Latest news with #GlobalVentures
Arabian Post
02-07-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
PoliCloud Secures €7.5 Million to Fuel European Sovereign Cloud Roll‑out
PoliCloud has closed a €7.5 million seed funding round led by Global Ventures, with participation from MI8, OneRagtime, Inria and others, to accelerate its expansion of sovereign, decentralised cloud infrastructure aimed at European governments, enterprises and SMEs. The Cannes‑based firm will deploy the capital to bolster its operational team, scale micro‑data centre deployment across Europe and target public sector clients that need secure, locally governed cloud services. Founded in February 2025 by serial fintech entrepreneur David Gurlé, PoliCloud delivers containerised micro‑data centres housing proprietary hardware integrated with Hivenet's distributed storage and computing software. Early traction includes four sold units and projected revenues in excess of €6 million by the end of 2025. ADVERTISEMENT The firm's micro‑data centres—equipped with up to 104 GPUs per unit and expected to scale beyond 1,000 GPUs by year‑end—are designed for high‑performance computing, AI processing and encrypted data storage, offering reduced dependency on US‑based cloud giants and enhanced compliance with European data sovereignty standards. 'PoliCloud is meeting a critical market demand for sovereign cloud infrastructure that is not only secure and abundant but also eco‑responsible,' Gurlé stated, underscoring an ambition to deliver affordable, decentralised compute infrastructure across the continent. Global Ventures Senior Partner Simon Sharp explained the investment thesis, emphasising a need for visionary entrepreneurs offering solutions with clear market demand and global potential. The firm previously backed Hivenet in 2022 and views PoliCloud as a strategic addition to its portfolio. OneRagtime CEO Stéphanie Hospital and Mi8 Managing Director Guillaume Dhamelincourt echoed the sentiment, citing the increasing demand for affordable, secure and sustainable computing power in Europe. Inria's participation aligned with its strategic mission to support decentralised computing as a way to bolster France's digital autonomy. Industry analysts note that the cloud infrastructure sector in Europe has drawn significant venture investment, particularly in sovereign and AI-ready platforms. PoliCloud stands out for combining hardware innovation, distributed software architecture and environmental responsibility—promising 75% lower CO₂ emissions and zero‑water waste per unit. PoliCloud's edge compute strategy is being viewed as a potential game‑changer in the context of accelerating AI adoption. It offers municipalities, research institutions and regulated industries the flexibility to deploy GPU‑rich, GDPR‑compliant infrastructure locally, rather than relying on centralised hyperscalers. Operating from Cannes, the company has so far sold four units within three months of its February launch at the World AI Cannes Festival. Hardware specifics remain under wraps, though insiders suggest each container may host more than 100 GPUs, with a roadmap targeting up to 10,000 GPUs by the end of 2026. The €7.5 million lifeline will be used to recruit additional talent, fund technical development, scale production of micro‑data centres and initiate roll‑out across multiple European markets.
