Zest Wire | 26-November-2025

This week’s agenda

💰 Who’s raising?

💼 M&A activity

📈 Chart of the week

📖 What we’re reading

💡 From the feed

Let’s dive in!

Who’s raising?

• 🇸🇦 Saudi-based fractional real estate platform Ghanem has raised $7.1 million from Al-Romaih Group to drive new product development, accelerate market expansion, and broaden investment opportunities in Saudi real estate.

• 🇦🇪 UAE-based cybersecurity company Secure.com has raised $4.5 million led by Disrupt.com to grow its AI-powered security automation platform and support the launch of its new Digital Security Fellow programme.

• 🇦🇪 UAE-based AI-native SaaS platform Kingpin has raised $3.5 million in a seed round led by Infinity Ventures, with participation from Red Swan Ventures, Mu Ventures, COTU, Outliers, and Hub71, to expand its engineering and product teams, strengthen AI capabilities, and scale into Europe and North America.

• 🇸🇦 Saudi-based regtech company STAMP has raised $2 million in a pre-seed round to advance its AI capabilities and build a unified regulatory infrastructure.

• 🇦🇪 UAE-based AI robotics startup Buildroid AI has raised $2 million in a pre-seed round led by Tim Draper to expand pilot programmes, refine simulation and autonomous capabilities, and accelerate commercial deployments.

• 🇦🇪 UAE-based women’s health startup Nabta Health has closed a $2 million Pre-Series A round to expand across MEA, build new diagnostic and at-home testing pathways, and strengthen its clinical infrastructure.

• 🇸🇦 Saudi-based fintech Takadao has raised $1.5 million in a seed round led by Hasan VC, Syla Invest, Wahed Ventures, Ice Blue Fund, Istari Ventures, Adverse, and Draper Associates to support global expansion across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the US.

• 🇪🇬 Egypt-based HRtech company bluworks has raised $1 million in a seed round led by A15, Enza Capital, Beltone Venture Capital, and Acasia Ventures, with participation from strategic angels, to deepen Egypt SME penetration, expand partnerships, and scale regionally across MENA.

• 🇸🇦 Saudi-based fintech SahmAlgo has raised $1 million in a seed round led by Gharesah Investment to expand its AI algorithms, enhance data assets, and grow its technical team.

M&A activity

• US-based DataCamp, the leading online learning platform for data and AI skill building, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Dubai-based Optima, an AI-native learning platform for building data and AI skills. Source.

• Saudi-based WakeCap Technologies has acquired Trackfy, a Brazilian provider of worker safety and operational tracking tools, in a move that extends the Saudi company’s reach into Latin America. Source.

Chart of the week

All across the world, investors are concerned about an AI bubble, Bank of America warns.

According to their recent fund manager survey, respondents said the AI bubble is a bigger risk to the economy than rising bond yields, inflation, and even a trade war.

Do you agree?

From the feed

According to MAGNiTT’s latest Series A valuation report across MENA, Africa, and Southeast Asia:

🇦🇪 UAE Series A mean valuation hit $123M (more than 2x YoY)
🇸🇦 KSA reached $76M, continuing its upward climb

While many emerging markets remain in reset mode, the Middle East is charting its own trajectory and redefining what “Series A scale” looks like.

The full report dives into valuations, deal sizes, timelines, and investor participation across MEA & SEA.