The CTO Show with Mehmet - Week in Review: Dec 3, 2023

December 03, 2023

Welcome to the 43rd edition of "The CTO Show With Mehmet" Weekly Recap Newsletter! If you're new here, a warm welcome to our dynamic community of 1537 subscribers across LinkedIn and Substack. Whether you're here for the first time or a loyal follower, your engagement is the lifeblood of this unique platform dedicated to tech, startups, and entrepreneurship.

What is inside?

-      Weekly Startup Insights From Middle East, Türkiye & Africa

-      Startup Investments Opportunities Spotlight

-      Recommended Resources and Tools

-      Episodes Recap

Without further ado, let's dive into this week's multifaceted insights!

Weekly Startups Insights:

Climate and Agriculture

-      EchoVC's Climate Initiative (Sub-Saharan Africa): EchoVC has launched the $2.5 million Echo Pilot Fund I, dedicated to early-stage African startups in climate, energy, agriculture, and mobility. This fund aims to support scalable, impact-driven solutions. Read More

-      Amini's Climate Tech Advancement (Kenya): Amini, a Kenyan climate tech startup, has secured $4 million to drive climate-smart agriculture and support small-scale farmers in East Africa. The round was backed by Salesforce Ventures and Female Founders Fund. Read More

Sports Technology

-       Winshot's AI-Powered Training (Tunisia): Tunisian sports-tech startup Winshot, specializing in AI-powered football training equipment, has raised a six-figure investment led by 216 Capital. Read More

E-Commerce

-      Floward's Floral Expansion (MENA, UK): Floward, a leader in the e-commerce space for flowers and gifts, has raised $27.5 million in a pre-Series B round to expand its operations and technological capabilities. Read More

-      Retailo's B2B Marketplace Growth (Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan): Retailo has raised $15 million to accelerate its expansion and improve tech infrastructure, aiming to empower small businesses. Read More

Mobility and Transportation

-      Raha's Car Subscription Service (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia): Kuwait-based Raha has raised $7 million to expand its car subscription service, with plans to launch in Saudi Arabia. Read More

-      GoMetro's Fleet Management Innovation (South Africa): GoMetro secured $9 million to revolutionize fleet management for electric vehicles and expand its Flex platform internationally. Read More

Technology and Manufacturing

-       Immensa's Digital Warehousing (UAE, MENA): Immensa, specializing in additive manufacturing, raised $20 million to further develop its technology and expand in the MENA region and beyond. Read More

Fintech

-       Yabi's Fintech Expansion (UAE, Saudi Arabia): UAE-based Yabi, under Souqalmal, raised $8 million for product development and regional expansion, following its entrance into the Saudi market. Read More

Women-Led Startups

  • Egyptian Startups' Recognition (Egypt): In the She’s Next competition by Visa and CIB, three Egyptian startups - Green Fashion, Reme-D, and Fincart - each won $10,000 and received mentorship from USAID. Read More

Francophone African Startups

  • Saviu Ventures' Investment Fund (Francophone Africa): Saviu Ventures raised €12 million for its second fund, focusing on early-stage companies in fintech, healthtech, edtech, and cleantech. Read More

🔍 Conclusion

The past week has seen a flurry of investment activity, particularly in Africa and the MENA region. Various startups across sectors such as climate technology, agriculture, mobility, sports-tech, e-commerce, car subscription services, transport technology, additive manufacturing, B2B marketplaces, fintech, and healthtech have raised significant funds. Among the most substantial investments received were Floward's $27.5 million, Immensa's $20 million, Retailo's $15 million, and GoMetro's $9 million. Overall, both Africa and the MENA Region are seeing a surge in funding, with startups across diverse sectors gaining attention from international investors. As technology continues to evolve, it is expected that investment interest in these regions will increase, fueling further innovation and economic growth. The influence of startups in these regions in addressing critical challenges is becoming increasingly recognized and valued by venture capital firms. The trend also underscores the growing economic potential of these regions in the global startup ecosystem.