Zawya
26-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
PoliCloud, the pioneering, next-gen sovereign cloud infrastructure, raises €7.5mln
$800 billion cloud market, growing at 20% a year - amid accelerated demand for AI – is ripe for a European solution to lessen dependence on U.S. Cloud providers Cannes, France – PoliCloud (the 'Company'), the rapidly-growing provider and developer of next-gen, sovereign, High Performance Computing (HPC) cloud infrastructure, announces its €7.5 million seed fundraise. The funding was led by Global Ventures, a leading VC firm in MENA, with participation from MI8 Limited, a Hong Kong multi-family office; OneRagtime, a Paris-based venture capital firm; Inria, France's National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology; and other private investors. The proceeds will be used to hire the operating team and grow its business globally with a focus on public entities in Europe. PoliCloud provides state-of-the-art distributed cloud infrastructure for secure storage and HPC. The Company's solution is eco-responsible, affordable, abundant, and secure; meets the sovereignty needs of enterprises, public administrations and local SMEs; is at the edge because of its unique capabilities of providing decentralization of computing through its partnership with Hivenet, the distributed cloud leader and owner of the market's largest contributor community. PoliCloud is responding to demand following relentless (c. 20% annually) global cloud growth. Accelerated demand for AI requires affordable and scalable computing power, and the market is ripe for a Europe-led solution to lessen dependence on U.S. cloud providers, who currently dominate the $800 billion market. David Gurlé, Founder of PoliCloud, said: 'PoliCloud is meeting a critical market demand for sovereign cloud infrastructure that is not only secure and abundant but also eco-responsible. Our unique edge computing capabilities deliver significant benefits to both public and private sector users. 'The time is right for a new European solution that reduces reliance on US cloud providers and offers affordable, scalable computing power, especially as AI adoption accelerates. We are grateful to Global Ventures and all our investors for their support as we enter this exciting phase of expansion.' PoliCloud is a solution addressing market imperfections. Current cloud expansion suffers from high usage costs and dependence on hyperscalers - such as Google or Amazon - whose models use massive, single, centralized data facilities with high implementation costs and challenging environmental conditions. In contrast, PoliCloud has multiple competitive advantages, including: Unlimited and flexible computing power, provided by federating with the Grid. By y/e 2025, it will have >1,000+ GPUs and by y/e 2026 >20,000+ GPUs; Computing resources are delivered to where they are needed and empower local communities; Small footprint and energy needs; Rapid time to market, with flexibility and adaptability; Capex and Opex offset by sharing unused capacity; and More resilient, higher performance, and more scalable by design PoliCloud's operating model combines its hardware and infrastructure with Hivenet's distributed storage and computing software. PoliCloud designs, builds, and operates its own computers and micro-data centers, with proprietary and optimized design, to ensure low-cost, high-performance storage and computing on state-of-the-art hardware. For example, cities such as Cannes, France, purchase, host, and supply PoliClouds with electricity and fiber connection, and offer the available capacity to its ecosystem of startups in their incubator. Enterprises, such as Data Factory, provide HPC infrastructure to their customers in the US. The result is reliable and scalable cloud storage for public and private users. PoliCloud was launched in February 2025 at the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival (WAICF) with support from the five cities of the Alpes-Maritimes. The Company also benefits from a positive market context and political environment, as well as buoyant early trading. Having already sold four PoliClouds in three months, with a projected €6+ million in revenue by year-end 2025, the Company is already cash flow positive. The current cloud computing market is worth $800 billion and is projected to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to Goldman Sachs Research. Profitability pressure is shifting the market to frugality, and there is a need for cost-effective GPU-based computing, such as HPC for rapid rendering graphics. SMEs are rapidly growing and adopting AI, catalysing a major market need for computing power that requires fulfillment. France's public investment bank, Bpifrance, also considers the development of distributed computer technology as a deep-tech initiative. Simon Sharp, Senior Partner of Global Ventures, commented: 'Global Ventures is delighted to lead PoliCloud's seed fund raise and work again with David and his talented management team, following their track record of successful delivery in Hivenet. We seek visionary entrepreneurs whose products have clear market demand and global potential – all of which apply to PoliCloud. Their distributed data centers have multiple competitive advantages: delivering next-gen, sovereign computing resources where they are needed; with more resilience; faster performance; greater security; while being cheaper to build and maintain. The exponential growth in AI demand