Dubai-based proptech startup Keyper has raised an $11 million Series A round to accelerate the digitisation of the UAE’s residential rental market, expanding its monthly rent payment platform and strengthening the financial infrastructure behind one of the country’s largest recurring payment sectors.
The round was led by Speedinvest, with participation from NeoVentures (Mashreq’s corporate venture capital arm), Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF), Property Finder, Arab National Bank, Ellington Properties, Dar Ventures, and Abbey Road Investment Group. The funding follows Keyper’s previously announced $30 million Sukuk financing facility with Franklin Templeton, providing additional capital to support its long-term growth strategy.
Founded by Omar Abu Innab and Walid Shihabi, Keyper is addressing one of the UAE property market’s longest-standing inefficiencies: annual rent payments made through post-dated cheques. Its platform enables tenants to split annual rent into manageable monthly digital payments, while landlords continue receiving their rental income upfront. Beyond rent facilitation, Keyper combines property management software, embedded financial services, and digital real estate infrastructure within a single platform.
The company has built strategic partnerships with the Dubai Land Department (DLD), Abu Dhabi Advanced Real Estate Services (ADRES), Property Finder, Visa, and Mashreq, positioning itself at the centre of the UAE’s digital real estate ecosystem. Since launch, Keyper has financed more than $44 million in rental payments, including $19 million during 2026 alone. Today, the platform supports more than 10,500 properties worth over $6 billion, serves approximately 4,000 landlords, and has surpassed 100,000 app downloads.
The fresh capital will be used to expand Keyper’s monthly rent payment platform, increase adoption among institutional landlords and large residential portfolios, introduce financing and liquidity solutions for property owners, and further enhance its property management ecosystem.
Why it matters
Keyper’s latest funding reflects a broader transformation underway across the Gulf’s proptech sector, where startups are increasingly digitising financial workflows traditionally dependent on paper-based processes. While the UAE’s residential rental market exceeds AED 100 billion annually, much of it still operates through post-dated cheques—a system that creates liquidity challenges for tenants and administrative burdens for landlords.
Rather than simply offering a flexible payment option, Keyper is building what investors describe as the financial infrastructure layer for residential real estate. By digitising recurring rental cash flows, the company creates opportunities for embedded finance, landlord financing, private credit products, and future capital market innovations built around predictable rental income.
The investment also highlights a growing trend in MENA venture capital, where proptech companies are moving beyond marketplace models to build integrated platforms that combine payments, financial services, and property operations. As governments continue pushing digital transformation initiatives across the real estate sector, infrastructure-focused platforms like Keyper are well positioned to benefit from the region’s rapidly evolving housing market.
