Author: Editorial Board

Anthropic has upgraded Claude’s Voice Mode, allowing users to access its more powerful Opus and Sonnet AI models during voice conversations instead of being limited to the lightweight Haiku model. The move brings Claude’s voice experience closer to its text-based capabilities as competition in AI assistants continues to intensify. Previously, Claude Voice relied exclusively on the Haiku model, which prioritized speed over advanced reasoning. With the latest update, Voice Mode now automatically uses the last model a user selected in text chat, making it possible to tackle longer, more sophisticated conversations while maintaining a seamless transition between typing and speaking.…

Turkish automotive technology startup RABAM has secured a $500,000 pre-Series A bridge investment at a $10 million valuation, as the company accelerates the digital transformation of automotive after-sales services. The identities of the participating angel investors were not disclosed. Founded in 2021 by R. Kaan Aydoğan, RABAM plans to use the fresh capital to strengthen its technology infrastructure, develop new AI-powered automotive solutions, expand its footprint across Türkiye, and support its international growth strategy. Originally launched to simplify the fragmented automotive after-sales experience, RABAM has built a digital platform that enables vehicle owners to access a wide range of services…

Neuromorphic, a robotics startup founded by three Turkish entrepreneurs, has secured $500,000 in funding after being accepted into Y Combinator’s Summer 2026 batch, marking an early milestone for a company launched just last month. The startup is building an AI-native platform designed to make industrial robots easier and more affordable to deploy through a Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model. Founded by Ege Doğanay, Vatan Aksoy Tezer, and Cem Şeref Toker, the team has been working together since high school, where they competed and won multiple FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) championships. Their experience spans robotics research and engineering at institutions including Cambridge University,…

Syrian super app Labby has secured a $10 million investment from a consortium of investors from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in what Syrian officials have described as the country’s first direct foreign investment in a technology startup. The transaction marks a significant milestone for Syria’s nascent startup ecosystem as international investors begin backing locally built technology companies. Founded in 2024 by Mohammad Fawaz, Labby has developed a super app that brings together multiple consumer services within a single platform, including ride-hailing, food delivery, e-commerce, digital payments and other on-demand services. The company aims to simplify everyday digital transactions while…

Egyptian construction technology startup Kuadra has secured a funding round led by Edafa Venture Capital to accelerate the launch of what it describes as the country’s first unified AI-powered platform for the construction industry. The investment will support the company’s product development and commercial expansion as it seeks to drive digital transformation across one of Egypt’s largest economic sectors. Founded by Ahmed Salem, Kuadra develops AI-powered workflow automation solutions for contractors. Its new platform is designed to manage the entire project lifecycle by automating procurement and project management processes, analysing tender documents, extracting technical specifications, allocating work packages to suppliers…

Saudi B2B commerce and fintech platform SILQ has secured a $20 million Shariah-compliant structured financing facility from emerging markets asset manager Gemcorp Capital to expand embedded financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia. The transaction marks Gemcorp’s first direct lending investment in the Kingdom and will support the growth of SILQ’s embedded finance platform, Fina, as demand for alternative SME financing continues to increase. The financing will be deployed through Fina, SILQ’s embedded finance solution, to broaden access to invoice financing, trade finance and other financial products that are integrated directly into merchants’ day-to-day business operations.…

Saudi Arabia’s AI infrastructure ambitions gained another boost as Riyadh-based deeptech startup Think secured more than $8 million in pre-seed funding, marking what the company says is the largest pre-seed round for an AI infrastructure startup in the MENA region to date. The round was co-led by RAED Ventures and Wa’ed Ventures, with participation from Dhahran Techno Valley Ventures and a group of strategic angel investors. The fresh capital will be used to expand Think’s engineering team, scale manufacturing, accelerate product development, and support its expansion across the GCC and selected international markets. Founded by former Meta executive Ahmed AlSharif…

Egyptian last-mile delivery and fulfilment startup Mylerz has secured more than EGP 100 million (approximately $2 million) in a new debt and equity funding round from its existing shareholders, providing fresh capital to accelerate the company’s logistics expansion across Egypt. The investment will be used to strengthen Mylerz’s fulfilment infrastructure, increase network capacity, and further develop its proprietary logistics technology platform, which powers its same-day and next-day delivery services. The company also plans to enhance its working capital position as it prepares for continued growth in Egypt’s rapidly expanding e-commerce sector. Founded to provide integrated logistics solutions for online merchants,…

Dubai-based proptech startup Keyper has raised an $11 million Series A round to accelerate the digitisation of the UAE’s residential rental market, expanding its monthly rent payment platform and strengthening the financial infrastructure behind one of the country’s largest recurring payment sectors. The round was led by Speedinvest, with participation from NeoVentures (Mashreq’s corporate venture capital arm), Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF), Property Finder, Arab National Bank, Ellington Properties, Dar Ventures, and Abbey Road Investment Group. The funding follows Keyper’s previously announced $30 million Sukuk financing facility with Franklin Templeton, providing additional capital to support…

Dubai-based AVELIN AI has secured $3.7 million in a pre-seed funding round to accelerate the development of its sovereign AI platform, reflecting growing investor interest in AI infrastructure that enables governments and regulated industries to deploy artificial intelligence while maintaining full control over their data. The round was backed by a group of undisclosed angel investors and will support AVELIN AI’s expansion across the Middle East, Europe, and North America. The company also plans to invest in additional GPU infrastructure and further develop its proprietary Cross-Model Fusion technology, designed to improve AI performance while reducing operating costs. Founded by AI…