Stay Ahead with Daily Emerging Market Startups (Asia, Africa, LATAM, MENA) Innovation Insights
- by Grace Priscilla TeoContract manufacturers have warned Microsoft, Google, and Oracle about the higher costs.
- by Diya LalBitMart appointed White & Case and plans to share a restructuring roadmap by Sept. 9.
- by Scott ShueyAI is a lightning rod for opinions these days, so here are two stories that highlight both the rush to invest and the need for cautious adoption.
- by Grace Priscilla TeoThe package could include US$45 billion in senior debt and US$35 billion in junior debt.
- by Aya LinAn investor's true worth lies in how well they head for the exits.
- by Aya LinMapping Japan's health sector: Key players, top investors, and funding insights in one report.
- by Aya LinWhich investors are writing the most checks to Japan-based startups?
- by Aya LinWe've compiled a list of investors that are pouring money into Southeast Asia’s fintech startups.
- by Aya LinFundraising is hard. To make things slightly easier, we've compiled this list of fundraising startups for our subscribers.
- by Naomi Li GanFounded in 2024, Cloverleaf has delivered gigawatt-scale projects across North America.
- by Naomi Li GanUber’s European headquarters in the Netherlands made its regulator the lead authority.
- by Naomi Li GanRebellions has raised roughly US$850 million from investors including SK Hynix and Arm.
- by Naomi Li GanStarcloud has already launched an orbital AI data center using Nvidia H100 GPUs.
- by Aya LinPitching your startup to an investor? First, check if they’re still active in your market.
- by Grace Priscilla TeoDeepSeek previously released multimodal models under its DeepSeek-VL family.
- by Grace Priscilla TeoOpenAI also slashed prices for its smaller Terra and Luna models last month.
- by Grace Priscilla TeoIDC estimated Apple shipped just 45,000 Vision Pro headsets in the last quarter.
- by Minh LeThe case follows a 2019 FTC action against TikTok's predecessor, Musical.ly.
- by Lilian TangNavi Technologies, Kokoni, Craif, and more raised funds this week.
- by Aya LinMapping China’s biotech sector: Key players, top investors, and funding insights in one report.
- by Tom JacksonFifty-eight African tech startups raised just shy of US$583 million in funding in the third quarter of 2026, making it the most successful quarter of the year so far and boosting the chance that 2025’s funding total will be bettered. Total investment into the African tech startup ecosystem increased by almost 50 per cent to […] The post 58 African tech startups raise $583m in funding in Q3 appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
- by Tom JacksonAt 19, Wendy Therisanyo Keabetswe received a government award after being recognised as one of Botswana’s top national GCSE achievers. The opportunity gave her an early entry point into entrepreneurship and, combined with her farming background, eventually led her to start what is now Wendy Piggery. Founded in 2023, originally under the name Africa Pork, […] The post Why Botswana-based Wendy Piggery is not your regular pig farming business appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
- by Tom JacksonInvesting in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative designed to help African health-tech startups scale and commercialise their offerings, announced four strategic partnerships between leading African health-tech innovators and global, regional, and private sector partners at its fourth annual Access to Markets (A2M) event. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and sponsored by […] The post i3 announces 4 new deals driving future of healthcare innovation across Africa appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
- by Tom JacksonStartup and technology event Latitude59 is returning to Kenya for the fourth year, with applications now open for the Kenya Pitch Competition. Early-stage startups from Kenya and across Africa are invited to compete for non-equity funding, partner prizes, and the opportunity to pitch on the main stage of Latitude59 Kenya Edition in Nairobi this December. […] The post Applications open for Latitude59’s Kenyan Pitch Competition appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
- by Tom JacksonSouth African mobile technology company Mission Mobile will receive up to ZAR500 million (US$30.1 million) in funding from investment holding company DN Invest (DNI) to help mobile network operators (MNOs) expand their customer base. Founded in 2023 by Johannesburg-born brothers Tim and Adam Strike, Mission Mobile was created to help network operators build more consistent […] The post SA’s Mission Mobile secures $30.1m funding to help MNOs access more customers appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
- by Tom JacksonSouth African payment technology company Walletdoc is bringing Visa Payment Passkeys to local merchants, enabling them to offer shoppers a faster, more secure and passwordless online checkout. Walletdoc makes getting paid easy, bringing card and EFT solutions together under one roof, both online and in-store. From online and in-app payments, payment links and QR codes, […] The post SA’s Walletdoc launches Visa Payment Passkeys for safer, frictionless online checkout appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
- by Tom JacksonAfrican ed-tech incubator and accelerator Injini will host the fifth edition of South African EdTech Week in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, with the event moving to Gauteng for the first time. Founded in 2017, Injini, which is a member of the UVU Africa Group, is a registered non-profit company that exists for the sole […] The post Injini to host 5th SA EdTech Week in Johannesburg, focus on teacher empowerment appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
- by Tom JacksonSouth African startup Exten AI has developed an AI-native platform that lets entrepreneurs with no coding skills build working software applications just by describing them in everyday language. Launched earlier this year by Luncedo Simelane, Exten AI turns natural-language prompts into production-ready apps. Unlike many “text-to-code” tools, it goes beyond the frontend, providing a robust […] The post South African startup Exten AI helps non-technical founders build full-stack apps in plain language appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
- by Tom JacksonEgyptian payment orchestration startup MoneyHash has partnered with Saudi fintech Geidea, giving businesses on its platform access to Geidea’s payment gateway across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Founded in 2021 by Nader Abdelrazik and Mustafa Eid, MoneyHash has developed a proprietary payment orchestration platform and end-to-end payment operating system. After a successful beta launch […] The post Egypt’s MoneyHash partners with Geidea to widen payment access in MENA appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
- by Tom JacksonAfrican SME-focused business education company StuckInProfit has partnered with the Africa–Azerbaijan Cooperation (AFAZ) to launch a three-week virtual professional and enterprise development programme, to kick off in November. The StuckInProfit × AFAZ Professional & Enterprise Development Programme 2026 will see participants coached by a network of AFAZ instructors across 11 areas, including project presentation, emotional […] The post StuckInProfit, AFAZ partner on Africa–Azerbaijan enterprise development pilot appeared first on Disrupt Africa.
