Author: Editorial Board

TiE Dubai has officially opened applications for the 7th edition of the TiE Women MENA Program 2026, one of the region’s most established initiatives dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs. The program aims to accelerate women-led startups across the Middle East and North Africa through mentorship, investor access, networking, and funding opportunities. Applications are open until June 25, 2026, for women founders or co-founders who own at least 33% equity in their startups. Eligible companies must have been incorporated on or after January 1, 2019. The announcement comes at a time when MENA’s startup ecosystem is showing renewed momentum. Startup funding…

Blnk, a fintech company on a mission to enable financial inclusion through rapid point-of-sale financing, has raised $12.5 million in equity funding and $24.6 million in local debt facilities. The funding will scale its consumer finance operations in Egypt, with a focus on onboarding women and the underbanked, by offering flexible loan sizes for a wider range of products and services. The Series A equity funding round was led by Algebra Ventures, with participation from SANAD Fund for MSME, Endeavor Catalyst and Emirates International Investment Company (EIIC), the Abu Dhabi-based investor that backed Blnk’s seed funding round. Debt funding was…

Turkish AI startup Promake has secured $4 million in a funding round led by venture capital firm 212, just four months after launching its platform globally. The round attracted participation from Ak Portföy GSYF, Arya VC, Gelecek Etki Fonu, JIMCO, and Maxis Ventures. Founded in 2025, Promake is developing an AI-powered business operating platform designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The company enables businesses to build and manage websites, domains, corporate email accounts, e-commerce stores, payment systems, and digital marketing campaigns through a conversational AI interface, eliminating the need for complex software dashboards or technical expertise. The startup plans…

Morocco-based proptech startup Agenz has secured $5 million in fresh funding as it looks to strengthen its position in the country’s real estate market through data-driven property intelligence, transaction services, and AI-powered tools for real estate professionals. The round was co-led by Breega, Attijariwafa Ventures, and Saviu Ventures, highlighting growing investor confidence in technology-driven solutions modernizing North Africa’s property sector. Founded in 2021 by brothers Malik and Badr Belkeziz, Agenz is building a digital ecosystem designed to bring greater transparency and efficiency to Morocco’s real estate market. The platform offers property valuation tools, market insights, transaction services, and software solutions…

Jordan’s digital payments ecosystem is set to gain a major boost as Valu Jordan partners with MEPS and PayTabs to bring Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services to both in-store and online merchants across the Kingdom. The strategic collaboration will enable merchants connected to Jordan’s national payments infrastructure and payment orchestration networks to offer Valu’s flexible financing solutions directly at checkout, creating a more seamless consumer payment experience. Under the agreement, merchants operating within MEPS’ extensive payment network will be able to activate Valu’s BNPL service on compatible point-of-sale terminals without requiring additional hardware or complex integrations. Customers shopping in-store…

Italian technology company Bending Spoons, known for acquiring and revitalizing legacy digital platforms such as AOL, Evernote, Vimeo, and WeTransfer, has officially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. According to reporting by Fortune, the Milan-based company submitted its IPO filing on June 8, providing investors with the first detailed look at the financial engine behind one of Europe’s most aggressive technology acquisition strategies. Founded in 2013, Bending Spoons has built a unique reputation by purchasing established but underperforming digital businesses and restructuring them for long-term growth. Its portfolio now includes some of the internet’s most…

Türkiye-based mobile gaming studio Spektra Games has secured a new investment round led by APY Ventures through its Yeni Nesil Teknoloji and İvedik venture capital funds. The funding will support the global expansion of the studio’s flagship title, Highway Racer Pro, and further strengthen its scalable game development infrastructure. APY Ventures participated as the sole investor in the round, joining an existing investor base that includes prominent gaming-focused funds such as Ludus Ventures and The Games Fund. Founded in 2020 by Kadir Danışman, Yusuf Demir, and Doğukan Şen, Spektra Games has established itself as one of Türkiye’s leading mobile racing…

Egypt-based recycling technology platform Dawar Circular Solutions has secured a nine-figure financing facility from a consortium of local financial institutions, including GlobalCorp, Tawasoa, and Commercial International Bank (CIB), marking a significant milestone for the country’s growing circular economy sector. Founded in 2017 by Amr Fathi, Mostafa Khairat, and Hussein Barrada, Dawar operates a digital infrastructure platform that tracks, verifies, and manages the flow of recyclable materials across Egypt. The company has already documented more than 90,000 tons of recyclable materials across 22 governorates, helping transform fragmented waste collection networks into transparent and auditable supply chains. The newly secured financing will…

Fonus Kids, an Uzbek edtech startup focused on early childhood digital learning, has secured $55,000 in fresh funding from local venture capital firms Aloqa Ventures and Yoshlar Ventures. The investment round includes $20,000 from Aloqa Ventures and $35,000 from Yoshlar Ventures, marking another milestone for the startup, which is also part of the IT Park Ventures portfolio. Fonus Kids is building a digital platform designed specifically for children aged 2 to 7, combining educational and entertainment content within a safe and age-appropriate environment. The platform aims to help parents access trusted learning resources while providing young children with engaging digital…

The Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) Innovation Hub has unveiled the first cohort of international startups selected for the inaugural Global Landing Pad Programme under the Dubai PropTech Hub initiative, marking another milestone in Dubai’s ambition to become one of the world’s leading destinations for real estate technology innovation. The selected startups represent a diverse group of PropTech and smart-building technology companies from across international markets. The first cohort, referred to as the “Red Team,” includes Interloom, Watergate AI, Rensair, Demand Logic, UTwin, and Smart Spaces. According to DIFC Innovation Hub, the finalists were selected based on their potential to…