the core reasons the company was started in the first place, to rebuild trust between businesses and customers by unlocking real economic value.

Founded in 2025 by Abdalla and CTO Hussein Elbendak, the startup has built an AI layer designed to authenticate identity, control how tickets are distributed, and track demand in real time. In plain terms, that means event owners can limit unauthorised transfers and cut down on so-called market leakage, while gaining a clearer picture of who is actually attending. From what I’ve seen across the MENA startup scene, that kind of visibility is gold dust, especially as live events become more data-hungry.

Elbendak believes the implications go further than gigs and matches. “As we scale, the underlying technology has the potential to create value far beyond ticketing,” he said. And believe it or not, that’s where things get interesting—access control, loyalty, even new ways for venues and fans to interact could be on the cards.

With the new capital, Knot plans to push ahead with product development and begin expanding internationally, while deepening integrations with partners across the live events ecosystem. The ambition is to become a core infrastructure layer for the next generation of events, enabling more secure and seamless, data-driven experiences for organisers and attendees alike. I reckon it’s a bold aim, but in a region where founders are not afraid to swing for the fences, it feels spot on—even if the road ahead won’t be completly smooth.

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