Smart Bricks Snags $1M in Global AI Proptech Triumph

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 24-05-2026

4 min

Smart Bricks won the $1 million prize at The Pitch finale in Paris.

The contest drew 50,000 applicants, with 100 reaching the final round.

The startup builds ‘agentic AI infrastructure’ for global real-estate investing.

It earlier raised $5 million from a16z Speedrun and global investors.

The victory signals MENA startups can ‘compete — and win’ globally.

Smart Bricks, a UAE-based proptech startup, has walked away with the $1 million grand prize at the global finale of The Pitch by Deel, presented by J.P. Morgan, held this week in Paris. For a young company that had just clinched the GCC regional title in Dubai days earlier, it’s been quite a sprint, and not the easy kind.

The competition reportedly drew more than 50,000 applications from startups around the world. After seven regional finals, 100 companies were invited to Paris for the concluding round. That’s a serious funnel. Anyone who’s ever filled out a pitch application knows it can be a bit of a faff, so making it through that crowd is no small feat.

Smart Bricks’ CEO, Mohamed Mohamed, reflected on the pace of it all. “A few days ago we won the GCC finale in Dubai. Then flew to Paris for the global final. The level of founders, operators, and investors in the room was extraordinary, and to come away with the win is something we’re incredibly proud of,” he said.

I’ve seen first-hand how regional founders sometimes doubt whether they can stand shoulder to shoulder with Silicon Valley or European heavyweights. At Arageek, we often meet early-stage teams who quietly wonder if they’re “ready” for the global stage. Stories like this? They’re energising. They remind the ecosystem that, yes, MENA startups can compete, and win.

The judging panel in Paris included recognised names from venture capital, tech, and entrepreneurship, adding further weight to the result. And believe it or not, Smart Bricks isn’t new to big milestones. Earlier this year, the company secured a $5 million pre-seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z Speedrun programme, with backing from investors spanning the US, Europe, and the Middle East.

The startup describes itself as a frontier AI lab building agentic AI infrastructure for global real-estate investing. In simpler words, it’s developing autonomous systems that can discover, evaluate, and even transact property assets end-to-end. The ambition is bold: to turn real estate into a fully computable, data-driven asset class rather than something driven largely by manual processes and fragmented information.

That said, AI in property is not exactly a new idea. Plenty of firms promise to “digitise” real estate. What stands out here is the focus on autonomous reasoning systems, machines that don’t just analyse data but can act on it. I reckon that’s where things get interesting, especially in a sector as complex and paper-heavy as property. If it works as intended, it could be spot on for institutional investors seeking efficiency across borders.

Smart Bricks has also been part of Cohort 9 of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund (MBRIF) Accelerator Programme, which offers mentorship and access to the UAE’s broader innovation network. For startups scaling from Dubai, that kind of structured support can make a real difference… well, I mean, access is often half the battle.

Mohamed acknowledged the less glamorous side of startup growth. “People see the headlines, fundraising, growth, awards, and momentum,” he said. “What they don’t see are the years of stress, risk, obsession, sacrifice, intensity, and conviction behind the scenes to build something at this level. Proud of what we’re building and proud of the team. We’re just getting started.”

There’s definately a sense that this win is more a milestone than a finish line. A $1 million prize and global recognition are powerful signals, but scaling an AI infrastructure company in global real estate will be a marathon, not a sprint.

On the flip side, moments like this give the regional ecosystem something concrete to rally around. A UAE startup, selected from over 50,000 applicants, taking the top prize in Paris, that’s not just good PR. For many founders watching from across MENA, it’s a nudge that the glass ceiling might not be as thick as it once felt. And honestly, that shift in mindset can be priceless.

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