VC React Podcast - MENA:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
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Available on:
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Guests:
1. Louiza Chitour, Co-Founder @ 10FT Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/venturestudioventurecapitalwellnesslongevityhealthtechgccmena/
- Company Website: https://10ft.ventures/
2. Tala Al Jabri, Founder & Managing Partner @ Wyld VC
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talaa/
- Company Website: https://www.wyldvc.com/
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#siliconvalley # mena #startups #vc #lp #tech #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #accelerator #saas #data #software #deeptech #ai #fintech #edtech #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi #impact #sanfrancisco #sanjose #boston #seattle #austin #nyc #riyadh #dubai #amman #cairo #qatar
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Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by hundreds of companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- We unpack noon’s $500M raise as it eyes an IPO. With a total of 3.2B dollars in funding, is this even a startup anymore, or a sovereign-backed platform built at scale from day one?
- Then, we zoom into Algeria, where VOLZ just closed a record local-currency Series A, at which a Gov fund exits. We ask if this is too early of an exit for a gov fund, and ask about what that really says about startup readiness across Africa versus the GCC.
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast - Silicon Valley:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on Silicon Valley startups, funds, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
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Available on:
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Guest:
1. Arjun Arora, Managing Partner at Format One.
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjundevarora/
- Company Website: https://www.formatone.io/
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#siliconvalley # mena #startups #vc #lp #tech #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #accelerator #saas #data #software #deeptech #ai #fintech #edtech #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi #impact #sanfrancisco #sanjose #boston #seattle #austin #nyc #riyadh #dubai #amman #cairo #qatar
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
An investor in Firefly Aerospace, OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity, Replit, Circle, Uniswap, Notion, and many many more join us today! With him we will discuss: Mega funds, fragile consumer AI, and the future of money:
- We break down Lightspeed’s record $9B AI raise, Is capital concentrating around the same winners again?
- We debate why most consumer AI startups still can’t stick. Is a pivot to enterprise what will make them the real revenues?
- And finally, we zoom out: from traditional banks to neobanks to stablecoin-native banks and capital markets now. With Circle’s new Arc blockchain, are we watching the next financial infrastructure shift unfold in real time?
VC React Podcast - MENA:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guests:
1. Beau Seil, Managing Director of Atta, former VC, and one of the few couples in venture, his wife is Sonia Weymuller of VentureSouq.
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beauseil/
- Company Website:
2. Timur Daudpota, Founding Partner at 2080 Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timurdaudpota/
- Company Website: https://www.2080.ventures/
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#siliconvalley # mena #startups #vc #lp #tech #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #accelerator #saas #data #software #deeptech #ai #fintech #edtech #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi #impact #sanfrancisco #sanjose #boston #seattle #austin #nyc #riyadh #dubai #amman #cairo #qatar
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Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by hundreds of companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- Qatar jumps into the sovereign AI race with Qai, joining G42 in Abu Dhabi and HUMAIN in Riyadh. Are we actually building a regional AI super-cluster here—or just three neighbouring countries spending billions to rebuild the same stack three times under different flags?
- UAE startup Reno wants to own home renovation end-to-end: design, contractors, project management and ‘Renovate Now, Pay Later’ financing. Is this the future—one startup controls an entire vertical with software, marketplace and credit—or is doing everything in one stack just adds complexity and risk too early?
- Saudi cyber startup COGNNA raises a $9.2M Series A to build an AI-led, ‘agentic SOC’ that promises deployment in under 30 minutes. Can Saudi really build cyber products that compete globally, or will companies like COGNNA mostly win by being the local, compliant, on-the-ground vendor?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast - Silicon Valley:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on Silicon Valley startups, funds, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
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Available on:
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Guests:
1. Brian Belley, from KingsCrowd Capital
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianbelley/
- Company Website: https://kingscrowd.com/
2. Jenny Barba, Co-Founder & Managing Partner @ Features Capital
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennybarba/
- Company Website: https://featuresvc.co/
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#siliconvalley # mena #startups #vc #lp #tech #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #accelerator #saas #data #software #deeptech #ai #fintech #edtech #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi #impact #sanfrancisco #sanjose #boston #seattle #austin #nyc #riyadh #dubai #amman #cairo #qatar
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- Paramount has gone full hostile with an all-cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, trying to blow up Netflix’s agreed deal. “Is this just old-school media consolidation, or a panic move in an AI era where if you don’t control the biggest IP libraries, AI-generated content ends up owning the audience instead of you?
