MEA Tech & Startup Digest: Issue #114

Author

Mehmet Gonullu
April 13, 2025

Welcome to the 114th  edition of “The CTO Show’s MEA Tech & Startup Digest”!

 From bold funding moves in Bahrain and South Africa to global AI breakthroughs and shifting IPO winds, this week’s roundup captures the energy, momentum, and headwinds shaping the future of innovation across MEA and beyond.

Whether you’re one of our 2,496 subscribers or a first-time reader — grab your coffee and let’s dive into what’s shaping tech and venture this week! 🚀

On April 24-25 3PM UTC onward, I’ll be joining 1,000+ US/EU/RoW investors — including $1M+, $100M+, and $1B+ Family Offices, angels, LPs & GPs of VC/PE/RE funds, FoFs, and HNWIs — at the Capital Networking Virtual Conference, hosted by Max Pog

 

📬 Register here: inniches.com/c?568

Funding Rounds 💰

Bahraini Social Commerce Startup Sellou Secures Seed Funding Sellou, a Bahraini social commerce platform, closed an undisclosed seed round led by regional investors to scale its operations. The startup aims to enhance its marketplace, connecting merchants with social media-driven sales in the GCC. Read More

Egypt’s Infinilink Raises $10M in Seed Funding Infinilink, an Egyptian telecom infrastructure startup, secured $10 million in a seed round to expand its fiber-optic network solutions. The funding will support partnerships with local operators to boost connectivity across Egypt. Read More

Côte d'Ivoire’s Djamo Completes Major Funding Round Djamo, a fintech platform in Côte d'Ivoire, raised a record-breaking funding round backed by Partech, Y Combinator, and Janngo Capital. The investment will fuel its mission to provide seamless digital financial services across Francophone Africa. Read More

Sary and ShopUp Merge to Form Silq with $110M Investment Saudi-based Sary and Bangladesh’s ShopUp have merged to create Silq, a B2B commerce platform, backed by a $110 million investment led by Sanabil and Valar Ventures. The new entity aims to revolutionize supply chain solutions across the Middle East and South Asia. Read More

UAE’s Rentify Gains $500K to Boost Proptech Innovation Rentify, a UAE-based proptech startup, raised $500,000 to enhance its platform for streamlining property management and rentals. The investment will drive tech upgrades and market expansion in the Emirates. Read More

Paytic Secures $4M from AfricInvest for Fintech Growth Paytic, a UAE-based payment solutions provider, raised $4 million from AfricInvest to advance its B2B transaction platform. The funds will support regional expansion and tech development for SMEs. Read More

South Africa’s Stitch Raises $55M for Fintech Expansion Stitch, a South African fintech startup, secured $55 million to scale its payment and data integration solutions. The funding will strengthen its presence in Africa’s growing digital economy. Read More

Silq Gains Backing from Valar and Sanabil for B2B Commerce Silq, a Saudi-based B2B commerce platform, received investment from Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures and Saudi Arabia’s Sanabil. The funding will accelerate its supply chain and e-commerce solutions for regional businesses. Read More

ADQ-Backed Food Innovator Attracts New Investment A food tech startup supported by Abu Dhabi’s ADQ secured fresh funding to advance its sustainable agriculture solutions. The investment underscores the UAE’s focus on food security innovation. Read More

 

Market Expansion 🌍

Rabbit Enters Saudi Market with Major Investor Support Rabbit, a mobility tech startup, launched in Saudi Arabia, backed by prominent regional investors. The expansion aims to deliver innovative urban transport solutions in the Kingdom. Read More

 

Innovation & Technology 🚀

Tarjama’s Pronoia Outperforms Global Translation Platforms UAE-based Tarjama launched the latest edition of its AI translation tool, Pronoia, which reportedly surpasses global competitors in accuracy for Arabic content. The upgrade strengthens its position in the region’s language tech market. Read More

