mena-tech
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The Delivery App That Lets the City Name Its Price
MRSOOL made a Saudi habit - asking, bargaining and helping - into software. Its open request-and-bid model explains how a simple errand app became a regional logistics network with nearly 15 million customers.
DTEK.ai
DTEK.ai is a Dubai-based retail AI company whose flagship product, SWIFT, replaces barcode scanning with computer vision: shoppers set their items down on a kiosk, the system recognises them in a fraction of a second, and the transaction closes in about twenty to thirty seconds. Founded in January 2021 as Dukkantek - a cloud point-of-sale and store-management platform for the corner grocers of the Gulf - the company rebranded around late 2023 and rebuilt itself around vision models, adding SIGHT (turning existing CCTV into non-biometric store analytics) and a layer of configurable AI agents for loss prevention and reporting. It has raised $15.2 million across two rounds from investors including Global Founders Capital, BECO Capital, Rocketship and Wamda Capital, and in May 2026 signed its most visible deal to date: a rollout of SWIFT across 50 Oasis by ADNOC convenience stores in the UAE, with ADNOC Distribution citing a target of more than 60 percent faster checkout.
NorthLadder
NorthLadder is a Dubai-founded technology company that runs an auction-driven trade-in and buy-back platform for pre-owned electronics. It gives consumers instant cash for old phones and gadgets - with doorstep pickup and certified data wipes - while offering telecom operators, retailers, e-commerce players and OEMs a white-label, end-to-end trade-in engine that connects devices to a network of global buyers. By automating assessment and valuation, NorthLadder aims to unlock the residual value of used devices and extend their lifecycle in support of circular-economy goals.
Step
Step is a new-media and events company that runs one of the largest technology festivals in the Middle East and North Africa. Founded by Ray Dargham in 2011, it stages the annual Step Conference in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, publishes tech newsletters and social platforms like StepFeed, and connects founders, investors and builders. From a first edition of roughly 100 people, it has grown to draw more than 8,000 attendees, with startups featured on its stages collectively raising billions in funding. In 2026 the company extended its model to San Francisco with an AI-focused edition.