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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

• Microsoft and du have signed a $544 million deal to build a hyperscale data centre in Dubai to support AI and cloud services.

• Saudi Arabia launched its first Fintech Accelerator via ANB and Plug and Play to boost financial innovation.

• Tarjama’s Arabic.AI launched MENA’s first Arabic agentic AI platform with the enterprise-ready Pronoia engine.

• Uniqus Consultech is expanding to the Middle East after raising $20 million to scale tech-enabled consulting and boost AI-driven solutions.

• Jaree Platform launched in Saudi Arabia to connect startups with accredited investors, offering curated venture capital opportunities and support.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Hushday, a UAE-based exclusive sales platform, raised $550,000 in pre-seed funding to offer luxury brands a secure channel for growth in the Middle East, launching in May.

💰️ Notable Exits

• ALAREEB Holding acquired 80% of Two Sides Productions to boost Saudi media content production and support Vision 2030 through creative sector expansion.

🏦 About Investors

• Jordan's ISSF invested $3 million in Antler MENAP to support local founders with capital, mentorship, and global networks.

• Derayah Financial has invested in US-based Alpaca as part of its $52 million Series-C round to fuel global expansion across the U.S., MENA, and Asia with its brokerage infrastructure.

🚀 Startup of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Hushday

Hushday, a Dubai-based, invitation-only flash sales platform founded in 2024 by Jennifer Cohen Solal, Jean Thillaye du Boullay, and Riad Djabri, focuses on luxury and premium brands. With $550,000 in pre-seed funding, the platform offers exclusive, limited-time sales to its members, giving brands full control over pricing, visibility, and inventory. Hushday combines a mobile-first experience with AI-powered personalization and a robotized logistics system, aiming for rapid expansion across the GCC to meet the region's growing demand for high-quality off-price retail.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

ISSF

The Innovative Startups and SMEs Fund, Jordan’s largest investment fund established in 2017 through a partnership between the Central Bank of Jordan and the Government of Jordan with World Bank backing, invested $3 million in the $60 million Antler MENAP Fund to boost early-stage startups from pre-seed to Series A across MENA. The deal includes a dedicated program for Jordanian founders, offering capital, structure, and global networks to scale high-potential ventures. With Antler’s global reach and Day Zero approach, the partnership reinforces ISSF’s mission to position Jordan as a leading innovation and entrepreneurship hub in the region.

🤑 Opportunity Radar

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