The CTO Show with Mehmet - Week in Review: Sep 10, 2023

September 10, 2023

Welcome to the 32nd edition of "The CTO Show With Mehmet" Weekly Summary Newsletter! If you're new here, a warm welcome to our dynamic community of 1341 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 the Middle East, Türkiye & Africa

-      Updates & Tips

-      Recommended Resources and Tools

-      Episodes Recap

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

Weekly Startups Insights:

MENA Region

1.    Dominance in Funding

·       Saudi Arabia and the UAE led in startup funding, accounting for 97% of the total funds raised in August 2023.

·       A predicted spike in VC financing is expected in Q4 2023.

2.    E-commerce and Home Décor

·       Ariika in Egypt is revolutionizing the home décor landscape with a Series A round led by Beltone, which took a 20% stake.

African Region

1.    Fintech and Climatetech Soar

·       Nigerian and Kenyan startups are gaining significant traction in fintech and climatetech sectors.

·       African climatetech startups have raised over $3 billion since 2019.

2.    Innovations in Logistics and Parking

·       Parkwell in Nigeria and Kwik in South Africa are offering innovative solutions in logistics and parking.

3.    Focus on Financial Literacy

·       FinMeUp and Maly are working to bridge gaps in financial education and literacy.

4.    E-commerce Evolution

·       Rentoza in South Africa is revolutionizing the e-commerce landscape with a focus on subscription-based services.

5.    Sustainability and Cleantech

·       Arena Recycling Industry in Tanzania is focusing on sustainability, tackling issues like plastic waste.

Türkiye

1.    Investment Decline

·       Investments in Turkish startups have significantly declined in Q1 2023 compared to Q1 2022, attracting only $78.9 million across 53 deals.

2.    Diverse Investment Verticals

·       Investment in Türkiye is not just confined to tech and fintech; it spans diverse verticals like home décor, education, and even parking solutions.

General Trends

Series A Rounds are Popular

·       Many startups like Ariika, Kotani Pay, and Anchor have successfully closed Series A rounds, indicating a maturing startup ecosystem.

Sources:

  • Wamda

  • VentureBurn

  • TechCabal

  • Techpoint Africa

  • TechNext

  • Fintech Istanbul

  • Clayton County Register

Updates and Tips

-      If you missed last week's Masterclass about Automation, you can watch it here: https://youtube.com/live/TXsIMVqUnys?feature=share

-      Yassi Ventures is participating in the Middle East Matchup Forum, organized by CenBiz Global Inc., happening this week in Dubai. We look forward to connecting with the broader startup community.

-      In case you missed it last week, I announced the "NoCode & Automation MENA Lounge" community. Join me here to learn more.

-      The Startup Directory Ventures Fabrika: We have finished the main features and are now updating the data on a daily basis. There are two AI functions that are now open to the public for feedback. We invite you to try these features and share your thoughts.

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

Trends.vc: Dru Riley has put the best to build not just a trending tech report newsletter but with the team he built a startup founders community that aims to provide insights into emerging markets, technologies, and business models Each issue usually dives deep into a specific trend, providing analysis, data points, and actionable advice. I have a discount code for you to join, just reach out to get it.

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

Podpage: Join over 25,000 podcasters and automatically create a beautiful, listener-friendly podcast site from your RSS feed. Customize the design to create a professional look you'll be proud of in a few clicks. No coding or technical knowledge is necessary.

Episodes Recap:

This week, we had 5 interviews on different topics. Let us review what was on the air: 

At the beginning of the week, on Episode 208:

What if that website you visit every day could come to life and interact with you in a lively three-dimensional setting? Imagine the mind-blowing possibilities of a 3DX website! This week, we sit down with Lee Pillay, Chief Business Development Officer at Royex Technologies, to discuss the evolution of websites and the groundbreaking introduction of 3DX. Lee reveals how the concept is shaking up how companies communicate, allowing them to create an immersive and interactive experience for users.

Have you ever dreamed of turning your idea into a reality, but lacked the resources to do so? Buckle up, because today's episode is a game-changer. We're privileged to have Bobby Nims , the CEO and co-founder of Lonch, a revolutionary crowdfunding platform, with us. Bobby is on a mission to remove barriers for aspiring entrepreneurs and his platform, Lonch, is a tool designed to make it happen. Listen to his vision of how Lonch is transforming the landscape of idea realization and providing an avenue for dreamers and doers to work on their passions.

Get ready to be inspired as we sit down with Robert Indries , a self-made entrepreneur who turned his love for technology into a multi-million dollar empire. Robert takes us on a journey through his humble beginnings, from working the land as a child to becoming a tech-savvy innovator. Listen in as he shares his insightful experiences consulting for other companies and how his client grew from 25 million to 50 million in just two and a half years.

What if there was a revolutionary system that could streamline your real estate business and help you effectively engage internet leads? Today, we are joined by Josh Cunningham , the CEO of Rokrbox, who enlightens us on how his done-for-you inside sales assistant solution can transform your business. Over the past decade, Rokrbox has been providing solutions to real estate agents, making them more efficient and transforming their sales strategies. Josh gives us a deep dive into the innovative methodologies that have kept the company afloat in the ever-evolving technology landscape.

Imagine carrying a teacher in your pocket, ready to share insights 24/7 from a corpus of information! Sounds intriguing? Join us in a captivating conversation with Dev Aditya , co-founder at Otermans Institute, who’s making this vision a reality with their AI product department, OIAI. We discuss the transformative power of AI in education, how OIAI swiftly transitioned to virtual content during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the inner workings of their AI digital teacher model that conducts human-like conversations. This groundbreaking innovation is not just disseminating knowledge, but also making complex information from research papers easily comprehensible.

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A Big Thank You 🙏

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Best, Mehmet