Fintech

How to actually define an MVP before you write a single line of code

Most founders misread MVP as an excuse to ship something rough. It's not. It's a discipline of focus, cutting everything that isn't essential and doing the core thing well. This piece breaks down how to define your MVP properly, how long it should realistically take to build, and why the feature graveyard exists in the first place.

What the $941 million Q1 2026 number tells us about MENA

MENA startup funding fell to 941 million dollars in the first quarter of 2026, marking a 37 percent drop year on year and a 21.5 percent decline from the previous quarter, and the numbers behind that headline tell a story that goes well beyond a single difficult quarter. Geopolitical disruption, a near standstill in March deal activity, and a persistent gender funding gap are the details that the aggregate figure alone does not show.

Egyptian fintech Lucky secures $23M Series B as it expands consumer credit into Tunisia and Morocco

From dilution to repayment understanding the real trade offs between Equity and Revenue based financing for SaaS

AWS Middle East outage causes Banking and Fintech platforms to go offline

Saudi fintech Madfu bags $25.5M to accelerate BNPL growth

Saudi BNPL startup Madfu has raised $25.5 million to expand its fintech footprint across the Kingdom, accelerating growth in digital payments and consumer finance under Vision 2030.

Saudi payments startup CASHIN closes $16M series A

Saudi fintech CASHIN has raised $16 million in a Series A round led by Impact46, as it scales its digital cash management and payment infrastructure across Saudi Arabia.

SiFi raises $20M series A to scale Saudi spend management platform

Saudi fintech Simplified Financial Solutions (SiFi) secures $20 million in Series A funding led by Ra’ed Ventures to scale its AI powered spend management platform, serving over 3,500 organizations across the Kingdom.

Infinity Value Capital leads $2M round for UAE’s Omnispay SME finance platform

UAE based fintech Omnispay secures $2 million in pre series A funding led by Infinity Value Capital Group to scale its AI driven SME finance platform, expand embedded lending, and accelerate GCC expansion.

Saudi proptech startup Safqah Capital secures $15.2 million to support SME developers

Saudi fintech proptech Safqah Capital secures $15.2 million in a seed funding round led by Shorooq, aiming to expand Shariah compliant real estate financing solutions and scale its AI underwriting capabilities.

InvestSky raises $4M seed round and expands Into Saudi Arabia

UAE based fintech InvestSky enters Saudi Arabia after a $4 million seed round and CMA approval, partnering with anb Capital to expand social first retail investing across the Kingdom and the wider MENA region.

Flow Ventures creates Flow Angels to bridge funding gaps in Palestinian ecosystem

Palestinian investment platform Flow Ventures launches Flow Angels, an organized angel investor network expected to mobilize up to $2 million in early‑stage capital through syndicated investments for Palestinian led startups in 2026.

Jarir receives SAMA approval to establish SAR 50 Million Micro-Consumer finance firm

Jarir secures preliminary SAMA approval to establish Rifd Integrated Co., a SAR 50 million micro-consumer finance company, partnering with Aman Egypt to expand financial services in Saudi Arabia.

SkipCash raises $4M Series A to expand smart payments across GCC

Qatarbased fintech SkipCash raises $4M Series A to scale Tap to Phone smart payment solutions and expand across the GCC.

Web Summit Qatar marks Yuno’s deeper push into MENA with Tap Payments partnership

Yuno and Tap Payments partner to simplify enterprise entry into MENA, combining Yuno’s global payments orchestration with Tap’s GCC licenses and local payment methods to speed compliant expansion.

BLOXX brings a community first housing experiment to Web Summit Qatar

BLOXX launches ĀRIKI BLOXX at Web Summit Qatar, a joint venture with ĀRIKI Group that pairs fintech enabled home equity with community led, culturally grounded housing development.

Pay Later closes $10M seed funding to expand flexible payments in Qatar

Qatari fintech startup Pay Later has closed a $10 million seed funding round to expand its buy now pay later and embedded finance solutions across the GCC, reflecting rising investment in flexible payment technologies in the region.

NowPay Raises $20M, Launches Saudi JV to Scale Payroll Platform

NowPay secured $20 million to expand its earned wage access and payroll tools across MENA, launching NowAccess in Saudi with Tas'heel.

Flooss locks in $22M facility to expand Shariah compliant lending

Bahrain based Shariah compliant fintech Flooss has secured a $22 million credit facility structured by Shorooq, as it scales its digital consumer financing products under Central Bank of Bahrain regulation.