Author: Editorial Board

Bayer has announced the six startups selected for the 9th cohort of its G4A Startup Acceleration Program, which supports innovative solutions in healthcare and agriculture. The selected ventures will participate in a 100-day development program, gaining access to online training, mentorship, product development support, networking opportunities, and free software packages. They will also have the opportunity to collaborate directly with Bayer. Launched in Turkey in 2018 in partnership with Tenity, the G4A Startup Acceleration Program aims to strengthen the local innovation ecosystem by supporting early-stage startups working on scalable digital solutions in health and agricultural technologies. Selected from 310 Applicants…

UAE-based digital health platform TruDoc Healthcare has raised $15 million in a pre-Series B funding round, with participation from members of the Al Nahyan and Al-Ketbi families, alongside continued backing from existing investor Pulsar Capital. The new capital will support TruDoc’s expansion of its virtual-first healthcare model, which combines telemedicine, chronic disease management, diagnostics, pharmacy services, and hospital-grade care delivered directly in patients’ homes. The company already operates what it describes as the largest hospital-at-home critical care programme in the GCC. Building a Continuous Healthcare Model Unlike traditional healthcare systems that revolve around hospital visits, TruDoc aims to deliver continuous,…

Barcelona-based mobile game studio Cheer Games, founded by the experienced Turkish team behind the hit game Hexa Sort, has raised $4.5 million in a pre-seed funding round, marking the beginning of its global growth journey. The next-generation mobile puzzle studio was established by former senior leaders from AppLovin’s Lion Studios team and the creators of the globally successful Hexa Sort. The company announced that it secured $4.5 million in pre-seed funding from leading global investors. The investment round was led by Makers Fund, with participation from Play Ventures and several strategic angel investors. The capital will be used to accelerate…

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) platform Cognizo, founded by Deniz Özcan and Alp Aysan, has announced that it raised $1.8 million in funding. The investment round includes U.S.-based Mana Ventures and Treeo VC, along with Galata Business Angels (GBA) members such as Arif Akdağ, Emre Kurttepeli, Kaan Boyner, Görkem Güven, Mustafa Kıral, Bülent Çelebi, Emrah Ünal, Esat Uğurlu, Saruhan Tan, Naci Topçuoğlu, and Ata Uzunhasan, as well as other angel investors. Orange.fund, the new fund launched by the founders of Socio, which was previously acquired by Cisco, also participated as an early investor and joined this round as well. The investment…

Abu Dhabi sovereign investor Mubadala has agreed to provide a $50 million (€42.3 million) convertible loan to Hungarian technology group 4iG, marking a new step in the company’s international growth strategy. Under the agreement, the investment will be structured as a convertible instrument, with the conversion share price tied to the 90-day volume-weighted average trading price prior to the signing of the deal. The potential equity conversion is scheduled for the end of Q1 2029 and will be carried out in accordance with relevant regulatory requirements. The transaction is expected to be finalised by the first quarter of 2026, subject…

Oman’s capital markets have welcomed a new investment vehicle as the Oman Gateway Fund officially listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) following an initial public offering that raised more than RO26mn, marking the largest public subscription for a mutual fund in the country’s history. Managed by United Securities, the fund introduces a new structure to Oman’s financial ecosystem by combining the features of an open-ended mutual fund with the flexibility of exchange trading. Investors can buy and sell fund units on the MSX during regular trading hours, similar to listed equities, while benefiting from professional portfolio management and net…

Moroccan–Senegalese mobility startup Weego has secured $1.1 million in a new funding round led by Azur Innovation Fund, as the company accelerates the development of its mobility-as-a-service platform and expands operations across African markets. Founded in 2020 by Saad Jittou and Mor Niane, Weego operates a mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platform that brings multiple transportation options into a single digital interface. Through the app, users can access and book public transport, ride-hailing services, and other mobility options, simplifying urban travel while improving coordination across fragmented transportation networks. Beyond consumer mobility, the startup is also targeting the enterprise segment through its WeegoLines solution.…

Techbio startup Antiverse has raised $9.3 million in a Series A funding round to accelerate the development of its AI-powered antibody discovery platform and expand its therapeutic pipeline. The round saw participation from DOMiNO Ventures, Soulmates Ventures, Innovation Investment Capital, DBW, Kadmos Capital, i&i Biotech Fund, InnoSpark, and TotiPotent. Antiverse is building an AI-native platform designed to transform how therapeutic antibodies are discovered. Traditionally, antibody development relies on lengthy laboratory experimentation and manual processes. Antiverse’s technology aims to replace this approach with a more autonomous and scalable AI-driven system capable of designing, optimizing, and validating antibodies faster and with greater…

Dubai-based cross-border crowdshipping startup Paquik has secured $85,000 in pre-seed funding from angel investors, closing the round in November 2025. The capital will support the operational rollout and scaling of its asset-light logistics model. Paquik is building a peer-to-peer cross-border delivery marketplace that connects individuals looking to send items internationally with verified travellers already flying to the same destination. By monetising unused luggage space, the platform enables cost-efficient, flexible global shipping — without owning fleets or warehouses. The mobile app integrates KYC-based identity verification, secure escrow payments, ratings, and dispute resolution systems to build trust between senders and travellers. The…

Abu Dhabi-based Skipr has secured $2 million in seed funding at a $10 million valuation to advance what it calls a foundational trust layer for the AI era. The round will support the company’s expansion from Hub71 as it scales sovereign AI infrastructure for national and enterprise deployments. As AI systems increasingly operate autonomously across organisations, cloud environments, and borders, a critical question is emerging: how can these systems securely collaborate with one another? Skipr is tackling this challenge by enabling trusted AI-to-AI communication, coordination, and value exchange—while ensuring governments and enterprises retain full sovereign control over data and decision-making.…