Zest Your Equity | 20-Dec-2023

Zest is digitizing private market transactions, building tools to streamline how entrepreneurs, funds and investors transact. Our platform is designed to save you time and reduce administrative costs, simplifying the end-to-end investment process.

Our Blog 💬

With all of the recent activity in private markets that we’ve been hearing about, we thought it’d be helpful to cover some of the most common questions we come across when investors or founders are setting up SPVs.

For starters, what is an SPV?

In our most recent blog post, we uncover what an SPV is, the legal structures of this unique vehicle, the difference between an SPV and a fund, and more.

Check out our blog and let us know what you found most helpful about it!

Who’s Raising? 💰

• Saudi Arabia-based buy now pay later (BNPL) startup, Tamara, has raised a $340 million Series C round at a valuation of over $1 billion.

• Abu Dhabi’s $280 billion global sovereign fund, Mubadala Capital, has participated in the $48 million Series A funding round raised by the US-based blockchain startup Andalusia Labs, along with other VCs including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Pantera Capital, Framework Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Digital Currency Group. Other existing investors include industry giant Coinbase, Proof Group, Nima Capital, Naval Ravikant, and others.

• Lendo, a Saudi Arabia-based shariah-compliant debt crowdfunding marketplace, has raised SAR 105 million ($28 million) in Series B funding led by Sanabil Investments, a wholly-owned company by the Public Investment Fund (“PIF”). The round saw participation from Shorooq Partners, AB Ventures, and other investors.

• Saudi Arabia-based Nearpay raises $14 million to simplify touchless payments across devices.

• Saudi Arabia-based SaaS startup Blink has closed a $2.1 million Seed funding round with participation from 500 Global and Global Founders Capital, alongside existing investors including Orbit Startup/SOSV. 

• UAE-based electric mobility company Terra, has raised a $2 million Seed round from a group of angel investors.

• UAE-based fintech Fundbot, has raised a $1.5 million Seed round led by Hambro Perks Oryx Fund, with further support from Aditum Investment Management Limited, Flat6Labs, Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), and PlusVC. 

• UAE-based climate tech, Midori Network has secured $200,000 in a pre-Seed funding from Kirill Veselov, an angel investor and former investment director of venture capital firm Mint Capital.

M&A Activity 💼

• US-based talent and workforce management enterprise has acquired The Talent Enterprise (TTE), a psychometric and talent assessment technology company based in the UAE. Source.

• UAE-based legaltech Clara has acquired BOTH Corporate Services Limited (BCS), aprovider of corporate services in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). Source.

• EasyLease, a mobility solutions provider and a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company, has acquired a 60 per cent stake in Fully Charged, a UAE-based company specilaising in electric vehicle (EV) charging technology. Source.

What We’re Reading 📖

Zest In The News 🗞

In the domain of venture and angel investing, the author, Tariq Rezaei, shares insights into common pitfalls. The author stresses the need for diversification, whereby platforms such as Zest Equity can be leveraged to help achieve this.

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