and the need for reliable, scalable computing power means the Company's future is a very bright one.' Stephanie Hospital, Founder & CEO of OneRagtime, said: 'As an early investor and believer in David and Hivenet; and being very aware of how cloud technology has opened up horizons of innovation, but also comes with challenges of costs, security and environmental impact, OneRagtime is excited to invest in PoliCloud. The company is uniquely positioned to provide decentralized, unlimited computing power – affordably, securely and in an eco-responsible way – for which substantial demand exists.' Bruno Sportisse, CEO of Inria, commented: "Inria Participations is delighted to become an investor in Policloud, as it is a logical extension of Inria's existing strategic partnership with Hivenet. Inria and PoliCloud share the same philosophy of a decentralized path to the cloud, for secure, distributed computing, but where resources can also be shared according to need. Achieving this goal is of strategic importance for France and its digital sovereignty." Guillaume Dhamelincourt, Managing Director of Mi8, said: 'The opportunity to invest in PoliCloud was compelling for Mi8, as the world embraces AI and rapidly adjusts its demand for computing power. The multiple use cases for PoliClouds, such as SMEs - but also public enterprises who want to stay mindful of their IT strategy's impact- is an attractive market environment and we look forward to PoliCloud's future growth with great confidence.' Further information Thoburns Ben Rothschild About PoliCloud PoliCloud is a decentralized cloud built for cities, enterprises, and public institutions that refuse to hand their data to hyperscalers. Each unit arrives as a container-sized module that runs compute and storage locally while linking to a wider network. Sovereignty — Data remains under local regulation, free from foreign interference. Security — End-to-end encryption and live intrusion protection keep workloads safe and always on. Sustainability — Air-cooled design cuts energy use and eliminates water waste, offering a cloud that respects the planet. Scalability — Snap in new modules when you need extra power; the fabric pools capacity automatically for AI, research, and everyday services. | queenie@ About Hivenet Hivenet is a distributed cloud platform that replaces traditional data centers with crowdsourced infrastructure. People use Hivenet to back up files, run computing tasks, and send large files—powered entirely by idle devices across the globe. It's fast, fair, and radically more sustainable than the status quo. No extraction. No vendor lock-in. Just cloud services that actually live up to the name. queenie@
Zawya
26-06-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Policloud - The pioneering, next-gen sovereign cloud infrastructure - raises €7.5mln
Rapidly growing company, led by serial entrepreneur, David Gurlé, completes seed round - led by Global Ventures, a leading VC firm in MENA - with participation from Inria, OneRagtime, Mi8, and business angels $800 billion cloud market, growing at 20% a year - amid accelerated demand for AI – is ripe for a European solution to lessen dependence on U.S. Cloud providers Cannes, France – PoliCloud (the 'Company'), the rapidly-growing provider and developer of next-gen, sovereign, High Performance Computing (HPC) cloud infrastructure, announces its €7.5 million seed fundraise. The funding was led by Global Ventures, a leading VC firm in MENA, with participation from MI8 Limited, a Hong Kong multi-family office; OneRagtime, a Paris-based venture capital firm; Inria, France's National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology; and other private investors. The proceeds will be used to hire the operating team and grow its business globally with a focus on public entities in Europe. PoliCloud provides state-of-the-art distributed cloud infrastructure for secure storage and HPC. The Company's solution is eco-responsible, affordable, abundant, and secure; meets the sovereignty needs of enterprises, public administrations and local SMEs; is at the edge because of its unique capabilities of providing decentralization of computing through its partnership with Hivenet, the distributed cloud leader and owner of the market's largest contributor community. PoliCloud is responding to demand following relentless (c. 20% annually) global cloud growth. Accelerated demand for AI requires affordable and scalable computing power, and the market is ripe for a Europe-led solution to lessen dependence on U.S. cloud providers, who currently dominate the $800 billion market. David Gurlé, Founder of PoliCloud, said: 'PoliCloud is meeting a critical market demand for sovereign cloud infrastructure that is not only secure and abundant but also eco-responsible. Our unique edge computing capabilities deliver significant benefits to both public and private sector users. 