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Welcome to another edition of 🔍 Startup Researcher - Middle East, your essential digest delivering the latest news and premium insights on startups and venture capital across the region 🌍

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📰 Important News

• Comfi partnered with Wafeq to offer UAE SMEs up to $544,460 in invoice financing backed by a $5 million commitment to boost growth and cash flow.

• ViAct is expanding to Saudi Arabia after raising $7.3 million in Series A funding to scale its AI safety solutions for high-risk industries.

• AWS partnered with Manara to train 2,500 MENA software engineers in cloud skills with a $3.6 million investment over two years.

• Saudi startup Kilow launched an Arabic weight loss app combining coaching, tracking, and medication tailored to local lifestyles and culture.

• BridgeWise secured a DIFC license and strategic investment from Emirates NBD, marking a major milestone in global expansion.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• E-signature startup Sadq raised a $1.46 million round to scale its platform, boost security, and support digital transformation in Saudi Arabia.

• TruBuild landed $1 million in seed funding to grow its construction platform focused on procurement, collaboration, and cost reduction.

• Metric raised a seven-figure seed round to expand its AI financial marketplace and launch Max, the world’s first AI CFO for small businesses.

• AIREV received Series A funding from Venturewave Capital to scale its On-Demand AI platform with over 4 million users and global partnerships.

💰️ Notable Exits

• Dubizzle acquired Property Monitor to enhance its real estate tech in MENA by combining analytics with market data for developers and agencies.

• Seesaw acquired Little Thinking Minds to expand in MENA and strengthen bilingual PreK-12 educational content with interactive tools.

• ITHCA Group and Yango completed the acquisition of OTaxi in Oman to boost digital services and expand its nationwide offerings.

• Saronic announced the acquisition UAE-based Gulf Craft to advance autonomous shipbuilding.

🏦 About Investors

• Global Ventures exited Egypt’s fintech fund Nclude as DPI took over management and launched DPI Venture Capital to invest in early-stage tech startups across Africa.

• Flat6Labs and Tamwilcom launched a startup accelerator in Morocco to support innovation in FinTech, AI, and AgriTech through funding and mentorship programs.

• NEOM Investment Fund invested in Liberation Labs to support Saudi food security and position the Kingdom as a leader in precision-fermentation biomanufacturing.

🚀 Startup of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Sadq

Sadq, a Riyadh-based startup founded in 2022 by Abdullah Al-Lahou and Salem Al-Badawi, specializes in digital signature and workflow authentication solutions. The company raised $1.46 million in a Pre-Series A round led by X by Unifonic, with additional strategic investors, to scale its platform, enhance security, and support digital transformation in Saudi Arabia. This investment follows Sadq's acquisition of a Digital Trust Services license in 2023, enabling it to play a significant role in the Kingdom’s shift towards paperless workflows under Vision 2030.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

Global Ventures

Global Ventures, a Dubai-based VC firm founded in 2018 by Noor Sweid and Basil Moftah, focuses on early- to growth-stage tech companies across emerging markets, especially in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. The firm has exited Egypt’s fintech fund Nclude—which it co-launched in 2022 with backing from Banque Misr and support from the Central Bank of Egypt—as UK-based DPI takes over management and launches DPI Venture Capital to invest in early-stage tech startups across Africa.

🤑 Opportunity Radar

Call for Applications: The UNICEF Venture Fund

Apply to the UNICEF Venture Fund by May 8th, 2025, for a chance to receive up to $100K in equity-free funding. This opportunity is open to early-stage, for-profit startups developing Open Source frontier tech solutions—like AI, data science, or blockchain—that improve the lives of children. Companies must be registered in a UNICEF programme country and have a working prototype. Women-led, women-founded, and youth-led startups are especially encouraged to apply. Submit your application in English and help drive innovation for the health and well-being of girls and women worldwide.