Dubai-based idea-L has secured a $1 million pre-seed round to accelerate its mission of turning ideas into inv ..Read More

Dubai-based idea-L has secured a $1 million pre-seed round to accelerate its mission of turning ideas into investor-ready ventures. Backed by angel investors, the funding will fuel technical hiring, product rollouts, and the upcoming launch of its governance token. By combining AI, decentralised funding, and structured mentorship, idea-L is building a next-gen platform to democratise startup creation in the MENA region and beyond
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• Venture Creation Platform

UAE-based AppliedAI has closed an oversubscribed $55 million Series A round, with MEVP joining global investor ..Read More

UAE-based AppliedAI has closed an oversubscribed $55 million Series A round, with MEVP joining global investors G42, Bessemer Venture Partners, and e&. The funding will accelerate the company’s international expansion, enhance its AI platform Opus, and deepen its presence in the MENA region. Founded in the UK in 2021 and relocated to Abu Dhabi in 2022, AppliedAI automates complex back-office tasks in healthcare, finance, and government. This milestone cements its position as a leading enterprise AI player shaping the future of intelligent operations across the Middle East and beyond.
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• AI

UAE-based loyalty platform Related has secured $8 million in funding from Saudi Arabia’s Equivator to fuel i ..Read More

UAE-based loyalty platform Related has secured $8 million in funding from Saudi Arabia’s Equivator to fuel its regional expansion and enhance its AI and blockchain-driven infrastructure. With over 30 million users, Related is transforming the loyalty landscape across MENA. The company also announced the acquisition of B2C brand Uplines, strengthening its consumer engagement capabilities. This funding round supports the launch of the “Related Loyalty & Fintech Authority,” a new initiative aimed at shaping industry innovation and standards. The move marks a major step in Related’s journey to becoming the region’s leading loyalty ecosystem.
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• loyalty and rewards company

UAE-based digital investment platform Stryde has acquired Qora71, the region’s fastest-growing angel investm ..Read More

UAE-based digital investment platform Stryde has acquired Qora71, the region’s fastest-growing angel investment network, and rebranded it as Stryde71—marking its official entry into venture capital. Backed by Hub71 and founded by Youssef Salem, Qora71 enabled over 50 investments and deployed $2M+ in capital within five months through a community-led syndicate model. Now part of the DFSA-regulated Stryde ecosystem, Stryde71 will empower retail and qualified investors to co-invest in exclusive global startup deals via an end-to-end digital platform, while strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional VC and innovation hub. The move reflects Stryde’s mission to democratize access to alternative investments and accelerate founder success across early and growth stages.
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• Digital Investment Platform

SaturnX, a UAE-based infrastructure provider for stablecoin-based cross-border payments, has raised $3 million ..Read More

SaturnX, a UAE-based infrastructure provider for stablecoin-based cross-border payments, has raised $3 million in seed funding led by White Star Capital, with participation from strategic institutional investors. Founded in 2024 by Mirnas Brescic, SaturnX offers an enterprise-grade API platform that enables B2B money transmitters and financial platforms to power instant, low-cost stablecoin transfers. With over $250 million in transaction volume in its first five months, the company will use the capital to expand into high-demand corridors across Southeast Asia—including the Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Pakistan—while strengthening compliance infrastructure. Positioned as a critical backend for global digital dollar flows, SaturnX is modernizing the infrastructure behind borderless payments in emerging markets.
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• Infrastructure Provider

OCTA, a UAE-based fintech platform automating financial operations for SMEs, has secured a $20 million credit ..Read More

OCTA, a UAE-based fintech platform automating financial operations for SMEs, has secured a $20 million credit facility from the Sukna Fund for Direct Financing (SFDF). Co-founded in 2024 by Jon Santillan, Andrey Korchak, and Nupur Mittal, OCTA integrates invoicing, payments, collections, and embedded credit into one platform. This funding enables OCTA to deliver real-time, embedded working capital financing—allowing SMEs to unlock cash tied up in receivables and smooth out payables without relying on traditional banking channels. The facility strengthens OCTA’s mission to become the foundational contract-to-cash infrastructure for SMEs in Saudi Arabia and across the MENA region.
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• Fintech

Lottery.com signed a $2.5 million agreement to acquire a 90% stake in Dubai-based sports and wellness incubato ..Read More

Lottery.com signed a $2.5 million agreement to acquire a 90% stake in Dubai-based sports and wellness incubator Nook Holdings, founded by Ravi Bhusari. As part of the deal, Nook was rebranded under the Sports.com platform, becoming Lottery.com’s MENA base. The acquisition aligned with Lottery.com's global expansion strategy targeting high-potential, revenue-generating businesses in sports, health, and entertainment.
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• Sportstech

UAE-based regtech, Qanooni, raised $2 million in a pre-seed round led by Village Global, Oryx Fund by Salica I ..Read More

UAE-based regtech, Qanooni, raised $2 million in a pre-seed round led by Village Global, Oryx Fund by Salica Investments, TA Ventures, and strategic angel investors. The capital was allocated to accelerate Qanooni’s expansion across the UAE and UK, and to enhance its proprietary AI-powered legal automation platform, reinforcing its position in driving the future of legal tech across MENA and Europe.
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• Regulatory Tech