- Kalshi just doubled its valuation in less than two months, and raised $1B at an $11B valuation as regulated prediction markets go fully mainstream. Does this feel like a new core asset class being born, or just a fancy, regulated gambling with great PR?
- SpaceX: an $800B secondary sale, talk of a $1.5 trillion IPO, and employees lining up to sell $2B worth of shares! Is this the rational pricing of the most important company of our time, or exactly how bubbles look on the way up?
VC React Podcast - MENA:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guests:
1. Basil Moftah, Managing Partner @ Key Capital
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/basilmoftah/
- Company Website: https://www.key.capital/
2. Nada Shaheen, Managing Director @ GB Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadashahen/
- Company Website: https://gb-corporation.com/
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#siliconvalley # mena #startups #vc #lp #tech #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #accelerator #saas #data #software #deeptech #ai #fintech #edtech #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi #impact #sanfrancisco #sanjose #boston #seattle #austin #nyc #riyadh #dubai #amman #cairo #qatar
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by hundreds of companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- First up: Goldman Sachs, Charles Schwab, and Morgan Stanley are on a private-markets shopping spree, buying Industry Ventures, Forge Global, and EquityZen to own the pipes for late-stage venture and secondaries. Are we watching the true mainstreaming of secondaries and pre-IPO access?
- Next, Dubizzle has pulled its planned IPO in the UAE, adding to a growing list of Gulf tech listings that never happened, or traded badly once they did. Is this just a timing blip, or a clear signal that we’re not ready for Tech IPOs yet? Should founders and investors look more seriously at secondaries and private liquidity instead of IPOs now?
- Then we’ve got an Egypt-to-global deeptech story: GlobalFoundries snapping up Cairo-based InfiniLink just months after its $10 million seed round.
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast - Silicon Valley:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on Silicon Valley startups, funds, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guests:
1. Joe Alalou, General Partner @ Daring Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephalalou/
- Company Website: https://hello.daringventures.vc/
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#siliconvalley # mena #startups #vc #lp #tech #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #accelerator #saas #data #software #deeptech #ai #fintech #edtech #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi #impact #sanfrancisco #sanjose #boston #seattle #austin #nyc #riyadh #dubai #amman #cairo #qatar
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- First up: OpenAI is taking a stake in Thrive Holdings — a services rollup already backed by one of OpenAI’s biggest investors, and built directly on top of OpenAI’s models. Are we watching brilliant ecosystem design that turbocharges enterprise AI… or a circular deal-making loop, that locks everyone else out of the club?
- Next, the U.S. government is writing a $150 million check into xLight, a lithography startup trying to become a homegrown alternative to ASML. Is this smart industrial strategy or is America trying to run a playbook it can’t stick with long enough to win?
- And finally, Apple has hired a senior AI leader from both Google and Microsoft to replace its retiring head of AI. Is this a true reset that puts Apple back in the AI game, or is it too late for founders to treat Apple as anything more than a nice secondary channel behind OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.
VC React Podcast - Silicon Valley:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on Silicon Valley startups, funds, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guests:
1. Ali Almajthoob, Partner at Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP)
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alialmajthoob/
- Company Website: https://www.mevp.com/
2. Hala Zahran, Head of AB Xelerate (ABX)
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halazahran/
- Company Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ab-xelerate/
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#siliconvalley # mena #startups #vc #lp #tech #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #accelerator #saas #data #software #deeptech #ai #fintech #edtech #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi #impact #sanfrancisco #sanjose #boston #seattle #austin #nyc #riyadh #dubai #amman #cairo #qatar
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Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by hundreds of companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- xAI and HUMAIN team up on a 500MW data centre in Saudi. Is this the start of an AI corridor with Silicon Valley—or just giga-scale marketing with insane power numbers?
- Founders Fund makes its first lead bet in Saudi with Mnzil. Is this a one-off “tourist” deal, or the beginning of a long-term GCC thesis from top US funds?
- Climatetech finally feels real: Strataphy is using geothermal cooling to cut data centre energy bills in half. Is this just climatetech—or the hidden AI infrastructure that will power the region’s superclusters?
