Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Oman’s MB Group is investing in a dedicated communications satellite with Astranis, marking a strategic shift from oil and gas into space infrastructure. With over $100 million committed and total space investments expected to exceed $200 million, the group aims to build regional connectivity, full digital sovereignty, and a scalable satellite platform for Oman and nearby markets.
Morocco-based Enakl raised $2.3 million in Seed funding to expand its intelligent shared mobility platform. Backed by local and international investors, the startup will scale commercially, launch a SaaS product for operators, and test new ridepooling models, building on public-sector pilots and growing demand for sustainable urban transport.
Moroccan proptech Yakeey has raised a record $15 million Series A round, with Beltone Venture Capital joining IFC, Enza Capital, and 212 Founders. The funding will help Yakeey scale its end-to-end digital real estate platform, modernise property transactions in Morocco, and expand regionally across North Africa.
Gobi Partners has made its first Bangladesh investment by backing Dhaka-based travel commerce platform Jatri. The company plans to scale product innovation and deepen its MENA expansion through Saafir, building global travel infrastructure that unifies inventory, distribution, and finance for enterprise buyers.
KAUST spinouts have raised over $1bn, marking Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a serious deep-tech hub. The university is now courting global VCs, corporates, and accelerators to expand its funding base, accelerate clean-tech and critical-minerals innovation, and de-risk early-stage research under Vision 2030’s diversification drive.
NowPay has raised $20 million to launch operations in Saudi Arabia through a new joint venture, NowAccess, with Tas’heel. The partnership brings payroll, earned wage access, and financial wellness solutions to the Kingdom, aligning with Vision 2030 and positioning NowPay at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s HR and fintech transformation.
Mal has raised $230 million led by BlueFive Capital to build an AI-native Islamic digital bank targeting underbanked communities. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the mobile-first platform will launch in 2026, starting in the UAE before expanding across the Middle East and Asia, combining ethical finance with intelligent digital infrastructure.
Jatri has secured a strategic investment from Gobi Partners, marking the VC firm’s first entry into Bangladesh. The deal will fuel product innovation and MENA expansion through Saafir, as the Dhaka-based platform scales its unified model for global travel inventory, distribution, and embedded trade finance across enterprise markets.
Woliz has raised $2.2 million to digitise neighbourhood retail in Morocco using AI and embedded finance. Backed by Sanlam Maroc, the startup is empowering small merchants with tools for inventory, sales tracking, and credit access, laying the groundwork to scale its model across Africa.
UAE-based fintech Mal has raised $230 million to build a mobile-first, AI-native Islamic digital bank. Founded in 2025, the Abu Dhabi-based platform targets underbanked communities and plans a 2026 launch, starting in the UAE before expanding across the Middle East and Asia.