Author: Editorial Board

Istanbul-based TaleMonster Games, founded by former leaders of Peak Games, has raised $30 million in Series A funding to push the boundaries of casual mobile gaming. The round was led by Arcadia Gaming Partners and Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Point72 Ventures and General Catalyst. Founded by a seasoned team behind global hits such as Toon Blast and Toy Blast, TaleMonster is on a mission to bring greater depth and creativity to the casual puzzle genre—an area long dominated by familiar design patterns. The studio’s debut title, Match Valley, blends classic puzzle mechanics with elements borrowed from hero-based gameplay and…

KNOT Technologies has secured $1 million in pre-seed funding in a round led by A15, as the company looks to scale its AI-native ticketing and access control infrastructure for live events. KNOT is building a new foundation for how identity, distribution, and value move across the global live events ecosystem. The startup aims to replace decades-old ticketing systems that leave organisers with limited demand visibility, expose fans to fraud, and allow billions of dollars to leak into opaque secondary resale markets. Founded by a team with prior experience at Meta, Goldman Sachs, and Mubadala, KNOT spent months conducting structured research…

Istanbul-based Dataroid has raised $6.6 million in a pre-Series A funding round to scale its AI-powered digital analytics platform internationally. The round was led by the FinAI Venture Capital Fund of Tacirler Asset Management, with participation from the Tacirler Asset Management Future Impact Venture Capital Fund and Endeavor Catalyst. The new investment follows Dataroid’s $2 million round in December 2023, backed by Koç Group’s Private Venture Capital Investment Fund and İşbank’s 100th Year Venture Capital Fund. Founded by Fatih İşbecer, Elif Parlak, and Can Elmas, Dataroid offers an integrated digital analytics and customer engagement platform that helps organisations measure, analyse,…

In a recent conversation with Marina Mogilko, Amjad Masad, founder & CEO of Replit, explained how AI is transforming entrepreneurship and coding. From Coding to “Vibe Coding” AI won’t replace developers—it will empower them. Amjad predicts the rise of “vibe coders”: people who describe what they want in natural language and let AI handle the technical details. Coding is shifting from syntax to creativity and problem-solving. Solopreneurs at Scale With AI tools, a single founder can now achieve what once took large teams. Amjad believes we’ll soon see a solo entrepreneur build a $1B company within just a few years.…

Flat6Labs has marked the graduation of the sixth cohort of its Riyadh Seed Program, reinforcing its role as a key driver of early-stage innovation in Saudi Arabia. The program is funded by F6 Ventures and delivered in partnership with Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), alongside national ecosystem partners including the Jada Fund of Funds and Riyadh Valley Company. Since its launch in 2023, the Riyadh Seed Program—supported by the National Technology Development Program (NTDP)—has backed the growth of more than 60 startups, deploying nearly $17 million in seed investments. These companies have gone on to attract approximately $38 million in…

Peachscore, the world’s largest data-driven accelerator, has opened applications for its January 2026 cohort, inviting founders from around the globe to join a structured, technology-enabled program designed to help startups validate, scale, and become investor-ready. Positioned as a more accessible alternative to traditional accelerators, Peachscore supports startups from the idea stage through growth, combining AI-powered tools with hands-on mentorship. The fully remote program is open to founders worldwide, with alumni spanning 96 countries and more than 1,400 startups supported to date. A Data-Led Approach to Scaling Startups At the core of the Peachscore Accelerator is a 12-week structured curriculum, followed…

Creators HQ, the UAE and Middle East’s first dedicated hub for content creators, has partnered with Alfan to launch a AED 5 million Social Content Fund, aimed at empowering creators producing family- and society-focused content. The initiative was unveiled during the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s largest gathering dedicated to shaping the global creator economy. The partnership agreement was announced at the three-day summit, organized by the UAE Government Media Office and hosted across Emirates Towers, DIFC, and the Museum of the Future in Dubai under the theme “Content for Good.” This year’s edition brought…

Syrian agricultural technology startup Nutra-GreeniX has closed a $200,000 funding round, led by Ebla Ventures with participation from a group of Syrian and Saudi investors. Founded to modernize Syria’s livestock sector, Nutra-GreeniX develops sustainable and technology-driven feed solutions, leveraging clean energy and environmentally responsible production methods. The company aims to improve food security while supporting local farmers and strengthening the domestic agricultural economy. The fresh capital will be used to scale operations, increase production capacity, and accelerate the development of new technologies tailored to the needs of the growing local market. Nutra-GreeniX also plans to expand its team and deepen…

E-commerce and digital shelf analytics startup Mindsite has announced the completion of a $2 million investment round, marking another milestone in its growth journey. The round attracted strong participation from both existing and new investors, including Technology Investment under TTGV, Sharks & Partners, Finberg, the Technology and Innovation Fund operating under Türkiye Kalkınma Fonu, Vestel Ventures, Gelecek Etki Fonu managed jointly with Tacirler Portfolio Management, TT Ventures GSYF, Leap Investment, and angel investor Ömer Hayrı Erkmen.Notably, a significant portion of the company’s existing investors also participated in the round. Founded in 2020, Mindsite was selected among 14 startups for the…

Mal, an AI-native financial services platform positioning itself as the world’s first Islamic digital bank, has announced the closure of a $230 million seed funding round led by BlueFive Capital, with participation from a group of strategic investors and global family offices. The substantial seed round will support Mal’s mission to deliver ethical, intelligent, and inclusive financial services, combining AI-first infrastructure with the core principles of Islamic finance. The platform is targeting underserved and underbanked communities worldwide, including the more than 2 billion Muslims globally. Founded by Abdallah Abu-Sheikh, Mal aims to address a major gap in global finance. “Islamic…