The CTO Show Brief: Issue 134

Author

Mehmet Gonullu
August 31, 2025

Welcome to Issue 134  of The CTO Show Brief!

This week’s issue brings together two powerful lenses on technology and venture: the surging momentum across MEA and emerging markets—where fintech, gaming, crypto/Web3, and M&A activity continue to accelerate—and the global shifts driven by artificial intelligence, which is fast becoming the gravitational center of capital, infrastructure, and strategy worldwide. From Holo’s $22M digital mortgage raise and Impact46’s $53M gaming acquisition in Saudi Arabia, to OpenAI’s record-breaking $8.3B funding and the U.S. government’s landmark equity stake in Intel, the signals are clear: regional innovation is scaling fast, while AI is rewriting the rules of global tech and venture.

Whether you’re one of our 2,708 subscribers or a first-time reader—grab your coffee, and let’s dive into what’s shaping tech and venture this week!

 

📖 Special Announcement: 

From Nowhere to Next

 

🚀 The wait is over! I’m excited to share that my book, From Nowhere to Next, is officially launching on September 10th 🎉

This book is a collection of lessons, stories, and insights shaped by my journey — and by the incredible voices I’ve hosted on The CTO Show with Mehmet.At its core, From Nowhere to Next is about transformation, building momentum, and finding your path — whether you’re a founder, operator, or someone navigating your next big move.

👉 To celebrate, we’ll be hosting a live launch webinar on September 10th:

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MEA Tech Momentum

 

This week’s newsletter highlights 11 pivotal developments in the MEA and Emerging Markets tech and startup landscape, showcasing robust activity in fintech, gaming, crypto/Web3, and a notable acquisition. Key highlights include Holo’s $22M Series A for digital mortgages, Zetta’s $12M for Device-as-a-Service, OrangeX’s $20M for crypto exchange growth, and Impact46’s $53M acquisition of gaming studio Kammelna, reflecting the region’s growing influence in global tech innovation.

Fintech

·       Holo (UAE): UAE-based fintech Holo secured $22 million in Series A funding, led by Impact46 from Saudi Arabia, to expand its digital mortgage platform across the GCC, with plans to scale operations and teams in high-growth markets like Saudi Arabia.

·       Zetta (Saudi Arabia): Zetta, a Saudi Arabia-based Device-as-a-Service startup, raised $12 million in Series A funding led by Core Vision Investment and National Dimensions Investment to expand its subscription-based model for enterprise technology devices, including maintenance and upgrades.

·       Blomal Capital (Saudi Arabia): Saudi fintech startup Blomal Capital raised an undisclosed pre-seed funding round from Falak Investment Hub to develop a digital-first platform for accessing public and private investment funds, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

·       Maalexi (UAE): Maalexi, a UAE-based B2B agri-fintech, secured a shariah-compliant credit facility of up to $20 million from Amwal Capital Partners to scale operations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, leveraging AI, IoT, and blockchain to optimize cross-border food and agri-trade.

·       Credit Coop (Emerging Fintech): Credit Coop raised $4.5 million in seed funding led by Maven 11 Capital and Lightspeed Faction to expand its stablecoin credit infrastructure, processing $180 million with zero defaults and targeting growth in marketplace payouts and SaaS revenues.

Gaming

·       Sheba Joy (Saudi Arabia): Sheba Joy, a Saudi mobile gaming studio, raised $293,000 in pre-seed funding from Merak Capital to develop culturally grounded games and launch four new titles in 2025, supporting Saudi Arabia’s goal to become a global gaming hub.

·       Spoilz (Saudi Arabia): Merak Capital and Impact46 funded Saudi game studio Spoilz to develop mobile games and expand into PC, console, and smart TV platforms, enhancing B2B and LiveOps services in the MENA region.

Crypto/Web3

·       Cointel (UAE): UAE-based edtech platform Cointel raised $7.4 million, led by Avalanche and Sugafam Inc., to expand its AI-powered, gamified crypto education platform, targeting North American growth in Q4 2025.

·       PlaysOut (Emerging Markets): PlaysOut, a Tencent-backed Web3 gaming startup, is raising $15 million at a $150 million valuation to expand its mini-game infrastructure, supported by Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds in the $19 billion Web3 gaming market.

·       OrangeX (Emerging Crypto): OrangeX, a global crypto exchange, raised $20 million in its second funding round led by Kryptos to enhance compliance, infrastructure, and global licensing, ranking among the top 35 derivatives platforms with over $200 million in liquidity.

Acquisitions

·       Kammelna (Saudi Arabia): Saudi VC Impact46 acquired game development studio Kammelna for $53 million to expand its cultural games like Baloot, which has over 6 million downloads and 1 million monthly active users, boosting Saudi Arabia’s global gaming presence.

