Natasha Corbin

Dubai-based fintech Qashio has made headlines by securing $19.8 million in funding, led by Rocketship VC, with contributions from regional banks and family offices. With a previous seed round of $10 million, Qashio is now positioned to enhance its spend management platform and expand into the Saudi market. This funding round reflects a growing confidence in fintech across the MENA region. As financial solutions evolve, we anticipate: - Increased collaboration between traditional banks and startups. - A surge in demand for digital payment and management tools. Investing in fintech not only fuels innovation but also aligns with broader economic trends. The future is bright for fintech in the Middle East. #Fintech #MENA #Investment

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Dubai is once again proving to be a hub for innovation in the fintech sector. Gainz has successfully closed a robust seven-figure pre-seed funding round, backed by prominent investors like Antler MENAP and Lithium Holdings. This marks a vital step for the company as it aims to empower SMEs with its unique lending platform. 🌍💡 Founded by visionary Egyptian entrepreneurs, Shehab Mokhtar and Sherif Abdelaty, Gainz targets a growing niche that is critical for the region's economic recovery and growth. Looking ahead, the demand for accessible financial services will only intensify. With a shift toward digitization and tech-centric solutions, firms like Gainz are positioned to disrupt traditional lending models. As consumer behavior evolves, the adoption of innovative fintech will likely become a cornerstone for SMEs aiming to navigate new markets. #Gainz #Fintech #SMEs #Dubai #Investment

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The GCC is in a FinTech Product talent boom! FinTechs across UAE & KSA are scaling aggressively, and the demand for high quality, experienced Product talent has never been higher. What we’re seeing at TCG: - Senior Product Managers who can bring clarity and structure - Heads of Product / Product Leads who can scale teams and markets - Data-driven Product talent focused on growth, activation & retention - Domain specialists across Payments, PSP, On/Off Ramp, Trading & Wealth Founders are prioritising Product earlier and they’re willing to compete hard for the best people especially if they previously built reputable products from scratch. Hiring managers: Start your search early and move quickly. Candidates: Lead with impact, metrics, and domain expertise. If you need insight on Product salaries or availability across the GCC, feel free to reach out. Talent Connect Group (TCG)

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I am pleased to share that in collaboration with Robert M. and the Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC) we’ve commissioned a new whitepaper, exploring how AI is transforming the Workforce of the Future in Saudi Arabia—reshaping skills, talent needs, and market opportunities. If you’d like to dive deeper into the insights or discuss the implications for your organisation, the Alexander Ash Consulting team would be delighted to connect. Full whitepaper available here: https://lnkd.in/eZHCRvWJ #innovation #management #humanresources #digitalmarketing #technology #creativity #startups #Artificialintelligence #GenerativeAI

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🚀 What MGX’s Ambitious AI Fund Could Mean for UAE Tech Hiring Imagine a $25B fund dedicated to AI ventures... That’s what Abu Dhabi’s MGX is reportedly exploring - with Mubadala and G42 expected to remain key stakeholders. If this moves ahead, it’s not just a win for the UAE’s tech ecosystem, it’s a game-changer for talent demand. Here’s what we can expect: - A hiring surge in AI engineering, machine learning, data science, and AI operations - Increased competition for niche skills as global talent is drawn to the UAE - Faster innovation cycles, meaning shorter time-to-hire will be critical to capture market opportunities For founders and hiring leaders, the takeaway is simple: Now is the time to build your AI talent pipeline. Waiting until funding hits the market will put you behind competitors who are already nurturing relationships with top talent today. 💬 If you were investing $25B into AI, which skill sets would you prioritise first? #UAETech #AI #MGX #G42 #Funding

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After a year of what I thought was 👻 me. I finally sit down with Katya Leonova and find out how to build a FinTech Unicorn in the Middle East with Tabby | تابي Tabby has since been valued at $4.5 billion and Katya joined at inception (2019) and scaled the product-&-tech organisation from 7 to ~300+ people. 🗓️ Trailer live now, make sure to tune in next week for the full episode. 🔗 Subscribe on YouTube and Spotify

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🚀 MENA FinTech is venturing in a defining era and BNPL is at the core of it. Tamara's recent $110M funding round is not just another entry to the list, it reflects a change in market dynamics. The next 12-18 months will decide who scales, who controls, and who lags, as BNPL adoption rises and digital wallets become table stakes. Some hard truths: 1. Execution beats hype. Funding alone won’t lead to market leadership - trust, speed, and operational excellence will. 2. Talent density is paramount. Teams that understand both tech and regulatory complexity will pull ahead. 3. Regulatory alignment unlocks markets. UAE and KSA’s proactive frameworks aren’t just support - they’re accelerators. 💡 What this implies: The BNPL market is no longer a sandbox. Winners will be formed by enterprise-grade solutions, scale, and cross-border replication. Both newcomers and established players are already setting up for a winner-take-most situation. For investors and CEOs, the question now is not whether BNPL will dominate, but rather, who will do so. The fintech industry in MENA is about to enter its next stage of intense competition thanks to Tamara's funding, expanding adoption, and changing consumer trust. The market will be defined for years to come by the businesses that take decisive action. 🔥 Now is the moment for investors, founders, and CEOs to take action. How are you going to win the next wave?

