# Yahya Aqel

> Yahya Aqel is the co-founder and CEO of Aumet, MENA's largest B2B healthcare marketplace and AI-first procurement operating system. A biomedical engineer turned serial entrepreneur, he has founded five health tech startups across Silicon Valley, the Middle East, and Western Europe — two of which resulted in successful exits. Aumet, backed by Emkan Capital and others, has raised $21.84M to date and processes over $1 billion in gross merchandise volume annually, connecting 12,000+ pharmacies with 1,000+ pharmaceutical suppliers across Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Aumet
- **Organizations:** Aumet, Techstars, IE Business School Alumni, World Economic Forum
- **Nationality:** Jordanian
- **Education:** Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering, Hashemite University, Global MBA, IE Business School, Madrid
- **Known for:** EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2019), Aumet selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the top 100 startups globally (2017, 2019), Founded five health tech startups with two successful exits

## Career timeline

- **2005-2011** — Managing Director at Al-Sumow International Co., a medical manufacturer in Kuwait; acquired in 2011
- **2011-2014** — Co-founder and CEO of Aqel Universal Medical Equipment and Tools, manufacturing health products for Gulf markets
- **2014** — Founded Healthy Brain, an e-commerce platform for medical product sales
- **2014-2015** — Global MBA at IE Business School, Madrid — developed the early Aumet concept during an Entrepreneurship Management course
- **2016** — Co-founded OnEx, a sales platform for health product manufacturers and distributors
- **2016** — Founded Aumet; secured early funding from 500 Global (500 Startups); relocated to Silicon Valley
- **2019** — Named EY Entrepreneur of the Year; Aumet recognized by World Economic Forum as one of top 100 global startups
- **2020** — Aumet joined Techstars accelerator; pivoted business model during COVID-19 pandemic
- **2023** — Raised $7M pre-Series A round
- **2023** — Spoke at Amman Arab University's Innovation in Pharmacy Scientific Day
- **2026-05** — Closed $12M Series A led by Emkan Capital; Aumet surpassed $1B in GMV with 12,000+ pharmacies

## Achievements

- EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2019)
- Aumet selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the top 100 startups globally (2017, 2019)
- Founded five health tech startups with two successful exits
- Scaled Aumet to $1B+ in annual gross merchandise value
- Built MENA's largest B2B healthcare marketplace connecting 12,000+ pharmacies
- Deployed AI procurement OS across 32 hospitals and Jordan's Ministry of Health
- Featured in Inc. and TechCrunch
- Raised $21.84M in total funding across multiple rounds
- Techstars 2020 alumnus

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Closed $12M Series A led by Emkan Capital, with QDB, SABAH VC, AAIC, Shorooq Partners, and strategic investors Cigalah Group and Salehiya Trading Company
- **2026-05** — Aumet surpassed $1B in Gross Merchandise Value and 5M+ annual transactions
- **2026-05** — Platform now serves 12,000+ pharmacies in Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia with 1,000+ pharmaceutical suppliers
- **2026-05** — Enterprise AI Procurement OS deployed at 32 hospitals, 500+ medical centers, and 18+ medical warehouses
- **2026-05** — Partnership with Abu Dhabi-based AI company Presight for Jordan's Ministry of Health deployment

## Links

- Website: https://aumet.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/yahya-aqel-621a52116
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/yahya_aqel
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aumet.me/?fref=ts

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/yahya-aqel
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-20