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- MEA Tech & Startup Digest: Issue #110
MEA Tech & Startup Digest: Issue #110
Mehmet Gonullu
March 16, 2025
Welcome to the 110th edition of “The CTO Show’s MEA Tech & Startup Digest”!
Another week where we bring you the most exciting developments in Middle East and Africa (MEA) tech and startups! From Saudi Arabia’s quick commerce sensation aiming for unicorn status to major investments in AI, fintech, and sustainability, the region’s innovation engine is firing on all cylinders. Dive into our featured story and explore the latest funding rounds, strategic acquisitions, and venture capital moves shaping the MEA ecosystem.
Whether you're one of our 2482 subscribers or new to our community, we're excited to share these valuable insights into tech, startups, and entrepreneurship.
Grab your coffee and let's unpack what's making headlines!
🌟 Featured Story
Ninja, a Saudi quick commerce startup founded by HungerStation’s Ebrahim Al-Jassim, is negotiating a pre-IPO funding round aiming for a valuation exceeding $1 billion. The company’s rapid growth highlights the rising demand for fast delivery services in the Middle East.
💰 Funding Rounds
African Startups Raise $119M in February 2025 African startups secured $119 million in February, pushing year-to-date funding to $408 million, signaling a strong investment climate. Read More
KLAIM Nets Series A Funding UAE fintech KLAIM raised Series A funds to improve healthcare payment solutions, tapping into regional healthcare needs. Read More
WideBot Raises $3M for Arabic AI Egyptian AI startup WideBot secured $3 million to build an Arabic-specific AI model, enhancing regional tech accessibility. Read More
Yora Technologies Gains $1.9M Moroccan super-app Yora raised $1.9 million to expand digital services and financial inclusion in North Africa. Read More
Motery Raises Seed Funding Kuwaiti startup Motery landed an undisclosed seed round to advance its tech-driven mobility solutions. Read More
Ajras Closes $1.5M Pre-Series A Saudi proptech Ajras raised $1.5 million to grow its rental financing platform, easing tenant payments. Read More
KLAIM Boosts GCC Plans with $26M UAE fintech KLAIM secured $26 million to expand healthcare payment solutions across the GCC. Read More
Aya Raises $1.6M for Fashion Marketplace Saudi fashion marketplace Aya closed a $1.6 million seed round to enhance its e-commerce platform. Read More
Bilrs Gains Funding from Salica Bilrs raised funds from Salica and Spring Studios to boost its tech offerings in the MEA region. Read More
Longetivy Wellness Hub Secures $4M Longetivy Wellness Hub raised $4 million to expand its health tech solutions across the GCC. Read More
🤝 Acquisitions & Investments
Paytabs Acquires Stake in Paytabs Egypt Paytabs Group acquired a majority stake in Paytabs Egypt, strengthening fintech offerings in the region. Read More
Ventures Ups Stake in Mrkoon Ventures increased its stake in logistics tech firm Mrkoon to support its MEA expansion. Read More
Aramco Ventures Invests $30M in Spiritus Aramco Ventures led a $30 million investment in carbon capture firm Spiritus, advancing sustainable tech. Read More
MGX Backs Binance’s $2B Stablecoin Plan Abu Dhabi’s MGX invested in Binance’s $2 billion stablecoin project, boosting UAE’s crypto hub status. Read More
🚀 Venture Capital Activity
Phoenix Venture Partners Closes Fund Phoenix Venture Partners completed its innovation fund’s second closing, backing MEA tech startups. Read More
Impact46 Sells SAR918M Stake in Rasan Saudi VC Impact46 sold a SAR918 million stake in fintech Rasan, marking a major exit. Read More
Saudi VC Hits Record Deal Count Saudi Arabia saw a record VC deal count in 2024, defying a regional funding slowdown. Read More
🔍 Worth checking out:
Google’s new Multimodal Model
Google launched Gemma 3, a cutting-edge AI model with multimodal capabilities (text, images, and more) and a context window of up to 128,000 tokens. This positions it as a rival to other advanced AI systems, enhancing applications in search, robotics, and beyond.
Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics Models
Google DeepMind introduced two AI models based on Gemini 2.0: Gemini Robotics, a vision-language-action model enabling robots to perform physical tasks, and Gemini Robotics-ER, a vision-language model for enhanced reasoning. These models aim to revolutionize robotics.
D-Wave Quantum’s Annealing Breakthrough
On March 12, 2025, D-Wave Quantum announced a scientific milestone published in Science, confirming that its annealing quantum computer outperformed one of the world’s most powerful classical supercomputers in solving complex magnetic materials simulation problems.
🎙️Episodes Recap:
In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Alec Crawford , an AI and cybersecurity expert with decades of experience in financial institutions like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Deutsche Bank. Alec is now leading AI-driven cybersecurity solutions, focusing on AI Governance, Risk, Compliance, and Cybersecurity (AI GRCC).
In this episode, I sit down with Nadav Boaz , a seasoned entrepreneur and AI-driven product builder, to explore how AI is reshaping business, product development, and sales. Nadav shares his insights on launching AI-powered startups, the evolving landscape of human-to-AI interactions, and why competitive advantages are shifting away from technology itself.
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Thank You 🙏: Your engagement drives our shared journey forward. Here's to another week of innovation and growth!
Best, Mehmet