Author: Funding, Mergers & Acquisitions

Saudi Arabia’s automotive commerce platform Carly has secured a strategic investment from Pinnacle Growth & Secondary Fund, marking the fund’s first official investment in the startup sector. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal combines primary and secondary shares, giving Carly additional capital for growth while also providing flexibility around existing shareholder positions.  Founded in 2021 by Faisal Raza and Yousef Al-Hagbani, Carly is building a digital platform aimed at making the process of buying and selling cars in Saudi Arabia easier, faster and more transparent. The company has positioned itself beyond the traditional online classifieds…

Indian space technology company Pixxel has raised $100 million in Series C funding, in a round led by Temasek and Seraphim Space, as it moves beyond satellite imaging toward building a broader space data and Earth intelligence platform. The round also saw participation from new investors 360 ONE Asset and IMM Investment, alongside existing backers Radical Ventures and growX ventures. The investment brings Pixxel’s total funding to $195 million, making it the largest funding round raised by a space technology company in India to date.  Founded by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, Pixxel began with an ambitious idea while the…

Kuwait-based edtech startup Dawraty has secured an investment from Qatar Development Bank (QDB) as part of a $2 million seed round that values the company at $10 million. The round remains open to additional investors and is expected to close by the end of November 2026. Founded by Dr. Ryan Dougherty and Hamad AlThunayan, Dawraty is building a bilingual, AI-powered learning platform focused on healthcare education, professional certification and exam preparation. Unlike many edtech startups that primarily target individual learners, Dawraty is taking an institutional route, working with universities, hospitals, professional academies, schools and government training bodies. From Kuwait To…

Saudi Arabia-based startup IDRAJ has raised SAR 2.25 million ($598,000) in a pre-Seed funding round led by ASAP Legal Tech, securing early capital to build an AI-powered platform designed to simplify the complex journey companies undertake before going public. Founded in 2026 by Kholoud Al Saleh, IDRAJ is targeting companies preparing to list on the Saudi Exchange’s Main Market, as well as the Saudi Parallel Market (Nomu). The startup is also building solutions for consultants and other professional entities involved in the listing and offering ecosystem. Turning a Complex IPO Journey Into a Digital Process For companies preparing for an…

Saudi Arabia-based gaming startup Takahouse has raised $1.5 million in an investment round from Impact46 as it looks to expand beyond its first successful title and build a broader portfolio of mobile games. Founded in 2018 by Salman S. Nasser, Takahouse develops electronic games and interactive applications designed to combine entertainment with social interaction. The company is positioning itself not simply as a game developer, but as an emerging regional publisher capable of creating products built around how people play, communicate and connect. From One Game To A Broader Gaming Portfolio Takahouse launched its first title, WhistGame, in 2021. The…

Saudi Arabia-based enterprise AI startup Gaia has raised $1.5 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Seedra Ventures, as businesses across the Kingdom look for ways to adopt artificial intelligence without losing control over their data. Founded in 2026 by Badr Al-Malluh and Mohammad Rababah, Gaia is building what it describes as a sovereign AI platform for enterprises. The platform connects a company’s files, emails, business systems and workflows into a single layer, allowing employees to search for information, ask questions and automate tasks while keeping organisational data within the company’s environment. The Problem With Enterprise Information For large…

Egypt-based edtech startup 3C Coding School has raised $3 million in a Seed funding round led by MRG Economic Group, with participation from investor Amr Saad and a group of strategic angel investors. Founded in 2015 by Hossam Hosny and Ahmed Khallaf, 3C Coding School provides technology education to children and young people, with programmes spanning software development, data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, game development and cybersecurity. The new capital comes as the company prepares for its next phase of growth, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a key expansion market and AI becoming central to its product strategy. From…

Saudi Arabia-based logistics technology startup Sirdab has raised $10 million (SAR 37.5 million) in Series A funding as it looks to build a more connected and flexible logistics infrastructure for businesses across the Kingdom and the wider GCC. The round was co-led by Elm, the PIF-backed digital solutions company, and existing investor BECO Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, COTU Ventures and D Global Ventures. The new capital will support Sirdab’s geographic expansion, the growth of its logistics network and further development of its technology platform, including AI-powered tools. Founded in 2022 by Naif Alzahri and Abdulrahman Alnamlah, Sirdab is…

Saudi Arabia-based fintech Nayla has secured approximately $18 million in pre-Series A funding, combining equity and debt financing, as the company looks to expand access to digital financing for micro-businesses across the Kingdom. The round comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is seeking to deepen financial inclusion and accelerate the growth of small and micro-enterprises as part of its broader economic transformation. Nayla is positioning its AI-powered lending platform to address one of the most persistent challenges facing these businesses: accessing financing quickly and digitally. The equity component was led by Idrisi Ventures, with participation from Suhail Ventures and…

Kuwait-founded enterprise technology company COFE Tech, formerly known as COFE App, has closed a pre-IPO funding round at a $178 million valuation, as the company accelerates its transformation from a consumer coffee marketplace into an AI-powered enterprise technology platform. The investment was co-led by Wa’ed Ventures, Aditum Investment Management, Masarrah Investment Company and Alyasra Foods. The company did not disclose the size of the investment. Founded in Kuwait in 2018 by Ali Al-Ebrahim, COFE initially built its business around connecting consumers with coffee and beverage merchants. It has since evolved into a broader enterprise technology company, developing infrastructure that helps…