'The time is right for a new European solution that reduces reliance on US cloud providers and offers affordable, scalable computing power, especially as AI adoption accelerates. We are grateful to Global Ventures and all our investors for their support as we enter this exciting phase of expansion.' PoliCloud is a solution addressing market imperfections. Current cloud expansion suffers from high usage costs and dependence on hyperscalers - such as Google or Amazon - whose models use massive, single, centralized data facilities with high implementation costs and challenging environmental conditions. In contrast, PoliCloud has multiple competitive advantages, including: Unlimited and flexible computing power, provided by federating with the Grid. By y/e 2025, it will have >1,000+ GPUs and by y/e 2026 >20,000+ GPUs; Computing resources are delivered to where they are needed and empower local communities; Small footprint and energy needs; Rapid time to market, with flexibility and adaptability; Capex and Opex offset by sharing unused capacity; and More resilient, higher performance, and more scalable by design PoliCloud's operating model combines its hardware and infrastructure with Hivenet's distributed storage and computing software. PoliCloud designs, builds, and operates its own computers and micro-data centers, with proprietary and optimized design, to ensure low-cost, high-performance storage and computing on state-of-the-art hardware. For example, cities such as Cannes, France, purchase, host, and supply PoliClouds with electricity and fiber connection, and offer the available capacity to its ecosystem of startups in their incubator. Enterprises, such as Data Factory, provide HPC infrastructure to their customers in the US. The result is reliable and scalable cloud storage for public and private users. PoliCloud was launched in February 2025 at the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival (WAICF) with support from the five cities of the Alpes-Maritimes. The Company also benefits from a positive market context and political environment, as well as buoyant early trading. Having already sold four PoliClouds in three months, with a projected €6+ million in revenue by year-end 2025, the Company is already cash flow positive. The current cloud computing market is worth $800 billion and is projected to reach $2 trillion by 2030, according to Goldman Sachs Research. Profitability pressure is shifting the market to frugality, and there is a need for cost-effective GPU-based computing, such as HPC for rapid rendering graphics. SMEs are rapidly growing and adopting AI, catalysing a major market need for computing power that requires fulfillment. France's public investment bank, Bpifrance, also considers the development of distributed computer technology as a deep-tech initiative. Simon Sharp, Senior Partner of Global Ventures, commented: 'Global Ventures is delighted to lead PoliCloud's seed fund raise and work again with David and his talented management team, following their track record of successful delivery in Hivenet. We seek visionary entrepreneurs whose products have clear market demand and global potential – all of which apply to PoliCloud. Their distributed data centers have multiple competitive advantages: delivering next-gen, sovereign computing resources where they are needed; with more resilience; faster performance; greater security; while being cheaper to build and maintain. The exponential growth in AI demand and the need for reliable, scalable computing power means the Company's future is a very bright one.' Stephanie Hospital, Founder & CEO of OneRagtime, said: 'As an early investor and believer in David and Hivenet; and being very aware of how cloud technology has opened up horizons of innovation, but also comes with challenges of costs, security and environmental impact, OneRagtime is excited to invest in PoliCloud. The company is uniquely positioned to provide decentralized, unlimited computing power – affordably, securely and in an eco-responsible way – for which substantial demand exists.' Bruno Sportisse, CEO of Inria, commented: "Inria Participations is delighted to become an investor in Policloud, as it is a logical extension of Inria's existing strategic partnership with Hivenet. Inria and PoliCloud share the same philosophy of a decentralized path to the cloud, for secure, distributed computing, but where resources can also be shared according to need. Achieving this goal is of strategic importance for France and its digital sovereignty." Guillaume Dhamelincourt, Managing Director of Mi8, said: 'The opportunity to invest in PoliCloud was compelling for Mi8, as the world embraces AI and rapidly adjusts its demand for computing power. The multiple use cases for PoliClouds, such as SMEs - but also public enterprises who want to stay mindful of their IT strategy's impact- is an attractive market environment and we look forward to PoliCloud's future growth with great confidence.' About PoliCloud PoliCloud is a decentralized cloud built for cities, enterprises, and public institutions that refuse to hand their data to hyperscalers. Each unit arrives as a container-sized module that runs compute and storage locally while linking to a wider network. Sovereignty — Data remains under local regulation, free from foreign interference. Security — End-to-end encryption and live intrusion protection keep workloads safe and always on. Sustainability — Air-cooled design cuts energy use and eliminates water waste, offering a cloud that respects the planet. Scalability — Snap in new modules when you need extra power; the fabric pools capacity automatically for AI, research, and everyday services. About Hivenet Hivenet is a distributed cloud platform that replaces traditional data centers with crowdsourced infrastructure. People use Hivenet to back up files, run computing tasks, and send large files—powered entirely by idle devices across the globe. It's fast, fair, and radically more sustainable than the status quo. No extraction. No vendor lock-in. Just cloud services that actually live up to the name.