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🤯 The last week for me has been surreal. 💡 Discovered MENA has always been one of the disruptors in the Talent space. 🤝 We have partnered with some of the regions leading brands from E&, Talabat, Emirates Airlines, Careem, Property Finder and helped launched digital banks like Wio. 😃 However for the first time in nearly 8 years, it's only now we felt like we really deserve a seat at the table when it comes to advising companies on Talent Acquisition. Both locally and globally. ⛔ Previously it felt a lot of the larger enterprise companies and even well-funded startups choose to go with the 🦖 dinosaur exec search firms and international recruitment consultancies, who funny enough all seem to have 🔵 blue logos. 🙌 It seems the tide is firmly changing and having on the ground expert talent partners and those with super niche skills and communities (think Blockchain/ Digital Assets/ AI / Product etc) have flipped the narrative. At Discovered & Level up over the past week: 🎮 I've donned my Level Up. cap along with Michael Barrett, where we sat down with two VP’s of Strategy and Expansion from one the Top 3 Gaming studio’s globally advising them on their market entry plans for the GCC and how to build and hire their leadership team. Thanks to John Richardson for arranging. ⛓️ We had Tommy Roberts 🔗 and our NED Harry Kumra meet with one of top 3 Global Crypto Exchanges resulting in 12x new positions across AI Engineering, Product Management and Solana SME's. For Asia and the Middle East. 💳 Hollie Sharp, James Feuilherade and Aimee Alexandra Glendenning then in space of a week met 3 times, a billion dollar funded Fintech who are launching in Dubai. Full on scale up with 20+ immediate positions covering leadership and mid-level hires. 💸 Yesterday, one of my good TA Leader friends, invited us to partner with his new venture, another FinTech scale up with an initial 14 positions across Product and Software engineering. 🪄 Finally, today was the one we have all been waiting for as a business. One of the world's biggest and most trusted companies gave us the green light to partner on a whole host of new positions. Briefing calls set for next week, so watch this space! 🆕 Thats over 50 brand new and majority exclusive positions, plus we had requirements from our wonderful existing clients. The market while still very competitive when searching for roles, companies are building, scaling and entering the GCC as above. Keep the faith and stayed tuned we might have a match for you! PS We love our role as eco-system partner with DMCC Gaming Centre, more of this to come too. #disruptingthefuture

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🔹 In the GCC, fintech firms are racing to secure cybersecurity and payments talent. 🔹 In Europe, the challenge is finding leaders who can modernise legacy systems under strict compliance. The gap is real — but it can be closed. At Rec2Tech, we benchmark both technical skills and behavioural signals to ensure hires thrive across GCC and European markets. Read the full blog: https://lnkd.in/e_WzhpQ8 #FintechTalent #GCCTech #EuropeanFintech #TechHiring #Rec2Tech #ScalingFintech #CrossRegionalTeams

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📢 Big news at Journify We’ve doubled our valuation, 5x’d our revenue in six months, and expanded across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the broader Gulf. Today we’re proud to welcome Shorooq, Bunat Ventures, and Plug and Play Tech Center as strategic investors as we scale the next generation of AI-powered data infrastructure. This funding is not just a milestone. It is fuel to scale what we’re already seeing in-market: 📈 182% ROAS increase for Jarir Bookstore on Meta 📉 44% drop in CPP for Baytonia on TikTok ⚡ Real, measurable impact by activating first-party data across Meta, TikTok, Snap Inc., Google, and more. As cookies disappear, privacy expectations rise, and AI reshapes how we engage customers, brands need smarter, faster, more ethical ways to grow. That is exactly what we’re building. Grateful to our customers, investors, partners, and team for helping bring this vision to life. 🔗 Full story here: https://lnkd.in/dnKAYy9K #AI #FirstPartyData #Marketing #GCC #Data #Growth

