Dubai, UAE — Premium corporate-gifting platform CADO has raised US $4.5 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Sanabil 500, joined by a German family office and a group of angel investors. The funding will support CADO’s expansion in Saudi Arabia and its international debut in New York, as the company seeks to position itself as a global player in digital gifting.
Founded in 2019 by Leila Al Marashi, CADO began as a small team in Dubai and has grown into a regional business operating across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The company provides a digital platform for corporate gifting that connects businesses with curated local and international artisans, handling everything from design to delivery.
Al Marashi said the new funding will allow CADO to build deeper networks within Saudi Arabia, particularly as the Kingdom’s creative economy expands under Vision 2030. “Our expansion into Saudi Arabia has been an inspiring part of our journey, where we’re building an ecosystem that connects artisans, suppliers, and businesses with a shared commitment to excellence and creativity,” she said in a statement.
In parallel, CADO plans to launch operations in New York as part of a broader move to tap into the Western corporate-gifting market. The company believes its focus on personalised, design-led gifting gives it an edge in a sector still dominated by standardised merchandise and catalogue-based options.
CADO’s client base already includes over 500 repeat enterprise customers, among them Cartier, Gucci, Netflix, and American Express. The platform combines design expertise with logistics and technology, allowing businesses to send bespoke gifts that reflect their brand identity and local craftsmanship.
From an investment perspective, the round underscores regional investor confidence in creative-tech ventures. Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner at Sanabil 500, said CADO is “redefining what modern gifting means for today’s connected world. Their model merges creativity, technology, and cultural relevance — creating a new global category rooted in human connection.”
The move into Saudi Arabia is strategically aligned with ongoing efforts to localise production and support small creative enterprises. Under Vision 2030, the Saudi Ministry of Culture and SDAIA have been driving initiatives that promote home-grown brands and enable digital transformation across service industries — both trends that benefit CADO’s hybrid approach.
As CADO prepares its U.S. launch, scaling operations across multiple geographies will be a critical test. Corporate gifting is a high-touch business where design, timing, and local sourcing must operate seamlessly. Maintaining quality while managing cross-border logistics will determine how effectively CADO can compete against established players in the U.S. and European markets.
Still, CADO’s model is well-positioned to leverage regional advantages. The Gulf’s growing appetite for high-end, locally-produced goods, coupled with a young, design-literate workforce, provides fertile ground for platforms that blend craftsmanship with digital efficiency. By linking MENA-based artisans to global corporations, CADO is creating a supply chain that reflects both cultural authenticity and international quality standards.
The US $4.5 million raise reflects a broader pattern among MENA startups seeking to scale globally from a Gulf base. As sovereign funds and early-stage investors expand their focus beyond fintech and logistics, creative-commerce ventures like CADO signal the next wave of regional entrepreneurship — one defined by design, experience, and exportable innovation.
UAE’s CADO raises US $4.5M expand into Saudi Arabia and New York