- And Finally, Robots hit the construction site. Buildroid AI is rolling out block-laying robots in the UAE. In markets built on cheap labour, will construction robotics actually make economic sense?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast - Silicon Valley:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on Silicon Valley startups, funds, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guests:
1. Charles Beyrouthy, Managing Partner at Forma Prime | A Semiconductor and Quantum Early-Stage VC Firm
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbeyrouthy/
- Company Website: https://www.formaprime.vc/
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#siliconvalley # mena #startups #vc #lp #tech #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #accelerator #saas #data #software #deeptech #ai #fintech #edtech #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi #impact #sanfrancisco #sanjose #boston #seattle #austin #nyc #riyadh #dubai #amman #cairo #qatar
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- Founders Fund makes its first lead bet in Saudi with Mnzil — a workforce housing startup! Is this a one-off “tourist” deal, or the beginning of a long-term GCC thesis from top US funds?
- Then we move to the model wars: The narrative in the Valley has flipped: everyone’s saying Google is now ahead, founders are suddenly rethinking their stack to move from OpenAI to Gemini. How much should founders actually care who’s ‘ahead’ right now, versus who’ll be stable and affordable over the next decade?
- And finally, in hardware: Sam Altman and Jony Ive say they finally have an AI device prototype. Is this actually the next computing platform… or just another gorgeous gadget looking for a use case?
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guests:
1. Abe Seksek, Partner @ Security Ventures and host of the ABZ show
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abeseksek/
- Company Website: https://www.sekuity.com/
2. Arnav Danthi, Principal @ Nuwa Capital
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnavdanthi/
- Company Website: https://www.nuwacapital.io/
3. Dina el-Shenoufy, Co-Founder and General Partner @ F6 Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinaelshenoufy/
- Company Website: https://f6.vc/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by hundreds of companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- MAGNiTT’s latest report: Series A valuations in the UAE and Saudi are back to 2021 highs, while other emerging markets are still playing catch-up—and international VCs now, make up more than half the investors in these rounds. Are we finally getting the recognition we deserve as a hot emerging market, or are we quietly importing a late-stage bubble?
Link to the report: https://magnitt.com/research/2021-to-H1-2025-Series-A-Valuations-in-Emerging-Markets-51014
- Nabta raises $2M pre-Series A to scale an AI-powered women’s health platform across MENA and Africa. When every startup says “AI” how do you separate ‘AI as a buzzword’ from ‘AI as a true clinical and operational edge’—especially in something as sensitive as HealthTech? And as a founder how to talk about the true value-add of AI at your startup.
- Ghanem’s $7.1M round in fractional real estate. Is fractional ownership genuinely democratizing access to real estate, or just pulling retail money into an illiquid, hard-to-price asset class? And what’s up with sandboxes everywhere—are they really adding value and trust, or slowing down startups?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guests:
1. Amjad Ahmad, Managing Partner & Emerging Markets Advisor @ 500 Global
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjadahmadvc/
- Company Website: https://500.co/
2. Hasan Haider, Founder and Managing Partner @ Plus VC
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasanhaider/
- Company Website: https://plus.vc/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by hundreds of companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- Jahez x noon team up after years as rivals – smart defensive play or last stand against a deep-pocketed new entrant flooding the region with subsidies?
- Why food delivery unit economics in places like Kuwait & Bahrain are so attractive that global players had to show up
- How founders of listed tech companies should think about stock price, storytelling, and life “in the glass house” post-IPO
- First casualty? Shgardi, a Saudi delivery player, shuts down. Is this just bad luck, or the start of a real shakeout in food delivery & fintech across MENA?
- Protectionism vs. smart government support: should sovereign wealth funds back local champions directly or focus on building a real LP & growth-capital ecosystem?
- What “local startup” even means in a global-by-default world (is it nationality, HQ, employees, or real commitment to the region?)
- Why many seed/Series A fintech players may not survive the next few years – and when an early M&A exit is actually the rational choice
- DataCamp acquires UAE’s Optima for $15M, turning founder Yousef into Global Chief AI Officer. Healthy early win for the ecosystem – or another “sold too early” AI/edtech moment?
