Zest Wire | 21-October-2025

This week’s agenda

✍️ Our latest resource

💰 Who’s raising?

💼 M&A activity

📈 Chart of the week

📖 What we’re reading

💡 What’s new on social?

Let’s dive in!

Our latest resource

Exit opportunities for private companies: what entrepreneurs need to know

While you might imagine cashing a check and walking off into the sunset, an exit is really just a transfer of ownership (full or partial) in exchange for cash, stock, or some other value.

Every exit comes down to three trade-offs:

• Liquidity: How much value you’re taking off the table.

• Control: Who gets to steer the company going forward.

• Value and timing: The market value of your business at any given point.

In our latest blog article, we break down each common exit pathway and what you need to know about each.

 Who’s raising?

🇪🇬 Egypt-based cleantech Tagaddod has raised $26.3 million in a Series A round led by The Arab Energy Fund (TAEF) to scale its regional expansion, boost its technology stack, and grow operational capacity. 

🇲🇦 Morocco-based fintech Chari has raised $12 million in a Series A round led by SPE Capital and Orange Ventures to develop its super-app for merchants, digitise informal retail and expand its embedded fintech services.

🇦🇪 UAE-based fintech UPFRONT has raised $10 million in a Pre-Seed (equity + debt) round led by Palm Ventures and SABAH.fund to develop its platform, hire talent, and scale into new markets. 

🇦🇪 UAE-based deeptech 1001 AI has raised $9 million in a Seed round led by CIV, General Catalyst & Lux Capital to build an AI-native operating system for industrial sectors such as aviation, logistics and oil & gas.

🇹🇷 Turkish-based fashion platform Touché Privé has raised $5 million in a growth (Sharia-compliant) round led by Amplify Growth Partnership to expand into the GCC, open flagship stores, and deepen its omnichannel presence. 

🇦🇪 UAE-founded platform CADO has raised $4.5 million in a Pre-Seed round led by Sanabil 500 to scale its premium gifting platform into Saudi Arabia, build a creative ecosystem and launch internationally.

🇸🇦 Saudi-based AI startup Engagesoft has raised $3.5 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Silicon Badia to accelerate its AI product roadmap and expand across the Middle East. 

🇸🇦 Saudi-based healthtech Nuxera AI has raised $2.5 million in a Pre-Seed round led by Sanabil Venture Studio by Redesign Health to grow its engineering and commercial teams, deploy in Saudi hospitals, and enhance its AI models. 

🇪🇬 Egypt-based insurtech SehaTech has raised $1.1 million in a Seed round led by Ingressive Capital to expand its AI-driven health-insurance automation platform across Egypt and neighbouring markets.

🇦🇪 UAE-based legaltech Oqood has raised $1 million in a Seed round from a group of angel investors to expand across the GCC and further develop its AI-driven legal solutions. 

M&A activity

Abu Dhabi’s sovereign-backed MGX participates in OpenAI secondary sale, valuing the US company at $500B. Source.

Tadawul-listed Sustainable Infrastructure Holding Company (Sisco Holding) inked a sale and purchase agreement to acquire a 51% equity stake in Port Services and Storage Company (PSS). Source.

UAE-based fintech Qashio has acquired Saudi Arabia–based spend management platform Sanad Cash for an undisclosed amount to accelerate its expansion across the Kingdom and strengthen its presence in the GCC corporate payments market. Source.

Chart of the week

In Preqin’s most recent private markets survey, they asked GPs, “'If you switched fund administrators in the past two years, why?”

The top reason GPs are switching fund admin providers is due to inaccuracies. The second? Cost.

We don’t think GPs should have to work with service providers that they’re not confident in, or ones that are out of budget.

That’s where Zest comes in. If you’re a GP in search of a better fund admin platform, reach out to us.

What’s new on social?

How do MENA investment firms really add value to their portfolio companies? In Jada’s newest report, Claudia Zeisberger, David G Munro, and their contributors argue value-add comes down to eight core factors.

Read on to learn more from their research.