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🇦🇪 Funding News in UAE 🇦🇪 Congratulations to the following UAE-based start-ups that secured funding in January: ✨ Slangit - Empowering with data through a state of the art RAG & CAG delivering unique user experience for governments and enterprise. Invested by Angels. ✨ Daleel - combines government transaction data with AI to bring institutional grade market intelligence. Invested by Angels. ✨ Mantas - tackles the critical issue of cloud downtime for businesses by providing parametric insurance coverage and risk guard services. Invested by Nuwa Capital. ✨ Robo.ai Inc. - focus on developing, and operating high-performance AI data centers and next-generation digital infrastructure. Invested by Angels. ✨ Yozo.ai - Growth Agent is a self-sufficient Shopify store marketing assistant. Invested by Access Bridge Ventures & DisrupTech Ventures. ✨ AppliedAI - a technology company that provides AI-augmented automation for mission-critical business workflows. Funded by Arbor Ventures & Mubadala Capital. ✨ A47 AI - the world's first Web3 AI news platform, developed in the UAE. Invested by Angels. ✨ AINA Tech - an empathetic AI hiring platform that accelerates business growth and reduces costs by automating 80% of recruitment processes. Invested by Angels. ✨ Khosouf Studio - a game development studio that develops games for PC, VR, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Invested by Merak Capital. ✨ Mal - an AI-native Islamic digital platform created for a new generation that expects banking to be fast, fair, and based on real life. Invested by BlueFive Capital. ✨ Zameera - offers travel and tourism services, providing tour planning and booking information through its website. Invested by Angels. ✨ XLR8well - provides diagnostics, at-home medical care, IV therapy, and wellness services for individuals and hospitality partners. Invested by Angels. ✨ Rilla - Rewiring the Content Economy. Invested by Angels. #Funding #Fundraising #Investment #InvestmentNews #Startups #UAENews #UAEFunding #DubaiNews #UAEStartUps #Dubai #UAE

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Hello everyone, In the latest episode of the HR Unlock series, Joha Ordu and I pulled back the curtain on a topic every founder grapples with: hiring. But not just any hiring, we're talking about the unique complexities of building a team in a market like Qatar, where the rules of the game are a little different. As you may know, Qatar's workforce is predominantly comprised of expatriates. This means that when you hire, you're not just bringing on a new team member; you're often getting involved in their visa, labour, and immigration processes. This isn't just an HR detail; it's a significant financial and operational risk. As we discussed, a bad hire under company sponsorship isn't just a performance issue; it’s a costly loss, with visa fees/QID alone potentially running into thousands of Qatari Riyals. So, how do you navigate this? 1. Go Beyond the "Vibe" Check: While cultural fit is important, we stressed that competence must be the priority. A charming personality or a great first impression can be misleading. We discussed a tough lesson I learned about hiring a friend and how that ultimately turned out to be a costly mistake. Don't rush the process; take the time to conduct thorough, competency-based interviews. 2. Understand the QID: A QID (Qatar Resident Permit) is your employee's lifeline. It's tied directly to their employer. This reality creates a dual risk: for the employer, the financial and legal burden of sponsoring an employee, and for the employee, the risk of losing their residency status upon termination. We explored a fascinating side note on hiring individuals who already have a QID through their spouse. While it might seem like an easier, cheaper option, we shared why it can sometimes lead to different challenges. 3. The Probation Period is a Grace Period: Too many of us treat the probation period as a formality. We argued that it's your most critical window to evaluate a new hire's performance, work ethic, and cultural adaptability. Use it strategically. If something isn't working, act swiftly. 4. Onboarding is Everything: We wrapped up by highlighting how an effective onboarding process, more than just a one-day orientation, can be the difference between a successful hire and a quick exit. It’s the time to set expectations, provide a support system (like a "buddy" or mentor), and truly integrate a new team member into your organisation. Building a team in a global hub like Qatar requires a blend of business acumen and strategic foresight. It’s about being deliberate in your hiring, vigilant during probation, and empathetic in your leadership. What are your thoughts on this? Have you faced similar challenges in your business? Share your experiences in the comments below! Catch the episode here: https://lnkd.in/d3SjkjNd Cheers, Kelechi Abiri

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𝐃𝐂𝐕 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭! DCV Technologies continues its growth in the Middle East. Alongside Dubai, we are proud to announce our expansion into 𝐀𝐛𝐮 𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢. Through our People Business Unit, we currently support government and #BFSI clients, powered by our #AI-driven recruitment platform #AiMe. Over the next year, we will expand our #AI Agentic solutions and enter new markets including 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢 𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐚. This marks an important step in DCV’s evolution — 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲- 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Abu Dhabi stands out as a regional AI leader, driven by strong government investment, a clear national AI strategy, and large-scale adoption of AI across public services, smart cities, healthcare, and financial services. With world-class digital infrastructure and a rapidly growing innovation ecosystem, it is a natural next step for DCV Global Recruitment’s journey. The Middle East’s shift toward technology, AI, and digital transformation presents a tremendous opportunity. We at DCV Global Recruitment, are well-placed to take a leading position and play a part in this shift. We are excited to be a part of what’s next. #expansion #AI #innovation #growth #agenticsolutions

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