Startup Wrap — Saudi Arabia leads MENA startup activity as UAE crowns new unicorn

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia continued to dominate startup momentum while the UAE saw a new unicorn emerging amid mixed funding trends across the region at the beginning of July.

Digital freight platform TruKKer, headquartered in the Kingdom, has raised $15 million in private credit investment from Ruya Partners through its Ruya Private Capital I fund.

The funding will be used to support the company’s expansion across regional markets, advance its proprietary artificial intelligenceI-enabled logistics platform, and further consolidate its position in the freight tech space.

Founded in 2016, TruKKer operates in nine countries and connects over 60,000 transporters with more than 1,200 enterprise clients through its real-time freight marketplace.

Digital freight platform TruKKer has raised $15 million in private credit investment from Ruya Partners through its Ruya Private Capital I fund. (Supplied)

The new capital follows a $100 million pre-IPO round in 2022 led by Bahrain’s Investcorp, signaling continued investor confidence in the platform’s scaling potential across the Middle East and North Africa.

Tarmeez Capital raises strategic round to accelerate sukuk innovation

Saudi fintech startup Tarmeez Capital has raised a strategic round led by Tali Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of stc group.

Launched in 2022 by Nasser Al-Saadoun, Tarmeez Capital aims to democratize sukuk issuance, offering a digital platform that it says can process transactions at seven times the speed of traditional methods.

The platform currently supports over 180,000 users and is focused on enhancing access to Islamic financial instruments.

The company plans to use the funds to expand its retail sukuk offerings and support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, particularly in driving financial inclusion across the population.

Saudi fintech startup Tarmeez Capital has raised a strategic round led by Tali Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of stc group. (Supplied)

Rekaz raises $5m seed round to expand SaaS for service SMBs

Riyadh-based Software-as-a-Service company Rekaz has secured $5 million in seed funding to scale its operating system for service-based small and medium-sized businesses.

The round was led by COTU Ventures, with participation from Impact46, Shorooq Partners, Numrah Capital, and several angel investors.

Founded in 2017 by Abdulrahman Al-Omran and Abdulaziz Al-Kharashi, Rekaz provides an integrated platform that includes scheduling, subscription management, payments, and customer engagement tools for businesses such as gyms, salons, clinics, and home service providers.

The company plans to channel the new capital into deepening AI functionality, expanding across the Gulf Cooperation Council markets, and accelerating product development.

Jahez Group acquires 76.56% stake in Qatar’s Snoonu for $245m

Saudi Arabia-listed Jahez Group has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a 76.56 percent stake in Snoonu, a leading Qatari e-commerce and delivery company, for $245 million.

The transaction includes $225 million for a 75 percent equity stake in existing shares and a $20 million capital injection for a newly issued 1.56 percent stake.

The acquisition marks Jahez’s formal entry into the Qatari market and is expected to enhance operational synergies across logistics, on-demand delivery, and e-commerce across the GCC.

Snoonu, now valued at over $300 million, will continue to operate under its own brand, led by founder and CEO Hamad Al-Hajjri, who retains a 23.44 percent stake in the company.

Huspy raises $59m series B to expand in Europe and Saudi Arabia

UAE and Spain-based property tech platform Huspy has raised $59 million in a series B round led by Balderton Capital, with participation from Peak XV, ExBorder Partners, and Turmeric Capital, as well as BY Ventures, Dara Management, and KE Partners.

The company plans to expand into six new cities in Spain and launch operations in Saudi Arabia in 2025.

Founded in 2020 by Jad Antoun and Khalid Ashmawy, Huspy facilitates over $7 billion in annual real estate transactions across its markets.

It supports real estate agents and mortgage brokers with a suite of digital tools, offering high commissions and automation in property transactions.

The round represents a reaffirmation of confidence by previous investors Balderton Capital and Peak XV.

XPANCEO raises $250m to achieve unicorn status

UAE-based deep tech company XPANCEO has raised $250 million in series A funding at a valuation of $1.35 billion, according to a press release.

The round was led by Opportunity Venture, which also led the company’s $40 million seed round.

XPANCEO is developing a multifunctional smart contact lens that integrates augmented reality, health monitoring, night vision, and optical zoom into a lens thinner than a human hair.

XPANCEO founders Valentyn Volkov and Roman Axelrod. (Supplied)

The funding will accelerate commercialization efforts, global expansion of R&D and product teams, and regulatory and pilot testing.

The company, founded by physicist Valentyn Volkov and Roman Axelrod, is aiming to replace multiple personal devices with a single wearable form factor.

BlueFive Capital closes founding round at $120m valuation

UAE-based investment firm BlueFive Capital has completed its Founding Shareholders Circle round, achieving a valuation of $120 million.

The round attracted 25 founding shareholders, including members of prominent GCC royal families, global institutional investors, and financial leaders from North America, Europe, and Asia, according to a statement.

Founded in late 2024 by former Investcorp co-CEO Hazem Ben-Gacem, the firm has already amassed $650 million in assets under management.

BlueFive Capital aims to connect institutional capital with high-growth, underrepresented markets, with a global presence across London, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, as well as Singapore and Beijing.

