VentureSouq

VentureSouq is a venture capital firm established in 2013 and headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The firm specializes in managing thematic funds with a focus on early-stage technology companies. Its investment strategy encompasses various sectors, including FinTech, ClimateTech, agriculture tech, environmental tech, food tech, enterprise software, health tech, and digital media. With a global portfolio, VentureSouq aims to support innovative startups in the MENA region and beyond.

Maan Eshgi

General Partner

Sonia Gokhale

Partner

Suneel Gokhale

Partner

Tammer Qaddumi

Partner

Sonia Weymuller

Founding Partner

Past deals in Saudi Arabia

Hakbah

Series A in 2023
Hakbah Fintech is a prominent startup based in Saudi Arabia that specializes in financial savings through a unique social savings model. The company aims to transform how individuals save and access funds by offering a digital platform that facilitates both business-to-consumer and business-to-business-to-consumer solutions. Its application allows users to create or join savings groups, enabling them to save collaboratively with others. Users can participate in various time-based savings plans and customize their saving options. Payments for installments can be made using debit cards, and users have the flexibility to withdraw funds to their bank accounts when it is their turn to receive the pooled savings. Hakbah's mission is to simplify the savings process and make it accessible to everyone, empowering individuals to take control of their financial habits in a hassle-free manner.

Salla

Secondary Market in 2023
Salla is a Saudi-based e-commerce platform that enables users to create their own online stores in Arabic, allowing them to sell products and services directly to customers. Users can personalize their stores by choosing from various design templates and establishing a branded domain name. The platform offers comprehensive inventory management and marketing tools, along with features such as automatic invoicing, customer database management, and promotional capabilities like discounts and offers. Additionally, Salla provides detailed reports that help store owners analyze performance metrics and optimize their operations. This functionality allows e-commerce merchants to manage their businesses efficiently without incurring fees or commissions.

Cyble

Series A in 2022
Cyble is a cybersecurity company that specializes in cyber intelligence software aimed at monitoring the dark web and cybercrime. The company offers a platform that provides comprehensive visibility into cyber threats and risks by automating risk assessment processes and integrating deep web intelligence. This enables governments and enterprises to detect, prioritize, and remediate security threats effectively. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Cyble has a global presence with offices in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and India. By delivering timely intelligence and expert insights, Cyble empowers its clients to safeguard their citizens and infrastructure against evolving cyber threats.

Lucidya

Series B in 2022
Lucidya, LLC is a software as a service (SaaS) company specializing in social media monitoring and analytics. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Lucidya offers a platform that enables organizations to detect and analyze social media trends, track hashtags, and access brand statistics through an interactive dashboard. It provides features such as real-time alerts, automated reporting, competitive analysis, and benchmarking. The company's unique AI and Arabic natural language processing technologies allow for accurate analysis of interactions in the Arabic language, positioning it as a leading tool in the MENA region. Lucidya serves a diverse clientele, including agencies, brands, non-profit organizations, and media entities, and has expanded its reach beyond Saudi Arabia to over six countries, catering to various industries such as telecommunications, banking, automotive, and retail.

Sary

Series C in 2021
Sary is a digital B2B marketplace based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that connects small businesses with merchant wholesalers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Launched in 2018, the platform allows small and medium-sized enterprises, including mini-market chains, hotels, restaurants, and convenience shops, to efficiently procure a wide range of products such as milk, tea, coffee, water, soft drinks, juices, oils, and chocolates. Sary's user-friendly mobile and web application enables customers to place orders for wholesale items, ranging from small boxes to large truckloads, with delivery options available as quickly as 24 hours. The company has expanded its services to 12 major cities and has served over 40,000 customers while collaborating with more than 1,700 brands and wholesalers. Sary aims to streamline the supply chain in the wholesale industry, providing businesses with immediate price quotations, product comparisons, and insights to help manage costs effectively.

Tabby

Series B in 2021
Tabby Inc. is a financial technology company based in the United Arab Emirates that offers payment solutions for online purchases. It operates a platform that provides customers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with a buy now, pay later option, allowing them to make payments for their purchases either in a single deferred payment or through multiple installments. This service aims to enhance financial flexibility, enabling consumers to manage their spending more effectively while ensuring safe payment transactions. Through its innovative approach, Tabby seeks to reshape the relationship individuals have with their finances, promoting a more accessible shopping experience.

Quant Data & Analytics

Series A in 2021
Quant Data & Analytics is a consultancy based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, specializing in data science services. Founded in 2015, the company offers a comprehensive range of solutions, including data analytics, business intelligence, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data quality management. Its services encompass data visualization, predictive analytics, and analytics training, aimed at helping businesses and governments leverage data effectively. Additionally, Quant develops a data analytics platform that integrates project management, data aggregation, and metadata management, enabling clients to address operational and strategic challenges. Through its offerings, Quant Data & Analytics strives to empower organizations to optimize operations and enhance decision-making capabilities.

