The CTO Show with Mehmet - Week in Review: Oct 1, 2023

October 01, 2023

Welcome to the 35th edition of The CTO Show With Mehmet Gonullu Weekly Recap Newsletter! If you're new here, a warm welcome to our dynamic community of 1389 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:

🌍 Regional Highlights

MENAP Region

Fintech:

  • Bilrs (UAE) raised an undisclosed pre-seed investment from Haatch.

Sports & Entertainment:

  • Fanzword (UAE)  secured $1.2 million in a pre-seed round led by XVC Tech.

Cybersecurity:

  • Cypherleak (UAE) raised $750,000 in a seed round.

Africa

Fintech:

  • Revio (South Africa) raised $5.2 million in a seed round.

  • Lipa Later (Kenya) raised $3.4 million in debt funding.

AgriTech:

  • Kua Ventures invested over $1 million in 20 Kenyan SMEs.

InsurTech:

  • Root (South Africa) raised $1.5 million to accelerate expansion plans.

AutoTech:

  • Fixit45 (Nigeria) raised $1.9 million in a pre-seed funding round.

Venture Capital:

  • P1 Ventures closed its second fund at $25 million.

Turkiye

Fintech:

  • Enqura (Turkey) secured $2.9 million in its first investment round.

Deep Tech:

  • Toruk Magic secured $2.5 million in investment.

Venture Capital:

  • Enza Capital closed its $58 million Fund II.

📈 General Trends

1.    Fintech Surge: Both MENA and Africa are seeing significant investments in fintech startups.

2.    Venture Capital Growth: New funds are being established, indicating a healthy investment climate.

3.    Diverse Sectors: Investments are flowing into various sectors, including sports, entertainment, and cybersecurity.

4.    Debt Financing: Startups like Lipa Later are exploring debt funding options.

📚 Sources

  • Disrupt Africa

  • Wamda

  • VentureBurn

  • Zawya

  • BloombergHT

  • HaberX

  • Techloy

  • Arab News

  • Google News

 Startup Investments Opportunities Spotlight

 I'm currently collaborating with several startups that are actively seeking investment. If any of these opportunities align with your investment goals, don't hesitate to reach out for more details.

  • A SaaS (Finance and Accounting) startup seeking angel investors or VC for 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.

  • EdTech startup with pre-revenue and solid business model.

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

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.

Apollo: Unlock a world of endless leads with Apollo.io! This powerful platform not only provides a treasure trove of business contacts but also equips you with intuitive tools to engage prospects effectively. Say goodbye to the tedious lead generation process and hello to a seamless sales journey. Ready to skyrocket your sales?

 Episodes Recap:

Quick Note: Unfortunately Episode 223 has been removed as per the guest request.

Join us as we embark on an enlightening discussion with Asim Rais Siddiqui , co-founder and CTO at TekRevol. Listen to Asim as he shares his inspiring journey from a tech enthusiast to a successful CTO. Asim brings to light the importance of understanding various aspects of a business beyond technology and his passion for software development. He also provides insight into the conception of TechRevel and how it has evolved into a leading digital transformation company.

Ready to streamline your business processes for unbeatable efficiency? Join us as we explore the intricate world of system optimization with Marquis Murray , the CEO of Systems Improvement Consultancy. Marquis takes us through his entrepreneurial journey, unveiling the pivotal role of Standard Operating Procedures, detailed process documentation, and effective software implementation. Stay tuned to uncover how these methodologies can revolutionize visibility, ownership, and the overall dynamics of your business.

Ever wondered how an entrepreneur navigates the switch from bootstrapping to venture-backed methods? Or how to scale a tech team from 10 to over 700? Jeff Rick , a seasoned CTO and serial entrepreneur, generously shares his journey with us, from his early days in network engineering to the development of collaborative software during the dot com boom. His captivating tales of co-founding an outsourcing company in Katmandu, Nepal, and the challenges of creating a cloud-based analytics platform for the healthcare industry are sure to enlighten you.

Get ready for an enlightening chat with Hemant Varshney , the CEO and founder of DigiCom, as he shares his journey in the world of marketing and startups. Tune in to hear Hemant recount how he started with YouTube videos, moved to working with Wall Street, and eventually founded DigiCom. As he explains, the fascinating science of marketing and the evolution of the digital marketing landscape over the years drew him in, especially the transformative power of Google, Facebook, and Amazon as channels for reaching customers.

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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