Author: Editorial Board

Amazon has unveiled an ambitious plan to invest more than $35 billion in India by 2030, accelerating its push into artificial intelligence, logistics, and global exports as the world’s biggest tech companies deepen their bets on Asia’s fastest-growing digital economy. The move caps a remarkable year in which U.S. tech giants collectively committed tens of billions of dollars to India’s tech infrastructure. Earlier this week, Microsoft announced a $17.5 billion investment in AI and cloud infrastructure—its largest commitment in Asia—while Google pledged $15 billion over the next five years to build next-generation AI data centers across the country. Amazon said…

fal has secured a $140 million Series D round, tripling its valuation to $4.5 billion—a dramatic leap from the $1.5 billion valuation recorded just five months earlier. The San Francisco–based company, which powers real-time generative media infrastructure for developers, has now raised three funding rounds totaling $314 million in 2025, while its revenue skyrocketed from $10 million to more than $200 million in under 18 months. The latest round was led by Sequoia, with participation from Kleiner Perkins and NVIDIA NVentures, further cementing fal’s position as the leading independent infrastructure layer for AI-generated images, video, audio, and 3D content. Today,…

Reno, a UAE-born technology startup building what it calls the region’s first end-to-end operating system for home and commercial renovations, has secured $4 million in a mix of equity and venture debt. The round attracted participation from leading regional and global investors including 500 Sanabil, Hub71, Plus VC, Zero 100 VC, FlyerOne Ventures, Sandstorm VC, AngelSpark, and Swiss Founders Fund. Reengineering a Fragmented Industry Established in 2024, Reno is taking aim at one of the region’s most notoriously complex industries: renovations. Traditionally marked by unclear timelines, budget overruns, and scattered contractors, the sector has long been due for modernization. Reno…

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — Q Fund, the investment arm of Qewam Holding, has partnered with New Whys to launch the Black Iris Angel Network (Bayan), a specialized angel investment group aimed at closing the early-stage funding gap and empowering a new generation of Saudi entrepreneurs. A Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Founders and Investors The launch of Bayan marks a strategic collaboration that brings together Q Fund’s investment expertise and New Whys’ deep experience in opportunity analysis and venture creation. The network aims to back high-potential Saudi startups while equipping investors with the tools and insights needed to assess high-risk, high-return…

Applications are now officially open for Egypt’s first EV-focused accelerator, launched by Raya FutureTECH and Raya Auto, in partnership with Entlaq—a program designed to empower early-stage founders building the future of clean energy and sustainable mobility. This accelerator offers deep mentorship, technical support, business model refinement, and real exposure to investors, culminating in a high-impact Demo Day. The winning teams will receive an exclusive immersive trip to China to meet and learn from global EV leaders, including a visit to XPENG headquarters. At a Glance Program Overview Egypt’s first EV accelerator provides a full suite of resources tailored to high-potential…

Apsiyon, Turkiye’s leading community and property management platform, has announced that it has signed a sales agreement to join Aareon Group, Europe’s trusted SaaS provider for the real estate industry. The move marks a major strategic milestone in Apsiyon’s journey, opening the door to expanded technological investment and broader international reach. Founded in 2012, Apsiyon has grown into one of the most influential PropTech players in the region. With its cloud-based software infrastructure, AI-powered solutions, online payment systems, automation technologies, and advanced security integrations, the company today serves over 23,000 residential complexes, 1.6 million units, and more than 4 million…

Türkiye-based financial technology company Onlayer has successfully closed its $8.2 million Series A funding round, gearing up for accelerated growth across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. Onlayer consolidates revenue, compliance, and risk management for banks, payment institutions, and fintechs into a single unified platform — and the new investment will further strengthen its global expansion strategy. The round was led by Oleka Capital, with participation from Deniz Ventures (Emirates NBD – DenizBank), Revo Capital, Türkiye Development Fund (INVEST101), Sandeep Gomes, as well as returning investors Vestel Ventures and the Gelecek Etki Fund, managed jointly by Tacirler Asset Management.…

At the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., HUMAIN — a Public Investment Fund (PIF) company specializing in full-stack artificial intelligence solutions — announced a landmark framework agreement with xAI, the frontier AI company founded by Elon Musk. The partnership marks one of the most significant U.S.–Saudi collaborations in emerging technology, laying the foundation for the Kingdom’s next-generation AI compute infrastructure and enabling the nationwide deployment of xAI’s Grok models to support Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become “the world’s most AI-enabled nation.” Building One of the World’s Largest AI Compute Hubs Under the agreement, HUMAIN and xAI will jointly design,…

In a strategic move that strengthens its position as a regional innovation leader, Qewam Holding has officially acquired Iwan Ventures, a SAR 50 million venture capital fund. The acquisition marks a significant milestone in Qewam’s mission to scale transformative ventures and accelerate Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. Under the deal, Iwan Ventures will be rebranded as Q Fund, which will now serve as Qewam Holding’s dedicated and independent investment arm. While retaining its entrepreneurial autonomy, Q Fund will gain full access to Qewam’s AI-driven infrastructure, venture-building capabilities, and expansive strategic network—positioning it as a high-impact engine for early-stage growth…

Takadao, the Web3 platform pioneering bankless, community-owned financial alternatives, has closed a US$1.5 million seed round, bringing its total funding to US$3.1 million. The round attracted a globally diverse group of investors aligned with Takadao’s mission and its shariah-compliant financial ecosystem. Participants included Hasan VC (Malaysia), Syla Invest (France), Wahed Ventures (UK), Ice Blue Fund (Japan), Istari Ventures (US), and Adverse (Saudi Arabia), alongside follow-on funding from Draper Associates in Silicon Valley. Introducing the LifeCard: A VISA-Powered Bridge Between Web3 and Everyday Finance Alongside the funding, Takadao unveiled The LifeCard, a prepaid VISA card that allows users to spend stablecoins…