The CTO Show with Mehmet - Week in Review: Oct 8, 2023

October 08, 2023

Welcome to the 36th edition of "The CTO Show With Mehmet" Weekly Recap Newsletter! If you're new here, a warm welcome to our dynamic community of 1411 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

MENA

 Deep Tech:

  • Intella (Egypt) raised $3.4 million in a pre-Series A round.

 Fintech:

  • MoneyHash (Egypt) secured new investment from GitHub founder.

  • Capifly (Jordan) raised $1 million in a pre-seed round.

 HR Tech:

  • Jisr (Saudi Arabia) closed a $30 million Series A round led by Merak Capital.

General:

  • MENA startups raised $36 million in September 2023.

 Africa

Fintech:

  • Stitch (South Africa) secured a $25 million Series A extension.

  • Sanari Capital (South Africa) closed $65 million for its growth fund.

Venture Capital:

  • Baobab Network plans to invest in 1,000 African tech startups by 2033.

Turkiye

Fintech:

  • Borsa Istanbul launched a Venture Capital Market.

📈 General Trends

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

2.    HR Tech Growth: Significant investments in HR tech, particularly in Saudi Arabia.

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

4.    Diverse Sectors: Investments are flowing into various sectors, including deep tech and HR tech.

5.    Regional Focus: MENA startups are seeing a decline in total funding, while Africa and Turkey are showing growth.

📚 Sources

  • Wamda

  • VentureBurn

  • Disrupt Africa

  • Tech Inside

  • Arab 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.

Startup founders, I would love to connect with you to help secure funding.

  • 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 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:

Do the cooling challenges faced by data centers give you cold sweats? Don't fret! Kar-Wing Lau, the CTO of LiquidStack, is here to enlighten us on the power of liquid cooling technology. This episode is a deep dive into the benefits of liquid cooling for data centers and homes. We discuss how two-phase immersion cooling not only reduces energy consumption but also saves up to 90% of space compared to traditional methods. Particularly, high-powered semiconductors like CPUs and AI chips are benefiting immensely from this technology.

Prepare to be enlightened as we navigate through the intricacies of data security in the digital age with our distinguished guest, Rob Juncker, the CTO of Code42. This conversation promises to reveal the hidden dangers of our highly collaborative culture, particularly the potential risks posed by departing employees who may carry essential data away with them. Don't miss Rob's insights on generative AI, including technologies like GPT, and their dual role as potential hazards and opportunities in data protection.

Step into the exciting world of cybersecurity with our latest guest, Jason Mar-Tang, a seasoned Sales Engineer leader who's been in the tech industry for over 20 years. This episode promises a deep understanding of the attackers' mindset, their varied motivations, and the importance of identity security. Remember, no one is immune from cyber attacks, and your online identity can be a goldmine for attackers.

What if we told you that data could revolutionize healthcare, and in particular, the fight against cancer? You can discover the power of data in our enlightening conversation with Catherine Miller, CTO of Flatiron Health, a seasoned tech expert who transitioned into the healthcare sector. We dive into the profound impact of data analytics and how it can extend lives, inspire drug development, and provide a comprehensive understanding of treatment effects across diverse populations.

Step into the tech-verse with us as we welcome Dr. Mohamed Zaki, a distinguished academic from the University of Cambridge, to our podcast universe. Dr. Mohamed, a trailblazer in the world of machine learning and customer experience, escorts us on a fascinating voyage into the heart of digital transformation.

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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