 Startup Investments Opportunities Spotlight

Startup founders, you want to list your startup with us? Signup here: https://yassiventures.com/startup-applications/

Investors who want to see the full details can signup here: https://yassiventures.com/investors-application/

  • A SaaS (Finance and Accounting) startup seeking angel investors or VC for Pre-Seed Stage. Great traction and strong growth metrics.

  • XR/VR/Edtech startup in Seed stage looking for angel investors to expand their product profile. Promising initial results after MVP

  • Pre Series A-Stage Tech startup open to investors interested in tech . Big customers references acquired.

  • A Gaming Studio with traction and multiple products is raising funds for expansion in GCC region.

  • An E-Commerce & Mobility startup with traction looking for a seed fund to expand operations.

  • A B2B Networking Platform in early stage, huge TAM and with great business plan raising seed round

  • A Web3 Deep Tech with great business plan and GTM is looking for a seed round to continue building the MVP and start global operations.

Recommended Resources and Tools (Please note: Some of the resources linked in this section are affiliated links):

Unlock savings on your SaaS licenses with a free 1-hour assessment. Discover how much you can save and optimize your software investments. Contact me to schedule your assessment and start reducing costs today.

Softr: Enhance your business or build your MVP with Softr, the seamless platform for building applications without coding. Ideal for startups and SMEs, Explore this awesome platform and get in touch for assistance.

Make(Formerly Know As Integromat) Streamline your workflow with Make a leading automation platform that connects your apps and services effortlessly. Startups and SMEs, start by your own today or get in touch for a consultation

 Episodes Recap:

 Ever wondered how artificial intelligence is reshaping content creation? Nico Lagan , an AI specialist and content creator, joins us to share his insights and exciting journey. Pivoting his career amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Nico turned his previous experience as a sales engineer into a fulfilling role as a podcaster, author, and men's coach. Together we explore the power of AI in content creation, yet the persistent need for that irreplaceable human touch. We delve into the fascinating trend of faceless content creation and discuss our experiences with AI platforms like Opuspro and Streamyard, shedding light on how technology aids but does not replace the human element.

 Experience a deeper understanding of data analytics with our latest guest, Timothy Tutt , CEO and co-founder of Night Shift Development. You'll gain comprehensive knowledge on how to navigate the field without being a data geek, and learn to make informed decisions that will lead your business to success. We dive into Tim’s journey into this intricate field, his mission to simplify and democratize data analytics, and how his product, ClearQuery, empowers non-tech savvy users.

 Prepare yourself for an enlightening exploration of the tech industry with our distinguished guest, Mark Herschberg . As a seasoned professional straddling the roles of CTO and CPO, Mark shares his vast experience in leading teams and companies of diverse sizes. You'll learn about the crucial professional skills often overlooked in academia, such as leadership, networking, and communication. Mark's unique perspective, drawn from his dual career as an educator and tech expert, provides a fresh viewpoint on the role these skills play in the tech industry.

Join us as we explore the intriguing world of creativity and innovation with our special guest, Patrick Williams , a lifelong artist and creativity consultant. Patrick takes us through his fascinating journey of teaching art, practicing martial arts, and working in non-profit organizations, and how these experiences have shaped his approach to innovation. Listen to his enlightening perspective on the differences between creativity and innovation, and how the former is the precursor to the latter. He also highlights the importance of reconnecting with our innate creativity to spark innovative ideas in business and beyond.

Join the Conversation 🎙️

Got a story or insights in tech, startups, or entrepreneurship? Reach out! I am always on the lookout for inspiring guests.

Love what we do? ❤️

Support us here and help keep the insights coming. Every contribution matters!

Sponsorship & Collaboration 🤝

Align with our mission? Let’s talk sponsorship and collaboration opportunities.

Share & Subscribe 🌟

Know someone who'd love our content? Invite them to join the community. The more, the merrier!

A Big Thank You 🙏

Your support, feedback, and engagement make this journey worthwhile. Here's to another week of learning, innovation, and growth!

Best, Mehmet