The CTO Show with Mehmet - Week in Review: Nov 26, 2023

November 26, 2023

Welcome to the 42nd edition of "The CTO Show With Mehmet" Weekly Recap Newsletter! If you're new here, a warm welcome to our dynamic community of 1525 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:

 E-Commerce and Tech Investments

Chari's Growth Path: Moroccan B2B e-commerce platform Chari secures an undisclosed investment from UM6P Ventures, marking a significant step in its expansion plans. Read more

Africa Tech Festival Insights: Nigerian startups lead with $1.2 billion in funding, as highlighted at the Africa Tech Festival 2023. Explore the data

Mental Health and Wellness

Salus' Seed Success: Turkiye-based Salus closes a substantial $4.7 million seed round for its mental health platform. Learn more

Food and Agriculture

Pricepally's Fresh Funding: Nigerian food e-commerce startup raises $1.3 million for its farm-fresh produce distribution. Discover their journey

Dooda Solutions' Green Grant: Winning $100,000 from PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator, Dooda Solutions is set to enhance organic fertilizers. Details here

Aquarech's Aquaculture Advancement: A $1.7 million boost for Kenyan startup Aquarech to streamline fish farming. Read about their impact

Entertainment and Lifestyle

Anghami and OSN+ Merger: A significant $50 million deal to create a major Middle Eastern streaming service. Explore the merger

E-Commerce IPO

Floward's Blossoming IPO: The Kuwait-based e-commerce firm gears up for an IPO in Saudi Arabia. IPO details

Venture Capital and Startups

Modus Capital's New Ventures: Launching eight startups with a $2.8 million investment in diverse sectors. Insight into the launch

Saviu Ventures' Ambitious Fund: Focused on Francophone Africa, Saviu Ventures closes €12 million for its second fund. Fund details

Food Industry Innovation

Turkiye’s Based Fork N Knife's Seed Funding: $800,000 raised for expanding the CAAS model in the food industry. More on the investment

Digital Nomadism

Turkiye Based NomadVibe's Promising Start: Securing a $1 million investment, this new venture targets digital nomads globally. About NomadVibe

Healthcare Technology

Waspito's Healthcare Leap: Raising $2.5 million for its e-health services in Cameroon. Waspito's expansion plans

 Trade Finance Development

FrontEdge's $10 Million Funding: Nigerian trade finance startup aims to boost African cross-border trade. FrontEdge's funding news

🔍 Conclusion

This week underlined the increasing investment trend in the technology sector across MEA region. Various start-ups in e-commerce, mental health service, sports equipment and apparel, music streaming, digital marketing, cloud kitchen operation, agri-tech, and e-health sectors received substantial funding for expansion and improving their offerings.

 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 build the MVP

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:

 Join me in a fascinating conversation with Dan Hafner, the innovative mind behind Dapper Mobile Apps, as we uncover the power of no-code and low-code mobile app solutions. Dan's journey from a hobbyist to a full-time freelancer and ultimately the founder of his agency serves as an inspiration for anyone looking to make their mark in the digital space. We also talk about how no-code solutions have the potential to bring ideas to life without a large amount of capital or coding skills, making it an ideal solution for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses.

Prepare yourself for an enlightening conversation with our high-profile guest, Tarun, an impactful entrepreneur who brilliantly transitioned from the world of data science into the realm of entrepreneurship. Our chat is a deep-dive into Tarun's innovative logistics company, Partner. Discover the unique approach he took to differentiate his company from traditional players in the industry and the significance of persistence, agility and the need to pivot in entrepreneurship.

Ever wondered how software development teams manage multiple environments? We're joined by Sorin Dumitrescu, the visionary CTO and VP of Engineering for BunnyShell, who sheds light on this intricate subject. We dive into BunnyShell's innovative Environment-as-a-Service platform, a game-changer that simplifies the complexity gap between production and development environments. Sorin shares firsthand the challenges that arise and the undeniable advantages that a cloud-based solution brings to the table. This illuminating chat offers a look under the hood of software development and the pivotal role efficient environment management plays.

Are you ready to leap into the future? We've got an exhilarating adventure for you. Step into the riveting and often complex universe of Web3, as we speak with blockchain industry expert, and co-founder of Adlunam, Nadja. Her compelling journey from psychology and marketing to becoming a journalist and entrepreneur in the blockchain world is nothing short of inspiring. We navigate the challenging waters of understanding and regulating cryptocurrencies, and how to differentiate trustworthy from untrustworthy companies in this rapidly evolving industry.

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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