Author: Editorial Board

Türkiye-based cloud kitchen startup Mizanplus has opened a new production and logistics facility in Istanbul’s Ümraniye district as part of its broader expansion strategy aimed at scaling its operations across the country by 2028. Backed by a 20 million TL (approximately $620,000) investment, the company plans to expand its network from its current presence in 10 cities and 50 strategic locations to 30 cities and 150 locations over the next three years. Operating multiple food delivery brands including Bowl Kase, Crunchy Chickens, Diyet Dünyası, Sevgi Lokantası, and Dolu Dolu Mantı, Mizanplus serves millions of consumers annually through digital food delivery…

Turkish Airlines has officially opened applications for the 2026 edition of its Terminal Startup Accelerator Program, inviting startups developing innovative solutions for aviation operations to apply by June 28, 2026. As the airline flying to more countries than any other carrier globally, Turkish Airlines continues to expand its engagement with the startup ecosystem through a corporate innovation program designed to connect high-potential technology ventures with real operational challenges across aviation, airport, and air cargo operations. Beyond Visibility: Real Enterprise Collaboration Opportunities The Terminal Startup Accelerator Program is structured not only as a showcase platform for startups, but as a direct…

Dealfuze, a London-based platform with deep MEA roots, today announced the launch of its closed beta waitlist alongside the region’s first algorithmically curated Online Demo Day, taking place on May 20, 2026. The launch comes at a defining moment for the region. Despite record venture capital momentum, MENA VC surged 74% to $3.8 billion in 2025 and Africa posted its strongest financing performance since 2022 at $4.1 billion; access to capital remains deeply unequal. Africa’s pre-seed funding accounts for just 1.5% of total venture investment on the continent, well below the 4–6% norm in the United States, and over 82%…

Dubai-based food-tech platform launches with 1,000+ stores signed across 40+ leading F&B and grocery brands, backed by a heavyweight board of regional operators and investors. Peekabox, the UAE’s first surplus food marketplace, today announced the close of an oversubscribed $1.5 million seed round, backed by a roster of regional heavyweight investors and operators. Founded by brothers Hasan and Omair Sarwar, Peekabox enables restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and grocery stores to sell surplus, freshly prepared food at guaranteed discounts of 50 to 70 percent. Customers reserve “surprise boxes” through the app and collect them in-store within a fixed pick-up window, with no…

B&Y Venture Partners has launched the Lebanese Angel Investor Network (LAIN), opening commitments for investors and marking a new step toward strengthening Lebanon’s early-stage startup investment ecosystem. The network announced that it had already secured commitments exceeding its initial target shortly after launch, reflecting strong interest from the local and diaspora investment community. The launch event featured opening remarks from Lebanon’s Minister Kamal Shehadi, who outlined MITAI Lebanon’s vision for positioning Lebanon as a digital republic and supporting innovation-driven economic growth. According to the organisers, the launch also introduced LAIN’s first cohort of potential startup investments via the Vessel platform. The initial group includes…

Türkiye-based prop-fintech startup Paydaş has surpassed $1.25 million in total cash and in-kind investment while reaching a valuation of over $16 million with its platform that enables individual investors to access international property income through a digital fractional ownership model starting from as little as $100. Paydaş aims to make access to global property income more visible and accessible. The startup has completed three separate pre-seed investment rounds and officially surpassed a $16 million valuation. With its strong investor base, advisory board, and proprietary digital share participation model, the company is positioning itself as a notable player in the prop-fintech…

With the acquisition of Bluecore, Insider One is further strengthening its global leadership in autonomous, end-to-end customer engagement. The deal also marks a historic milestone for the Turkish technology ecosystem, as a Turkish software company acquires a Silicon Valley-based AI unicorn for the first time in the country’s history. Agentic Customer Engagement Platform Insider One announced that it has acquired Bluecore, the leading marketing technology unicorn serving more than 400 major U.S. enterprise brands including ALO Yoga, Michael Kors, The North Face, Ralph Lauren, J.Crew, Sephora, Bloomingdale’s, and QVC. The move reinforces Insider One’s position as the most comprehensive agentic…

Dubai has climbed eight places to rank as the world’s fourth smartest city in the 2025 IMD Smart City Index, strengthening its position as the top-ranked smart city across the GCC, the Arab world, and Asia. The ranking reflects Dubai’s accelerating digital transformation efforts and its continued investment in smart infrastructure, AI, and citizen-focused digital services. According to the report, residents gave strong satisfaction scores across several digital and quality-of-life indicators, including: Dubai also improved in 16 out of 20 technology indicators and advanced across all four governance pillars evaluated by the IMD report. The IMD Smart City Index, published…

TruKKer, the Middle East’s leading digital freight network, announced the successful closing of an inaugural trade receivables securitisation facility of up to US$300 million. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC (ADCB) acted as the Sole Arranger and Sole Lender for the bespoke facility, which is backed by portfolios of trade receivables across the company’s operating geographies. A First-of-its-Kind Securitization for a high-growth technology startup in the GCC This facility marks one of the first multi-jurisdictional, asset-backed securitisations in the Middle East, representing a significant evolution in the regional credit markets. By bridging the gap between traditional institutional banking and high-growth technology…

Lyrie.ai, the autonomous cybersecurity platform developed by OTT Cybersecurity LLC, has announced the completion of a $2 million pre-seed funding round alongside its official exit from stealth mode. The company said the funding will support continued platform development, expansion of its cybersecurity research team, and the operational rollout of the Agent Trust Protocol (ATP) across its platform and partner ecosystem. Lyrie.ai is also preparing for a future Series A round aimed at scaling deployment across enterprise and government markets. Headquartered in Dubai, Lyrie.ai focuses on securing autonomous AI agents that increasingly operate across enterprise systems, execute transactions, access sensitive infrastructure,…