RIYADH: Regional investors across the region deployed capital across sectors includling industrial robotics, alternative financing, and beauty as September came to a close.
Shorooq and Presight join Maven Robotics’ $100m series A
UAE-based Shorooq and Presight, a G42 company, participated in US industrial robotics startup Maven Robotics’ $100 million series A through funds managed by Shorooq, extending Gulf investment into artificial intelligence systems designed for physical industrial operations.
Other participants included RoboStrategy, LocalGlobe, Vine Ventures and XTX Ventures.
The companies did not disclose the amounts committed by Shorooq or Presight, while the wider financing will support Maven’s next phase of hardware production.
Founded in 2024 by Hamza Derbas and based in Santa Clara, California, Maven develops autonomous robots for logistics and manufacturing. Its initial focus includes mixed-case palletizing and tote handling within warehouses and production facilities.
Maven said its machines already operate for up to 16 hours daily at customer sites with reliability above 99 percent.
The company plans to build 250 third-generation robots while designing its fourth-generation fleet.
The new machines will help Maven move beyond palletizing into broader materials-handling applications. Its founding team includes specialists in AI, robotics, engineering and autonomous systems, with experience building data pipelines that allow hardware to learn from operations.
Saudi fintech erad raises $22m series A
Alternative financing platform erad raised $22 million in a series A round led by Middle East Venture Partners, with new and existing investors backing the Saudi-based firm’s expansion across the Gulf Cooperation Council.
New participants included 500 Global, Saudi Venture Capital, and S60 Ventures, as well as ANB Capital, Conjunction Capital and Araya Ventures.
Khwarizmi Ventures, Nuwa Capital, and Aljazira Capital returned as existing investors, as did Oraseya Capital and Joa Capital.
Founded in 2022 by Salem Abu-Hammour, Faris Yaghmour, Abdulmalik Al-Meheini and Youssef Said, erad offers small and medium-sized enterprises in Saudi Arabia and the UAE Shariah-compliant working-capital financing of up to SR10 million ($2.6 million).
Erad said it has deployed more than SR500 million in cumulative financing and received over SR4 billion in requests. Its Saudi business recorded eightfold year-on-year growth, with demand expanding into logistics, medical equipment and wholesale distribution.
The company will develop financing products for industrial, logistics and manufacturing businesses, expand regionally and recruit technology and commercial staff. The round follows a $125 million scalable facility led by Jefferies in November.
Amaani raises $5m to expand AIZA across the GCC
UAE-based consumer company Amaani raised $5 million in series A funding to expand its beauty brand AIZA.
BECO Capital led the round, joined by Homegrown Ventures and Peak XV’s Surge, bringing total funding to $8 million.
Shubham Poddar founded Amaani in 2023 to build consumer brands originating in the Middle East. The company launched AIZA in December 2024 with skincare and haircare products drawing on ingredients and beauty traditions associated with the Arab world.
The brand said net revenue rose more than ninefold year on year in 2026’s first half. AÏZA expanded from a mainly digital model into retail, selling online, through Ounass and at Ulta Beauty stores in the UAE.
AIZA’s formulations use ingredients including dates, black seed, frankincense, rose and bakhoor. The company develops its products with laboratories in Korea, Japan and Italy, while using technology in analytics, marketing and operational planning.
Amaani will spend the proceeds on product development, hiring and technology infrastructure. Saudi Arabia is the immediate expansion priority, with launches planned in Jeddah and Riyadh, followed by entries into Kuwait and Qatar during the fourth quarter.
Rela secures investment to expand Saudi workforce housing network
Saudi workforce housing startup Rela secured an undisclosed investment from Yazeed Al Rajhi & Brothers Holding, which joined as an investor and strategic partner as the young company seeks to expand its accommodation network across the Kingdom.
Launched in early 2026 by Salman Al Jabrain, Rela provides licensed accommodation and property-management services through one technology platform. It connects property owners, developers and investors with businesses requiring housing for employees and workers.
Rela manages the preparation, operation and maintenance of housing facilities rather than acting only as a marketplace. Its supporting services include transportation and catering, allowing corporate customers to consolidate accommodation-related requirements with one provider.
The platform enables clients to manage reservations, monitor occupancy, allocate workers among properties and analyse operational data.
Rela targets construction, logistics, industrial, hospitality, retail, operations and maintenance companies, including contractors serving large projects.
The firm plans to add workforce housing properties and residential complexes across Saudi Arabia. It will work with property owners, developers and investors to match available real estate with corporate accommodation demand and manage related services.
Pinnacle increases its stake in Saudi hospitality platform Gathern
Saudi investment firm Pinnacle Capital made an additional investment in alternative accommodation platform Gathern through its Pinnacle Growth & Secondary Fund, increasing its ownership in the company.
The transaction’s value and Pinnacle’s resulting stake were not disclosed.
Founded in 2016 by Latifah Al-Tamimi and Faisal Al-Anazi, Riyadh-based Gathern operates a digital marketplace connecting travellers with locally hosted accommodation across Saudi Arabia, including apartments, villas, chalets, farms and camps.
Pinnacle first backed Gathern in its SR270 million, or $72 million, series B round in August 2025. Sanabil Investments led that financing, with Endeavor Catalyst, Nuwa Capital and STV also participating alongside Pinnacle.
The series B valued Gathern at more than SR1 billion.
At the time, the company reported over 5 million registered users from 150 nationalities, more than 72,000 listed units and payments exceeding SR2 billion to local hosts.
Al-Tamimi previously said Gathern was targeting an initial public offering in 2028 while expanding into adjacent travel services.
The latest secondary investment increases Pinnacle’s exposure as the platform develops within Saudi Arabia’s hospitality market.
Source link
