For many entrepreneurs, the inspiration for a startup comes from identifying a market gap. For Heera Rehman, Founder and CEO of WorldTone AI, the inspiration came from something far more personal: years of feeling unseen in the workplace. After spending more than a decade working in internal communications across global organizations, Rehman experienced firsthand the challenges many employees from underrepresented backgrounds face. Despite consistently delivering results, taking on global responsibilities, and operating at a senior level, she often found herself overlooked for promotions and opportunities. As a Muslim woman working in multinational environments, she became increasingly aware of how workplace cultures often failed to recognize or accommodate the diverse identities of their employees. The turning point came when she was made redundant during pregnancy. Rather than viewing the setback as the end of a chapter, Rehman saw it as an opportunity to build something she wished had existed throughout her corporate career. That decision ultimately led to the creation of WorldTone AI, a platform designed to help organizations communicate more…

For more than a decade, Joud Khattab has worked at the intersection of data, innovation, and human development. But despite witnessing extraordinary talent across the region, he repeatedly encountered the same challenge: brilliant ideas existed everywhere, yet the systems needed to support them often did not. That realization ultimately led him to launch Bidayah, a Syria-based venture builder designed to help founders transform ideas into scalable businesses while supporting the country’s emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem. At a time when Syria is entering a new phase of recovery and economic reopening, Bidayah represents more than another startup support organization. It reflects a growing belief that entrepreneurship can become a powerful engine for rebuilding economies, creating jobs, and restoring hope. From Data Scientist to Ecosystem Builder Khattab describes himself as a data scientist, entrepreneur, and ecosystem builder from Syria. Over the years, he built a career within the humanitarian and development sector, working across multiple United Nations agencies where he led initiatives focused on information management, digital transformation, analytics, and data-driven decision-making supporting…

For Usama Nini, the problem with hiring has never been a shortage of talent. Throughout his career, he repeatedly encountered a striking paradox: companies struggled to find qualified candidates, while talented individuals struggled to access meaningful opportunities. The disconnect was particularly visible across emerging markets, where outdated recruitment systems often determined careers more than merit. It became increasingly clear to him that the issue was not the absence of capable people, but the inability of existing systems to efficiently connect talent with opportunity. That realization led him to co-found Qureos, an AI-powered hiring platform designed to bridge this gap. Today, the company serves more than 1,000 organizations, has raised over $8 million in funding, and is helping reshape the future of recruitment across the Middle East and beyond. Yet behind the technology and growth metrics lies a deeper mission: ensuring that deserving individuals are not denied opportunities simply because the system failed to recognize their potential. From Karachi to Canada’s Investment World Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Usama pursued…

In an era where artificial intelligence is transforming industries at breakneck speed, many people assume that the future belongs exclusively to elite engineers with prestigious degrees and years of experience. But in Malaysia, two entrepreneurs are challenging that narrative. Through KrackedDevs, co-founders Fadli Khalid and Danial Alias are proving that some of the most talented builders aren’t found in Silicon Valley boardrooms or top universities. They are hidden in technical support departments, recruitment agencies, classrooms, and ordinary workplaces across the country. All they need is a community that believes in them. In just six months, KrackedDevs has grown into one of Malaysia’s fastest-growing grassroots tech communities, attracting more than 1,600 members entirely through word of mouth. What began as an experiment has evolved into a movement dedicated to helping Malaysians leverage AI to become creators rather than mere consumers of technology. Two Unconventional Journeys Into Tech Neither Fadli nor Danial followed the traditional path into entrepreneurship. Fadli’s journey began far away from startup accelerators and venture capital circles. He worked…

Egypt’s largest fintech success story is entering a new chapter. MNT-Halan has reached a valuation of $1.4 billion following the first closing of a new investment round led by Al Ahly Capital, the investment arm of the National Bank of Egypt. A second closing is expected as part of the ongoing round, further strengthening the company’s balance sheet as it accelerates expansion across Egypt and regional markets. The transaction marks another milestone not only for MNT-Halan, but also for Egypt’s rapidly evolving fintech sector. It highlights a growing trend across emerging markets where established financial institutions are increasingly partnering with technology companies to drive financial inclusion and digital transformation. From Microfinance to Fintech Unicorn Founded by Egyptian entrepreneur Mounir Nakhla, MNT-Halan began its journey with a mission to improve access to financial services for underserved populations. Over time, the company evolved into one of the Middle East and Africa’s most comprehensive digital financial ecosystems, offering consumer and business lending, payments, e-wallets, savings products, investment solutions, and e-commerce services through a…

For years, conversations about Middle Eastern startups have largely centered around the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. But a new generation of Iraqi founders is quietly building technology companies designed to solve local challenges, attract private capital, and reshape key sectors of the country’s economy. That momentum was underscored this week as two Iraqi startups, Mabiati and Al Jabal Agriculture, announced separate six-figure investments from Iraqi investors and strategic partners. Both companies are backed by Orange Corners Baghdad and the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF) Iraq, signaling growing confidence in Iraq’s emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem. The investments represent more than just growth capital. They offer evidence that Iraqi founders are increasingly capable of building scalable businesses that address real market needs while attracting institutional support. Mabiati Is Building Iraq’s Digital Commerce Infrastructure Founded by Iraqi entrepreneur Mohammed Al Sultan, Mabiati is tackling one of the biggest barriers facing aspiring entrepreneurs in Iraq: the difficulty of launching and operating an online business. The platform allows individuals and small businesses to create and…

After moving from Dubai to Dallas, Sheriff found it surprisingly difficult to discover meaningful Muslim events and stay connected to community life in a new city. The events existed, but discovery was fragmented. Organizations were doing important work, but they were often relying on scattered systems to reach people and manage operations. That frustration became the beginning of Qariyb. A Founder Built At The Intersection Of Community And Systems Before launching Qariyb, Sheriff spent years in change management, learning design, and technology strategy, including work at Oracle Health and Accenture across the United States and the Middle East. Across healthcare and government, he led programs impacting more than 20,000 employees. His work required more than technical knowledge. It required helping people adopt new systems, communicate clearly, and move through change. Before Qariyb, he also built an edtech startup shaped by his background in instructional design. In many ways, Qariyb brings those worlds together: community, product, learning, operations, and systems thinking. It is not just another event listing platform. It is…

Every two minutes, somewhere in the world, a woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Not because the world does not know how to save her. But because too often, the care does not reach her in time. For Isra Chaker, that reality is not just heartbreaking. It is unacceptable. Through Every Pregnancy, Chaker is building a maternal and newborn health movement focused on one urgent mission: helping mothers and babies survive pregnancy, birth, and the earliest days of life. Since the launch of the For Mama campaign in 2024, Every Pregnancy has mobilized nearly $130 million for mothers and babies globally. In Ramadan 2026 alone, the campaign mobilized $91 million in 30 days, bringing together more than 192,000 donors, 50+ frontline organizations, and work across 20+ countries. The numbers are powerful. But the story is not really about money. It is about what organized giving can make possible when a community decides that mothers should not keep dying from preventable causes. From Human Rights To Maternal Health…