Stuck Closes Pre-Seed Round for Arabic Content Solutions Stuck, a UAE startup focused on Arabic digital content, raised a seven-figure pre-seed round to enhance its AI-driven creative tools. The platform aims to empower regional creators and brands. Read More

 

Ecosystem Development 🌱

Bahrain’s Spring Venture Services Launches Cohort 8 Spring Venture Services in Bahrain kicked off its eighth cohort, supporting early-stage startups with mentorship and resources. The program continues to bolster the Kingdom’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Read More

Turkish Startups Gain Global Investor Interest International institutions are increasingly investing in Turkish tech startups, drawn by the country’s innovation potential. The trend signals growing confidence in Turkey’s entrepreneurial landscape. Read More

 

 🧠  An Eye On Tech 

 

🔗 UALink vs. Nvidia: AMD, Intel, Microsoft & others unite on open GPU standard to loosen Nvidia’s grip on AI infra.

💻 AI-First Devices: Asus, Sony, Netflix, and Samsung all push AI deeper into laptops, apps & creative tools.

🚨 Meta x China Allegations: Senate hears whistleblower claims of Meta enabling CCP censorship & data access.

⚠️ Tariff Shock: Surprise US tariffs delay IPOs (Klarna, Chime, StubHub); markets rally after rollback.

💰 Notable VC Rounds:

  • 🔋 Base Power (EnergyTech) – $200M

  • 🔐 Tailscale (Cybersecurity) – $160M

  • 🧬 Merida, Imbria, Atsena & others (Biotech) – $600M+

  • 🧠 Acuity (AI x Mental Health) – $1.5M

🏦 New VC Funds:

  • 🤖 SignalFire – $1B+ AI-focused

  • 🌱 Lerer Hippeau – $200M Seed

  • 🇬🇧 DIG Ventures – $100M EU SaaS & AI

  • ✊ Symphonic Capital – $13.5M for underrepresented founders

🤝 Strategic Collabs:

  • Databricks 🤝 Anthropic for enterprise AI

  • Nokia + Telia: 1st cross-border 5G slice handover

  • Milan Design Week = big tech x design mashups (Google, Lexus, Ducati)

🏗️ Infra & Cloud:

  • Meta’s $1B Wisconsin data center

  • SES launches AI-satellite platform

  • Vodafone uses mobile net to predict floods

📈 Market Trends:

  • 🚀 AI chip stocks surge (SOXX +7%)

  • ⚖️ Non-AI startups face tough rounds, down rounds up

  • 🏁 IPO window shaky, M&A still dominates

 

Sources: Curated from public reports including TechCrunch, Reuters, BioPharma Dive, Semafor, and other verified outlets.

 🎙️Episodes Recap:

 

 

In this episode, Mehmet sits down with Srini Vasan , CTO of Shardeum, a Layer 1 EVM-compatible blockchain that’s rewriting the rules of scalability, decentralization, and transaction efficiency. Srini shares his journey from building NFT platforms and working at AWS to leading a project that’s tackling the blockchain trilemma head-on.

 

 In this mind-expanding episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, futurist investor and international entrepreneur Steven Zeller  joins us to explore the cutting edge of human advancement through technology. From genetic engineering and health tech breakthroughs to brain-computer interfaces, quantum computing, and the philosophical questions of immortality, Steven shares a vision of the near future that is as inspiring as it is disruptive.

 

 In this forward-looking conversation, Mehmet welcomes Colin Fitzpatrick , founder of Griffin AI and long-time tech leader, to unpack the convergence of artificial intelligence, Web3, and robotics. From “vibe coding” and AI agents to programmable avatars and robotic personal assistants, Colin paints a vision of a world being reshaped by exponential technology. They also explore how AI will democratize software development, disrupt work as we know it, and create massive opportunity.

 

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Thank You 🙏: Your engagement drives our shared journey forward. Here's to another week of innovation and growth!

 

Best, Mehmet