Tokinvest, the regulated marketplace for real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation, today announces three major milestones: receipt of the first full multi-asset issuance licence from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), the complete sale of its first tokenised racehorse, and the close of a $3.2 million pre-seed funding round. With its licence in hand, Tokinvest is now […]
Nium and Emirates NBD Expand Real-Time Cross-Border Payments Across the Middle East
Expanded partnership now enables seamless payouts across Emirates NBD Group in the UAE, with KSA launch underway FRANKFURT, Germany, Oct. 2, 2025– Nium, the leading global infrastructure for real-time cross-border payments, and Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) region, announced significant progress in their strategic partnership first unveiled […]
UPFRONT Secures $10M Pre-Seed to Tackle $250B SMB Liquidity Problem Across MENA
Dubai, UAE — October 1, 2025 — Dubai-based fintech startup UPFRONT has secured a $10 million pre-seed round, a mix of equity and debt allocation, to tackle one of the most persistent pain points for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the MENA region, which is cash flow inefficiencies. The round was led by venture […]
Amazon, Emirates Islamic, and Mastercard to introduce region’s first Amazon Credit Card
Customers can earn up to 6% back with no earning limits, alongside special offers, and exclusive lifestyle benefits through the Amazon Emirates Islamic Mastercard Credit Card Collaboration brings together Amazon’s online retail leadership, Mastercard’s digital payment innovation, and Emirates Islamic’s banking expertise to meet evolving lifestyle needs of customers in the UAE Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Emirates […]
Emirates NBD Signs MoU with Fidelity International to Develop Workplace Savings Proposition in UAE
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Emirates NBD, a leading banking group in the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) region, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fidelity International (‘Fidelity’) to work together on a new workplace savings proposition for employers in the UAE. This collaboration brings together Emirates NBD’s deep-rooted knowledge of local markets […]
Iliad Partners Announces Second Closing of its $50m MENA VC Fund
UAE-based venture capital firm Iliad Partners has announced the second closing of its $50m fund. The closing features key players in the Greek banking sector – Eurobank, National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank – joining the Fund with significant commitments. This marks the first VC investment in MENA by the three Greek banks and […]
z.systems First Startup Endorsed by Morocco’s Ministry of Industry and Trade to Digitally Link 50,000 Retailers with FMCG Brands by 2030
Rabat, Morocco – September 30, 2025 – In a decisive step toward building one of Africa’s most advanced digital economies, the Kingdom of Morocco announced on Monday September 29th a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and z.systems, a fast-growing retail-technology platform that is transforming how goods move from brands to small […]
ABHI selected for Mastercard’s Start Path Small Business Program
Program supports startups to scale solutions that drive simple, smart and secure digital experiences for small businesses globally. ABHI, a neobank of the future that is revolutionizing access to earned wages and SME financing in emerging markets, has been selected as one of the eight startups worldwide to join Mastercard Start Path’s Small Business program. […]
Visa Direct taps Stablecoins to unlock faster funding for businesses
Dubai, UAE – The way businesses fund cross-border payments is about to get faster, smarter and more flexible. Today, Visa announced it will launch a stablecoin prefunding pilot through Visa Direct, its global money movement platform that connects 11B eligible cards, bank accounts, and wallets. This capability gives businesses a new way to move money globally – […]
aydi secures $7.5mln seed round to launch Orth, the AI agronomy assistant transforming global agriculture
The funding will be used to introduce and scale Orth, an AI agronomy assistant that provides personalized real-time insights to empower growers facing rising input costs, climate volatility, and expert shortages. Dubai, UAE – Aydi, the AI-powered platform dedicated to advancing the success and prosperity of growers worldwide, today announced the close of a $7.5 million […]
