Zest Equity Secures $4.3M to Expand in GCC with Digital Fintech Solutions

Editorial Team

Last updated 28-04-2025

2 min

Zest Equity, a UAE-based fintech, secured $4,3 million in Pre-Series A funding.

Investment leaders include Prosus Ventures and Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures.

The funds aim to expand operations in Saudi Arabia and enhance technical capabilities in the UAE.

Zest Equity intends to attract specialised talent and launch new products.

Founders Zuhair Shamma’ and Rawan Baddour are steering promising growth in the fintech scene.

There's definitely something in the air lately when it comes to Middle Eastern startups, and UAE-based fintech venture Zest Equity is the latest to catch the investement bug. They’ve just secured a handy $4.3 million in their Pre-Series A funding round, spearheaded by Prosus Ventures—that’s the global tech investors themselves—alongside Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures (MSISV). Not too shabby at all, if you ask Arageek readers keeping tabs on these sorts of things.

Zest Equity, just two years out of the gate, offers a digital platform that's all about streamlining transactions within the private markets—a handy toolkit making life easier for investors wanting smoother, digital solutions. Seems straightforward enough, right? As the investment scene grows increasingly vibrant across the Gulf, Zest Equity has certainly hit the ground running.

This fresh injection of cash is earmarked to help the company spread its wings further into Saudi Arabia and deepen its presence in the UAE, as well as to attract specialised talent, upgrade its technical infrastructure, and roll out new products. They’re not strangers to fundraising success either: only this past October, Zest Equity nailed down a tidy $3.8 million seed round led by Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP).

It’s always cheering to see regional startups going from strength to strength, and this duo behind the idea—Zuhair Shamma’ and Rawan Baddour—are clearly onto something promising. With this latest sum, they undoubtedly have an exciting journey ahead. Keep watching this space—things are certainly cooking in the Middle East fintech world, and Zest Equity definitely looks set to be one of those rare success stories everyone's rooting for.

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