Arab News
20-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Where the money is flowing: AI, agritech, and fintech set to lead Saudi venture capital ecosystem
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's venture capital ecosystem is entering a pivotal phase of growth, fueled by a surge in domestic and international investment targeting sectors aligned with the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Agriculture tech, fintech, artificial intelligence, and clean energy are emerging as key pillars of this transformation, driven by regulatory reforms, demographic shifts, and a rising global investor appetite. The country's ambition to become a regional innovation hub is drawing sustained capital inflows, placing it at the center of the broader emerging venture market investment narrative. Domestic ambition shapes sectoral disposition Said Murad, senior partner at investment firm Global Ventures, cited Saudi Arabia's high food import dependency and its ambitions to boost domestic production as key in drawing funds to the Kingdom. 'Agritech and climate-related technologies will certainly contribute to the next phase of investment growth,' he told Arab News in an interview. Complementing this trend, Philip Bahoshy, CEO of MAGNiTT, pointed to fintech, AI, clean energy, logistics, and advanced manufacturing as areas expected to dominate future funding. 'These sectors align with Vision 2030's push for economic diversification and digital transformation,' he told Arab News, with health tech and deep tech also gaining traction due to increasing research and development support and regulatory tailwinds. AI, in particular, is emerging as a dominant investment theme in the region. According to MAGNiTT's 2025 predictions, the sector is set to double its share of venture capital funding in emerging venture markets this year, following a surge of high-profile deals in 2024. 'AI was the main driver of investment activity both in the private and public markets in the US and other mature markets in 2024,' the platform noted, referencing data from PitchBook. In the first nine months of 2024, AI accounted for 41.3 percent of US venture capital funding. In Saudi Arabia, this momentum is reflected in deals such as Intelmatix's $20 million Series A round and Amazon Web Services's planned data center investment, both signaling the Kingdom's rising stake in the global AI landscape. MAGNiTT also cited broader geopolitical and commercial developments in the AI space, including chip export agreements, as indicators of the sector's rising importance in the region. 'Based on our proprietary data, we expect AI funding to double in 2025 due to increased investor attention to innovative AI startups,' the company stated. Beyond AI, Global Ventures' investment in Iyris, an agritech company spun out of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, illustrates the potential of local innovation to address long-standing structural challenges. 'Iyris is positively disrupting agricultural practices for mid-to-low-tech farmers, particularly in hot climates,' Murad said. The startup launched the National Food Production Initiative in 2023, partnering with SABIC and Red Sea Global to establish a sustainable farming project in Bada, Saudi Arabia, aimed at regenerating unproductive land and enhancing food security. Fintech remains another strong area of interest, supported by a digitally connected population and a push toward financial inclusion. 'With 98 percent internet penetration and 97 percent smartphone adoption among the 18-to-78-year age group, the Kingdom has one of the world's most digitally enabled populations,' Murad said. He views this as a key enabler for innovation in financial services, both consumer-facing and enterprise-driven. Focused sectors, broad appeal Capital inflows into Saudi Arabia are being driven not only by sector performance but also by global institutional interest in the region. According to MAGNiTT, firms including BlackRock, Golden Gate Ventures, and Polen Capital have already established offices or acquired licenses in the Kingdom, the UAE, or Qatar. Others, including General Catalyst and the BRICS Investment Fund, have made their investment debuts or launched dedicated MENA-focused funds. 'In 2025, we expect even more investors and asset managers to set up offices in the EVM regions, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE,' MAGNiTT stated, attributing this to the region's 'friendly business-enabling environment.' Deal flow in the Kingdom has grown across all funding stages. 'Saudi Arabia saw a surge in pre-seed and seed-stage funding,' said Murad, noting that demand for later-stage capital is increasing as startups validate their models and seek international expansion. Supporting this trajectory is a growing exit pipeline. In 2024, Saudi Arabia completed 42 initial public offerings, ranking seventh globally in capital raised. 