 🌍 Global Tech & VC Pulse

 

The final week of August delivered a series of moves that crystallize how artificial intelligence is no longer just another tech vertical but the organizing force of global markets. From OpenAI’s record-breaking raise to the U.S. government taking equity in Intel, from a thaw in exits to hyperscale energy crunches, every headline pointed back to AI’s gravitational pull. For investors, the signals are clear: AI is defining where capital flows, how exits get priced, which ecosystems dominate, and where the next defensible moats will emerge.

Capital & Markets

AI Capital Concentrates

OpenAI’s $8.3B raise at a $300B valuation reinforced that elite AI labs are now national-scale assets. The syndicate included crossover giants like Dragoneer and Blackstone, marking a shift where private equity treats frontier AI as core infrastructure.

Investor takeaway: Startups that can close the “enterprise readiness gap” in AI—through governance, compliance, or vertical data moats—will define the next wave of defensible SaaS.

Exit Thaw

Markets are reopening selectively: Thoma Bravo’s $12.3B Dayforce take-private (with explicit AI strategy rationale) highlights that M&A premiums now hinge on credible AI roadmaps. IPOs like Figma and Circle are performing well, sparking renewed confidence.

Investor takeaway: Exits are back, but with a flight to quality. Companies with strong AI leverage and clean economics are the ones being rewarded.

 

Geopolitics & Infrastructure

Techno-Nationalism Hardens

The U.S. government’s $8.9B equity stake in Intel codifies “sovereign VC” as policy. Simultaneously, China accelerates domestic chip R&D while restricting Western supply chains.

Investor takeaway: Deep-tech capital now comes with geopolitics attached. Founders must choose ecosystems early, and investors must account for policy and supply-chain alignment as part of diligence.

AI → Energy

Hyperscale AI demand is reshaping power planning. Data center loads are driving hundreds of billions in capex for new capacity, sparking Climate Tech mega-rounds (TerraPower, Group14, Helion).

Investor takeaway: Energy storage, grid software, and cooling are no longer “adjacent” plays—they’re enablers of AI itself, with project-finance dynamics de-risking venture investment.

 

Platforms & Ecosystems

Consumer AI Pivot

Google’s Pixel 10 downplayed hardware specs in favor of AI-driven features, while Amazon is abandoning Fire OS for standard Android to unlock ecosystem value.

Investor takeaway: Hardware is becoming the on-ramp; recurring value accrues to AI-driven services. Consumer AI platforms are shifting toward software economics and ecosystem scale.

Playbook for Builders & Investors

The week’s lesson:

·       Proof-driven sales are the new GTM—benchmarks, governance, security sign-offs matter most.

·       Multi-cloud and open ecosystems are winning; abstractions across infra layers are sticky.

·       Sovereign VC has joined PE and strategics as a capital lane in deep tech.

 

Notable Deals & Signals

Meta x Google Cloud | $10B+ six-year deal

A landmark multi-cloud contract where Meta rents infra from Google Cloud, highlighting the normalization of “coopetition.”

Investor takeaway: Validates cross-cloud arbitrage opportunities; opens space for startups abstracting infra complexity and costs across providers.

Nvidia | Strong quarter + $60B buyback

Despite export restrictions to China, Nvidia beat revenue estimates and greenlit one of the largest corporate buyback programs in tech.

Investor takeaway: The AI infra cycle remains resilient; downstream suppliers in optics, cooling, and memory continue to benefit.

Framer | $100M Series D at $2B valuation

Amsterdam-based AI web-design startup raised to scale its no-code platform to enterprises.

Investor takeaway: AI-native SaaS tied directly to revenue outcomes (marketing conversions, faster deployment) is commanding premium multiples—signals a SaaS rebound when AI is core to productivity.

DeepTech Mega-Rounds

·       Commonwealth Fusion Systems | $863M (fusion energy, Google offtake milestones).

·       FieldAI | $405M (risk-aware robotics models, backed by NVentures, Khosla).

Investor takeaway: Energy and embodied AI are absorbing capital as second-order beneficiaries of AI demand, blending venture with infra-style financing.

 🎙️Episodes Recap:

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive into the future of education and technology with Greg Banks Ph.D. , a veteran teacher, school administrator, researcher, and author. Greg brings over 20 years of experience in K-12 education and chemistry teaching, along with a deep perspective on how AI is reshaping classrooms.

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Leandro Cartelli , CEO of Lana Talent, to explore how Latin America is emerging as one of the most strategic regions for global hiring. From Argentina to the world, Lean shares insights from 15+ years in talent acquisition—helping startups and SMBs build cost-effective, high-performing remote teams.

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Robert Duffy , CTO of HealthEdge, to unpack how healthcare—one of the last industries to modernize—is finally undergoing a deep digital transformation. Rob shares how his journey through companies like Amazon, Kindle, Time Inc., and Expedia prepared him for leading one of the most complex transitions in technology: taking healthcare systems from legacy mainframes to cloud-native platforms.

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Thanks for reading — and for being part of this growing, global-minded network.

 — Mehmet