Zest Wire | 29-October-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?

• 🇦🇪 UAE-based SaaS solutions provider UnifyApps has raised $50 million in a Series B funding round led by WestBridge Capital to accelerate its enterprise AI-agent platform expansion and further grow its workforce.

• 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia-based smart-parking and mobility-solutions provider Arsann has raised $26.7 million in an investment led by Merak Capital to scale its data-driven parking and urban-mobility infrastructure.

• 🇦🇪 UAE-based workforce management platform Cercli has raised $12 million in a Series A funding round led by Germany’s Picus Capital to support product development, AI innovation, and global expansion. 

• 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia-based AI startup TabSense has raised $5 million in a funding round led by Jasoor Ventures to roll out the first AI Agentic Point-of-Sale system for multi-branch and franchise restaurants and cafés.

• 🇴🇲 Oman-based foodtech company KitchenomiKs has raised $3.2 million in a funding round led by Jasoor Ventures to scale its virtual-brands network and central-kitchen platform across the GCC.

• 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia-based HRtech company Squadio has raised $3 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Wa’ed Ventures to expand its regional and global remote tech-hiring operations.

• 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia-based HRtech company Velents.ai has raised $1.5 million in a funding round led by angel investors from Google and BCG to launch the region’s first fully Arabic-speaking AI employee for Middle East businesses.

M&A activity

• Egypt-based BasharSoft, the company behind Wuzzuf and Forasna, has fully acquired iCareer, Egypt’s HR consultancy startup, for an unknown value. Source.

Chart of the week

The region’s sovereign investors are some of the most active in the world - making up 40% of all activity globally and topping $8T AUM in the first 9 months of the year.

If the growth of our sovereign investors’ AUM continues on its expected path, there will be a wide-reaching impact on key economic sectors globally, such as renewables, AI, tourism, manufacturing, and logistics - showing a continual move away from oil interests.

This growth and diversification are likely to help Gulf countries become more resilient when faced with macroeconomic risks.

From the feed

Raising capital? Check out this list of VCs around MENA who are actually writing checks.