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- by MB StaffRiyadh-based credit infrastructure platform Orbii has raised $3.6 million in a seed funding round led by Prosus Ventures, with participation from VentureSouq, DASH Ventures, Taz Investments and Sanabil 500, it announced today. Founded in 2024 by Nauman Ali, Guillaume Kieffer and Nasara Mughal, Orbii provides AI-powered credit infrastructure that enables financial institutions and B2B platforms […] The post Saudi’s Orbii raises $3.6 million in Prosus-led seed to help banks and fintechs launch SME lending appeared first on MENAbytes.
- by MB StaffEgyptian B2B startup TradeHub has officially shut down operations and returned all remaining capital to investors, 18 months after raising a $1.4 million pre-seed round, co-founder Ahmed Gaber announced on LinkedIn earlier this week. The startup, which was founded in late December 2023 by Ahmed Gaber and Ahmed Atef, initially launched as a cross-border B2B […] The post Egypt’s TradeHub shuts down, returns remaining capital to investors after failing to achieve product-market fit appeared first on MENAbytes.
- by MB StaffDubai-based car rental startup WheelsOn has closed a $12.5 million funding round that combines $2.2 million in equity from a group of investors, including the founders of London-based Xploration Capital, $6.5 million for fleet expansion, and $4 million in bank financing. The deal values the two-year-old company at nearly $30 million. Founded in 2023 by […] The post Dubai’s WheelsOn raises $12.5 million in debt and equity for its deposit-free car rental platform appeared first on MENAbytes.
- by MB StaffRiyadh-headquartered AI startup Intella has raised $12.5 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round led by Prosus, with participation from 500 Global, Wa’ed Ventures, Hala Ventures, Idrisi Ventures, and HearstLab, it announced today. The round brings the company’s total funding to $16.9 million. It previously raised $3.4 million in a pre-Series A led by […] The post Saudi’s Intella raises $12.5 million in Prosus-led Series A to offer AI transcription for 25+ Arabic dialects appeared first on MENAbytes.
- by MB StaffQatar Investment Authority has joined a major group of global investors in backing Anthropic’s massive $13 billion Series F funding round. The round values Anthropic at $183 billion post-money, nearly tripling its valuation from $61.5 billion just six months ago in March 2025. The funding round was led by Iconiq Capital alongside co-leads Fidelity Management […] The post Qatar Investment Authority backs Anthropic’s record $13 billion round as AI firm hits $183 billion valuation appeared first on MENAbytes.
- by MB StaffMunify has raised $3 million in seed funding to build a cross-border neobank that serves both the Egyptian diaspora sending money home and local freelancers and businesses seeking access to U.S. banking. The round, according to TechCrunch, was led by Y Combinator, with participation from regional investors including BYLD and DCG. The fintech was founded […] The post Munify raises $3 million to serve Egyptian diaspora abroad and freelancers at home with cross-border banking appeared first on MENAbytes.
- by MB StaffSaudi Arabia-based Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) startup Zetta has successfully closed a $12 million Series A funding round led by Core Vision Investment and National Dimensions Investment. The strategic investment will fuel the company’s expansion plans and strengthen its presence in Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing technology sector. The round follows a $1.5 million pre-seed last year. Founded […] The post Saudi’s Zetta raises $12 million Series A to expand device subscription services for enterprises appeared first on MENAbytes.
- by MB StaffUAE-based fintech Holo has raised $22 million in a Series A funding round led by Saudi Arabia’s Impact46, with participation from Mubadala Investment Company, Rua Growth Fund, anb seed, and MoreThan Capital. Returning investors Salica Oryx Fund and Dubai Future District Fund also joined the round, which the company describes as one of the largest […] The post Dubai’s Holo raises $22 million Series A to expand digital mortgage platform across GCC appeared first on MENAbytes.
- by MB StaffSaudi Arabia’s leading vacation rental platform Gathern has raised $72 million in Series B round led by Sanabil Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, with participation from STV, Pinnacle Capital, Nuwa Capital, and Endeavor Catalyst. The round values the company at over $266 million, making it the highest-valued venture-backed startup in […] The post Saudi vacation rental platform Gathern raises $72 million at a valuation of over $266 million, eyes IPO appeared first on MENAbytes.
- by MB StaffRiyadh-based game development studio Fahy Studios has closed a $1.75 million funding round led by Impact46 and Merak Capital, as the two-year-old startup works toward its ambitious goal of building hit global games from Saudi Arabia. The investment will help Fahy accelerate development of its pipeline of hybrid-casual mobile games, which blend accessible gameplay with […] The post Fahy Studios raises $1.75 million to build global games from Saudi Arabia appeared first on MENAbytes.