Here is the DataCamp Podcast we referred to in the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNTKLbMwi8M
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guest:
1. Salma Al-Zu'bi, Investment Principal @ Hikma Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salmazubi/
- Company Website: https://www.hikma.com/
2. Tamer Alsalah, Managing Director @ Endeavor Jordan
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamer-al-salah-20a60616/
- Company Website: https://jordan.endeavor.org/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- Saudi’s HUMAIN just launched its own AI operating system! — no icons, no apps, just voice and text. Aramco and Qualcomm are in! Is this too ambitious too soon? Is it a PR stunt? or exactly the kind of aggressive moonshot the region needs to lead in AI?
- BRKZ raises $30 million in growth debt from Stride Ventures — yet another debt deal in Saudi. No equity, no hype — just solid, scalable capital for a real economy sector: construction. And what did they feed them in Careem to make such an active and successful Careem mafia?
- Tabby hits a $4.5 billion valuation in a secondary sale. Is this just investor FOMO driving up paper valuations? or global investors finally deploying capital into the region, not just raising from here, by starting with debt, now secondaries, and then growth & early VC? And when is it acceptable to do secondaries as an early stage startup?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guest:
1. Mustafa Nabelsi, General Partner @ 2Pi Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mustafanabelsi/
- Company Website: https://2pi.vc/
2. Xavier Kris, CEO of IMX Funds
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xavkris/
- Company Website: https://www.imxfunds.com/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- It’s GITEX week — everyone’s in Dubai, and every booth says AI. We react to Gitex and Expand Northstar.
- But there’s even bigger news from Dubai — a second tech IPO! Dubizzle is going public at a $2 billion valuation. It’s not AI, it’s not fintech — it’s classifieds… and it’s profitable. Can profitability still excite investors when the sector is not trendy? And is this really a a win for the region, or a liquidity event for Prosus?
- Over in Bahrain and Riyadh — Investcorp just closed a $750 million fund to back growth-stage tech across the GCC and China. Why China, why now — and which industries will this fund really focus on?
- And finally, from the streets of Casablanca — Chari raises $12 million to turn corner shops into fintech hubs and launch a Banking-as-a-Service platform. But can one startup really handle logistics, payments, lending, and infrastructure? And when every B2B startup ends up with embedded finance, what happens to Fintech startups?!
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guest:
1. Atheer AlKhalifa, Opportunity Committee Member @ OQAL Angel Investors Network
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atheerak/
- Company Website: https://oqal.org/
2. Hasan Haider, Founder and Managing Partner @ Plus VC
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasanhaider/
- Company Website: https://plus.vc/
3. Nada Shaheen, Managing Director @ GB Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadashahen/
- Company Website: https://gb-corporation.com/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- BECO Capital just closed $370 million across two new funds — from pre-seed all the way to IPO. Can one VC really outperform across the entire capital stack… Is MENA finally getting into the full-stack venture platform play?
- A green shoot in agritech. Egypt’s Aydi raises $7.5 million to launch its AI-powered agronomy assistant “Orth.” Is this the moment where agritech becomes truly investable, because of AI?!
- Meanwhile, the PIF is buying EA — yes, that EA! FIFA EA— for $55 billion. The U.S. forced TikTok to sell to an American buyer — and now it’s brokering a deal for a major American gaming company to be sold to a foreign one? Why?
- And finally, Revolut’s CEO just moved from London to Dubai. The global fintech migration continues — is this about growth, or just taxes?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guest:
1. Akmal El Hak, Angel Investor, and CFO of Pearl Semiconductor
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akmal-el-hak-8bb2211/
- Company Website: https://www.pearlsemi.com/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
📊 Saudi is about to lift the cap on foreign ownership of public companies — does this invite long-term institutions, or fast-moving hedge funds?
🔄 In private markets — Tadawul and STV are teaming up to launch a private trading platform for startup shares. But can a true private stock exchange actually work… when most attempts globally have failed?
🤖 Over in Abu Dhabi, Presight and Shorooq just launched a $100M AI Global fund. Local capital is now going global — chasing innovation anywhere, not just locally. Is that smart, or risky?
💳 Debt is having a moment — Erad gets a $33M debt facility from Stride Ventures. Why is MENA suddenly becoming the hottest place for private debt?
