Author: Editorial Board

Jordan Capital and Investment Fund (JCIF) announced the official launch of Manara Ventures, a JOD 50 million (approximately USD 70.5 million) scale-up fund dedicated to supporting the growth of Jordan’s most promising technology- and innovation-focused companies. The fund also secured backing from regional institutional investors, including Abu Dhabi-based global investment firm Lunate. Manara Ventures was established in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and structured as a fully Sharia-compliant investment platform. “The launch of Manara Ventures marks an important milestone in JCIF’s strategy to expand into venture capital and innovation-led investments,” said Hani Qadi, JCIF Chairman. “This initiative is fully aligned…

In an insurance sector undergoing full digital transformation, where customer experience, reimbursement speed, and fraud prevention are becoming major strategic challenges, EYST Technology, co-founded by Tunisian entrepreneur Marwen Amamou, is redefining the standards of claims settlement. In this context, 216 Capital announces its entry into the capital of EYST Technology through a six-figure investment to support the startup’s technological acceleration and international expansion. A technological breakthrough at the heart of the insured’s journey Founded in 2022, EYST Technology develops a SaaS platform that enables insurers to modernise claims settlement through the issuance of virtual bank cards instantly credited with the…

Arib, the Saudi digital financing marketplace, has raised $23.5 million in a funding round led by Merak Capital, as the company looks to expand its platform and strengthen its position within Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing fintech sector. The round also included Sharia-compliant Murabaha financing facilities, reflecting increasing investor appetite for Islamic fintech products and digital lending infrastructure across the Kingdom. Founded in 2018 by Omar Alhammad, Mohamed Dessouky, and Waleed Talat, Arib operates a financing marketplace that connects users with banks and licensed lenders through a single digital platform. The company enables customers to compare financing offers and apply online…

Egypt-based mobility startup ARRW has secured a $4 million investment from Tasheed Egypt as the company looks to strengthen its position within Egypt’s rapidly evolving transportation and urban mobility sector. The company announced the investment in an official statement, describing the deal as a key milestone in ARRW’s long-term expansion strategy and broader vision to build what it called a “safer, smarter, and technology-driven mobility platform” tailored specifically for Egyptian cities. Founded as Egypt’s first licensed ride-hailing platform, ARRW has been positioning itself as a locally focused alternative within the country’s increasingly competitive transportation technology market. According to the company,…

PlayReplay, an AI-powered intelligent court system for racquet sports, announced an investment from Alfvén & Didrikson (A&D). Leading this fundraise, A&D invests a total of $12 million alongside other investors, including Centre Court Capital, ExM Investment Partners, Charbe Partners, Crimson Sports Capital, and a fund managed by LionTree. PlayReplay offers real-time electronic line calling (ELC), coaching tools, and analytics, enabling players to access advanced technology previously reserved for the highest professional tier. The technology is transformational, bringing fair play to tennis while making the game more data-driven and interactive. Players and federations worldwide appreciate the solution for its potential to…

Armenia’s rapidly growing AI ecosystem has produced another breakout success story. AI data infrastructure startup Wirestock has raised $23 million in a Series A funding round as it doubles down on building ethically sourced multimodal datasets for artificial intelligence models. The round was led by Nava Ventures, with participation from SBVP, co-founded by Sheryl Sandberg, alongside Formula VC, I2BF Global Ventures, and several strategic investors. Founded in 2018 by Mikayel Khachatryan, Ashot Mnatsakanyan, Vladimir Khoetsyan, and Hovhanness Kuloghlyan, Wirestock originally started as a platform helping photographers monetize content across marketplaces like Shutterstock. Today, the company has fully transformed into a…

Egypt’s fintech and automotive sectors are taking a major leap toward full digital transformation. Valu has partnered with ElTawkeel.com to launch what the companies describe as Egypt’s first fully integrated digital e-commerce platform dedicated exclusively to brand-new car purchases. The initiative, powered through Valu’s automotive financing arm “Valu Shift,” aims to simplify one of the region’s most fragmented consumer journeys by combining vehicle discovery, financing, booking, insurance, and payment into a single digital experience. A New Chapter for Automotive Commerce in Egypt For years, buying a new vehicle in Egypt has remained heavily dependent on offline dealerships, manual paperwork, and…

Dubai, UAE – SHUAA Capital psc (DFM: SHUAA), a pioneer in regional financial services with a history spanning over four decades, and Key Capital Ltd, the region’s first dedicated venture capital secondaries asset manager, today announced a strategic partnership to support the development of the venture capital secondaries market across MENA and EMEA. Key Fund I LP targets a fund size of USD 50 million and pursues a disciplined secondaries strategy focused on acquiring positions in high-growth technology companies through off-cap-table transactions. The strategy is designed to provide liquidity to early shareholders while enabling a differentiated entry point into scaled assets,…

GrowthLabs, a leader in digital ecosystem building, today announced its acquisition of Startup Gate, a hub connecting founders, investors, and mentors. The acquisition aims to provide end-to-end digital solutions for entrepreneurs and startups throughout their lifecycle, including opportunity discovery, networking, and access to funding, as well as incubation, acceleration, and innovation support programmes. As a result, GrowthLabs establishes a first-of-its-kind entity combining community networks with advanced technology, strengthening its position to lead the regional innovation landscape and expand across the Gulf and Africa in 2026. It delivers real-time data and analytics across the full startup journey, creating a seamless pathway…

eVoost AI, the Abu Dhabi-based proptech startup, has raised €2 million ($2.2 million) in a funding round led by First Drop VC, as the company accelerates the development of its AI-powered residential sales platform and expands further into international markets. The round also included participation from a syndicated investment vehicle linked to Hub71 and backed by Mubadala Investment Company, alongside strategic investors and angel backers with exposure to markets including Romania and the UAE. Founded by Cristian Pastrana and Koh Onozawa, former co-CEO of crypto platform Bit2Me, eVoost AI is building a data-driven platform designed to modernise residential property sales…