Icogz raises $1.4m pre-seed to enhance AI-driven BI platform

UAE-based business intelligence startup icogz has raised $1.4 million in pre-seed funding from angel investors in the UAE and India.

Founded in 2018 by Amit Tripathi and Vrutika Dawda, the platform uses proprietary algorithms to mine intelligence from corporate data and deliver actionable insights.

The company plans to use the capital to further develop its AI engine, Aryabot, and scale go-to-market efforts across MENA and Southeast Asia.

BioSapien extends pre-series A to over $8m

Health tech startup BioSapien, based in the UAE and the US, has extended its pre-series A round to over $8 million.

The latest funding was led by Globivest, joining existing backers Global Ventures, Golden Gate Ventures, and Dara Holdings.

Founded in 2018 by Khatija Ali, BioSapien’s flagship product, MediChip, is a 3D-printed, slow-release drug delivery platform that can be affixed to tissue to minimize systemic side effects.

The new capital will support R&D, product development, and regulatory expansion.

Nawy acquires majority stake in SmartCrowd to expand GCC presence

Egypt-based real estate tech startup Nawy has acquired a majority stake in Dubai’s SmartCrowd, a regulated fractional property investment platform.

The acquisition follows Nawy’s recent $52 million series A round and signals the company’s entry into the GCC market.

SmartCrowd, regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority, claims to have facilitated over $110 million in transactions and distributed more than $40 million in investor returns.

The acquisition expands Nawy’s service offerings to include fractional ownership and positions the company as a full-stack proptech platform for the MENA region.

Startup funding in MENA falls 82% in June amid investor caution

Startup funding across the MENA region fell sharply in June, dropping 82 percent month on month to $52 million across 37 deals.

The figure also marks a 55 percent decline compared to June 2024. Notably, 40 percent of the capital came through debt instruments, reflecting cautious investor sentiment amid global macroeconomic uncertainty, according to Wamda’s monthly report.

The UAE reclaimed its position as the region’s top-funded market, with 13 startups raising $37 million — over 70 percent of total capital.

Egypt, which led in May, dropped to second with $6.2 million raised across six deals.

Tunisia followed, buoyed by a single $3.5 million seed round for water tech startup Kumulus. Saudi Arabia saw a dip, raising only $3 million across six deals.

Fintech remained the leading sector, accounting for 74 percent of total capital across 10 deals.

Clean tech followed due to the Kumulus deal, while Web3 attracted $2 million across two rounds. Seed stage startups led early-stage activity, raising $10.6 million, while pre-seed rounds totaled $5 million. Only one series A deal was recorded, worth $100,000.

Startups with B2B models secured 78 percent of funding, while B2B2C and B2C startups lagged.

Mixed-gender founding teams captured 45 percent of capital but accounted for only four deals. Women-led startups raised just $223,200.

RIYADH: Gulf business conditions diverged in October as Kuwait’s non-oil sector strengthened, Qatar’s non-energy growth slowed, and Egypt’s contraction eased to an eight-month low.

According to the latest S&P Global Purchasing Managers’ Index surveys, Kuwait’s PMI rose to 52.8, indicating solid growth; Qatar’s PMI slipped to 50.6, pointing to only a marginal upturn; and Egypt’s index increased to 49.2, suggesting a softer decline in business activity.

In Egypt, the non-oil private sector showed signs of stabilization as declines in output and new orders moderated.

The PMI rose from 48.8 in September to 49.2 in October, remaining below the 50 threshold that separates growth from contraction but above its long-term trend.

“The Egypt PMI stayed above its long-term trend in October, pointing to a year-on-year GDP growth rate of about 4.6 percent,” said David Owen, senior economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

However, he cautioned that “rising cost pressures could slow things down if companies struggle to absorb these costs.”

Wage costs climbed at the fastest rate since 2020, lifting input inflation, though firms largely held prices steady to support sales.

In Kuwait, non-oil firms reported faster increases in output, new orders, and employment, marking the most robust expansion in several months.

The PMI climbed to 52.8 from 52.2 in September. “The October PMI data for Kuwait help to allay any fears that the recent growth slowdown was going to result in a more prolonged soft patch,” said Andrew Harker, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Hiring grew at the fastest pace in four months, but staff shortages contributed to a further accumulation of backlogs.

Companies also faced sharper rises in input and staff costs, yet output prices rose only marginally as firms sought to remain competitive and secure new business.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s non-energy private sector recorded a slowdown, with the headline PMI easing to 50.6 in October from 51.5 in September, the weakest reading since January.

The decline reflected softer output and new order volumes, with construction activity showing notable weakness.

“Qatar’s non-energy private sector continued to report an overall improvement in business conditions in October,” said Trevor Balchin, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

That said, he added, the headline PMI eased to a nine-month low of 50.6, signaling only a fractional upturn.

Despite weaker demand, employment increased at one of the fastest rates on record, led by gains in manufacturing.

Firms also reported rising wages and purchase prices but lower overall input costs as competitive pressures weighed on selling prices.

Startup Wrap — Saudi Arabia leads MENA startup activity as UAE crowns new unicorn