🟦 And finally — open banking hype turns into reality. Saudi fintech Spare just raised $5M, powering players like Tap, Tamara, and Zid. Is this the Stripe of open banking… or a utility company everyone will have to plug into?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
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Available on:
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Guests:
1. Armineh Baghoomian, Managing Director, Head of EMEA, Co-Head of Global ABF/Fintech @ Partners for Growth
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armineh-baghoomian-045262/
- VC Firm Website: https://www.pfgrowth.com/
2. C. Nichole (Grice) Rush, Managing Director @ First Rate Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholerush/
- VC Firm Website: https://firstrate.com/ventures/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
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Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- Live from Money 20/20 Middle East in Riyadh. We’ll break down the vibe in here: what feels real, what’s just noise, and what trends are actually shaping the future of Fintech in MENA
💰 Tamara just locked in $1.4 billion in debt — yes, with a B — from Goldman, Citi, and Apollo. Is BNPL finally proving it can scale sustainably… or is it just a high-stakes leverage play?
📦 HALA raised a $157M Series B to scale its SME payment, banking, and finance services here is Saudi. Is this the Square of MENA? Or is the fintech bundle getting too heavy to carry?
📈 And finally — Robinhood wants to open startup investing to everyone. A public fund for early-stage startups? Great idea… or a recipe for a bubble!?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guests:
1. Aboudi Al-Qattan, Principal @ Dash Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aboudi-al-qattan-8658abb3/
- VC Firm Website: https://www.dashventures.com/
2. Tambi Jalouqa, Founder & General Partner @ Maza Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tambijalouqa/
- VC Firm Website: https://maza.vc/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
Events:
The place to meet other technology builders in the Middle East. 2500+ builders coming together to talk about software & product on Oct 4-5, 2025.
#XpandConference #Xpand
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- With huge valuations, how do we price AI companies? Is this driven by actual performance, revenues, distribution, compute power — or just pure narrative and access?
- Property Finder hits $2B valuation after 13 years — but why do older startups grow slower, while newer ones scale faster than ever?
- Noon is racing toward a $10B IPO… but still not profitable. Bold move or pressure to exit soon?
- Orbii raised a $3.6M seed round to build the credit rails for SME lending in MENA by providing banks with the new tech they lack — Would this challenge the existing SME lending startups?
- And finally, a fresh $200M growth and pre-IPO fund just launched — but is there really enough growth-stage pipeline in MENA to absorb all this capital?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
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Guests:
1. Dina El-Shenoufy, Co-Founder and General Partner @ F6 Ventures, and a new Kauffman Fellow.
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinaelshenoufy/
- VC Firm Website: https://f6.vc/
2. Husameddin AlMadani, General Partner @ the newly launched 2Pi Ventures, after a decade of angel investing.
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/husameedinalmadani/
- VC Firm Website: https://2pi.vc/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
Events:
Come watch the magic happens!! Jamie Lane and Ahmad Takatkah will be RECORDING LIVE ON-STAGE at Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh - September 15–17, 2025.
👉 Want a 25% discount? Register here and get it now:https://register.visitcloud.com/survey/1d9x7zrqbcfpk?actioncode=MSPK2216
#Money2020MiddleEast
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- Qatar joined Anthropic’s $13B dollar round — yes!! $13B — at a hundred and eighty three billion dollar valuation. Is Qatar investing for returns? influence? or maybe for future partnerships in their local ecosystem?
- With huge valuations, how do we price AI companies? Is this driven by actual performance, revenues, distribution, compute power — or just pure narrative and access?
- Meanwhile — there are over 10 million Egyptians living abroad — and remittances to Egypt topped $30 billion dollars last year.
- With a $3M dollar seed round, and backed by YC, Munify is building a neobank for Egyptians abroad. Can they win before Wise, or even Revolut decide to care? And what’s their B2B angle?
- And finally, have you seen Ziila?! Intella dropped a full Arabic digital human — not just voice, but video, face, dialect — the whole thing.
- Also, what happened to Siri and Alexa? And why didn't OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google Gemini give us a face with a name?!
- While everyone’s chasing LLMs, Intella is quietly building speech infrastructure — tailored specifically for Arabic dialects. How are they pulling this off… and why are so many others still trying, but no one won that race yet?!