Sary

Series B in 2021
Sary is a digital B2B marketplace based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that connects small businesses with merchant wholesalers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). Launched in 2018, the platform allows small and medium-sized enterprises, including mini-market chains, hotels, restaurants, and convenience shops, to efficiently procure a wide range of products such as milk, tea, coffee, water, soft drinks, juices, oils, and chocolates. Sary's user-friendly mobile and web application enables customers to place orders for wholesale items, ranging from small boxes to large truckloads, with delivery options available as quickly as 24 hours. The company has expanded its services to 12 major cities and has served over 40,000 customers while collaborating with more than 1,700 brands and wholesalers. Sary aims to streamline the supply chain in the wholesale industry, providing businesses with immediate price quotations, product comparisons, and insights to help manage costs effectively.

Tabby

Series A in 2020
Tabby Inc. is a financial technology company based in the United Arab Emirates that offers payment solutions for online purchases. It operates a platform that provides customers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia with a buy now, pay later option, allowing them to make payments for their purchases either in a single deferred payment or through multiple installments. This service aims to enhance financial flexibility, enabling consumers to manage their spending more effectively while ensuring safe payment transactions. Through its innovative approach, Tabby seeks to reshape the relationship individuals have with their finances, promoting a more accessible shopping experience.

Quant Data & Analytics

Seed Round in 2020
Quant Data & Analytics is a consultancy based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, specializing in data science services. Founded in 2015, the company offers a comprehensive range of solutions, including data analytics, business intelligence, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data quality management. Its services encompass data visualization, predictive analytics, and analytics training, aimed at helping businesses and governments leverage data effectively. Additionally, Quant develops a data analytics platform that integrates project management, data aggregation, and metadata management, enabling clients to address operational and strategic challenges. Through its offerings, Quant Data & Analytics strives to empower organizations to optimize operations and enhance decision-making capabilities.

Dapi

Seed Round in 2020
Dapi Ltd is a fintech company that specializes in developing an application programming interface (API) designed to facilitate payments between consumer bank accounts and businesses. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Dapi offers a suite of open banking APIs that enable real-time connections to customer bank accounts, initiate payments, and access financial data. This functionality empowers developers to create various financial applications, such as digital wallets, budget trackers, and investment tools. Dapi's services have gained traction across multiple countries, including operations in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa, and Kuwait. The company has experienced significant growth, achieving $400,000 in annual recurring revenue and a monthly growth rate exceeding 50%.

Kitopi

Series B in 2019
Kitopi is a Kitchen as a Service (KaaS) platform that facilitates the establishment of delivery-only restaurant locations by offering managed kitchen infrastructure and software solutions. Founded in 2018 by Mohamad Ballout, Saman Darkan, Bader Ataya, and Andy Arenas, Kitopi operates a network of over 60 cloud kitchens across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The company enables restaurateurs to minimize capital expenditure and streamline operations by providing essential services such as management, call assistance, delivery management, trained staff, and specialized technology. Although Kitopi expanded into the United States in 2019, it exited the market following the onset of the pandemic.

Lucidya

Series A in 2019
Lucidya, LLC is a software as a service (SaaS) company specializing in social media monitoring and analytics. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Lucidya offers a platform that enables organizations to detect and analyze social media trends, track hashtags, and access brand statistics through an interactive dashboard. It provides features such as real-time alerts, automated reporting, competitive analysis, and benchmarking. The company's unique AI and Arabic natural language processing technologies allow for accurate analysis of interactions in the Arabic language, positioning it as a leading tool in the MENA region. Lucidya serves a diverse clientele, including agencies, brands, non-profit organizations, and media entities, and has expanded its reach beyond Saudi Arabia to over six countries, catering to various industries such as telecommunications, banking, automotive, and retail.

Kitopi

Series A in 2018
Kitopi is a Kitchen as a Service (KaaS) platform that facilitates the establishment of delivery-only restaurant locations by offering managed kitchen infrastructure and software solutions. Founded in 2018 by Mohamad Ballout, Saman Darkan, Bader Ataya, and Andy Arenas, Kitopi operates a network of over 60 cloud kitchens across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The company enables restaurateurs to minimize capital expenditure and streamline operations by providing essential services such as management, call assistance, delivery management, trained staff, and specialized technology. Although Kitopi expanded into the United States in 2019, it exited the market following the onset of the pandemic.

Souqalmal

Series B in 2017
Souqalmal.com is the leading financial comparison site in the Middle East with operations in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. The company has empowers customers to make decisions on their best deal on credit cards, mortgages, personal loans and insurance products. The company has raised 3 rounds of fundraise and over USD 12M to date. Shareholders include major comparison site GoCompare from the UK, Hummingbird Ventures, Riyadh Taqnia Fund, 500 Start up amongst others. Multiple awards from the Best Online Business of the Year by Gulf Capital to The UAE start up of the Year by Forbes, the company has thrived and grown its insurance business 7X in 3 years.

Souqalmal

Convertible Note in 2016
Souqalmal.com is the leading financial comparison site in the Middle East with operations in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. The company has empowers customers to make decisions on their best deal on credit cards, mortgages, personal loans and insurance products. The company has raised 3 rounds of fundraise and over USD 12M to date. Shareholders include major comparison site GoCompare from the UK, Hummingbird Ventures, Riyadh Taqnia Fund, 500 Start up amongst others. Multiple awards from the Best Online Business of the Year by Gulf Capital to The UAE start up of the Year by Forbes, the company has thrived and grown its insurance business 7X in 3 years.
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.