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
---
Guests:
1. Ahmed AlThukair, An Active Angel Investor, with more than 30 investments and 5 exits.- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmed-al-thukair-b759b599/
2. Samer Shaaban, Opportunity Committee Member at OQAL Angel Network- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samer-shaaban-cfa-caia-ab40ab4/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
Events:Come watch the magic happens!! Jamie Lane and Ahmad Takatkah will be RECORDING LIVE ON-STAGE at Money20/20 Middle East in Riyadh - September 15–17, 2025.
👉 Want a 25% discount? Register here and get it now:https://register.visitcloud.com/survey/1d9x7zrqbcfpk?actioncode=MSPK2216#Money2020MiddleEast
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
🎮 $53 million dollars into a Baloot game?! Kammelna Got acquired by Impact46 — is this the beginning of Marvel-style IP coming out of the region? (when we first got the news we thought it was an investment) Is Impact46 sending a bold message to global investors: we’re building the champions before you show up.
🏡 Although Airbnb, Booking, and Expedia are already here, Gathern which is a female led startup in Saudi, raises a $72M series B — … how are they still winning? And is Saudi Arabia’s domestic tourism market finally big enough to carry a regional startup all the way to IPO? Also, why don’t we see more female-led startups in MENA?
🏦 Holo is digitizing the entire mortgage experience — but at the end of the day, it’s still an aggregator. In 2025, is aggregation still a good business model? Or is it just a hook and the real value is in owning the full financial stack in proptech?
🤖 And finally — Saudi enters the foundation model race. With the launch of Allam and Humain Chat, what’s the actual edge against OpenAI?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
---
Guests:
1. Fahad Alfaez, Investment Manager @ Jahez
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fahad-alfaez-830281166/
- VC Firm Website: https://jahezgroup.com/
2. Hussein Attar, CEO @ Tech Invest Com
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/husseinattar/
- VC Firm Website: https://techinvestcom.com/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
🔁 Robinhood is expanding to Dubai. Big U.S. and European unicorns like Binance, Shopify, Stripe, Revolut, and now Robinhood are entering the GCC directly. Is this a sign that MENA is seen as an attractive emerging market? And does this mean local startups are forced to compete on a global level now?
🧠 If the old MENA-VC playbook was: copy and hope to get acquired… what happens when the copied ones just … walk into your market? What does that mean for the local copies? How are founders and investors reacting to this?
🎮 While the world is chasing AI, MENA is doubling down on gaming — with funding rounds coming in bulk: 17 game studios from Merak’s accelerator, and 5 more from Impact46 — what’s really happening here?
💸 Can just one or two funds create a whole industry? Is Merak’s full-stack capital model … the future of building regional categories from scratch?
📚 With all this funding, should local game developers lead with local stories and globalize later, or go global-first and localize later?
💬 Finally, how can VC firms better communicate their brand and investment thesis to attract founders and LPs.
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, VCs, and investment rounds.
---
Hosts:
---
Available on:
---
Guests:
1. Ali Almajthoob, Partner @ MEVP
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alialmajthoob/
- VC Firm Website: https://www.mevp.com/
2. Aly El Shalakany, Venture Partner @ A-typical Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aly-el-shalakany-a6aa0b31/
- VC Firm Website: https://a-typicalventures.com/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
---
Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
---
News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
In Today's Episode:
- A $48M Series A for Alaan الآن?! Corporate expense management has officially become a red ocean in MENA, with Alaan, Qashio, Pluto, Nqoodlet, and others. Is this going to be a winner-takes-all game, or will there be vertical domination? And can those companies be challenged by Neo corporate banks with similar services like Brex, Mercury and Revolut Business? or will they evolve into banks themselves?
- Salasa | سلاسة wants to be the AI-powered logistics backbone of e-commerce in MENA. But is AI really a game-changer in e-commerce fulfillment? How is AI helping here? And How is Salasa eating Aramex’s lunch?
- Wuilt ditched the ARR model, went fully free in Egypt, and onboarded 20,000 merchants. Is this genius or desperate? Would this challenge Salla E-Commerce Platform and Zid | زد? Also are we entering a new era where the product is free again with no subscriptions but monetized through fintech instead of advertising?
- And finally — آفاق المالية | Afaq Capital just bought an entire VC portfolio, in a landmark secondaries deal. Is this the beginning of a real liquidity market in MENA? Will secondaries outperform primaries? And where are the secondaries dedicated funds in MENA?
---(أحمد طقاطقه)---