'This growing pipeline of exits signals the increasing maturity of the country's capital markets and reinforces the long-term viability of its venture ecosystem,' Murad added. As international capital intensifies, local venture firms are adapting their strategies to remain competitive. 'Regional players active in the market will understand local nuances, ultimately providing a competitive advantage,' Murad said. He emphasized that investors offering operational support and showcasing portfolio success stories will be best positioned to attract international limited partners. The Kingdom's regulatory environment is increasingly seen as a strength in the region's venture capital narrative. 'Government initiatives and the regulatory framework are geared to venture capital firms investing in startups in a secure, forward-thinking, and robust environment,' Murad said. Still, he cautioned that strong business fundamentals remain essential. 'The need for entrepreneurs to have strong, sustainable business models with good unit economics is as necessary as ever,' said the Global Ventures partner. Despite global uncertainties, Saudi entrepreneurs may be better equipped than most to navigate a challenging macroeconomic environment. 'At Global Ventures, we refer to the 'adversity advantage'— a natural upside for regional entrepreneurs who are used to working with, and around, resource scarcity,' Murad said. 'This has empowered them, by design, to build businesses more resilient and adaptable to challenges,' he added.
Wamda
09-06-2025
- Business
- Wamda
The future of MENA SMEs depends on smarter CFO tools
An article by Adnan Murudi, Associate, and Simon Sharp, Partner at Global Ventures CFOs sit at the centre of strategic decision-making , connecting liquidity, performance, and future planning to business execution. However, in the MENA region, where digital transformation is accelerating and economic complexity is rising, the finance stack has not always kept pace. Many finance teams still rely on spreadsheets, manual workflows, and disconnected systems. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) account for up to 90% of private sector businesses and employ over 50% of the formal workforce in key markets such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Yet these businesses remain critically underserved by financial services. SMEs receive only 8% of total lending across the region, with the figure dropping as low as 2% in some GCC countries. Over 80% of SMEs in the MENA region still rely on manual or semi-manual processes, which severely limit accuracy, efficiency, and scalability. Today, this is starting to change. Across the region, a new wave of fintechs is reimagining how finance teams operate, and CFOs are leading that shift. Below, we outline the key operational challenges faced by MENA CFOs, why fintech tools are becoming essential, and which emerging players are reshaping the landscape. CFO tech is fast becoming one of the most impactful and overlooked verticals in MENA's fintech evolution. What's driving the shift? We have identified five recurring challenges faced by finance teams in the region, each representing an opportunity for modern fintech tooling to create an outsized impact. Highly manual workflows: Finance teams still spend disproportionate time on error-prone tasks like invoice matching, expense claims, and reconciliation. This slows down decision-making and limits time for strategic planning. Overly complicated tech stacks: ERP, HRIS, sales, and bank systems often don't integrate. CFOs end up patching gaps between tools instead of leveraging a unified source of truth. Lack of collaboration: Budgeting and forecasting rely on multiple teams, yet collaboration still happens through scattered emails and Google Sheets. Version control is chaotic, and real-time context is missing. Data fragmentation at scale: As companies expand across markets, tracking performance across units becomes complex. Without live dashboards and unified analytics, finance teams lack a 360-degree view. Limited planning and forecasting tools: Excel remains the dominant tool for Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) across the region. Scenario-based planning tools remain rare, exposing teams to sudden shocks like cost inflation or currency fluctuations. As these constraints accumulate, the case for modern, integrated solutions becomes not just compelling but necessary. Why SMEs in MENA are an untapped fintech market SMEs are a major contributor to MENA's economy, yet they remain significantly underserved by traditional financial institutions. This presents a clear opportunity for fintechs to tailor solutions that fill the infrastructure gap, offering lean, accessible tools that help SMEs grow within a supportive financial ecosystem. Mapping the CFO tech landscape in MENA Regional fintech startups are building modern finance infrastructure from the ground up. What's exciting in MENA is not just that CFO tools are being built, but how they are being built, with deep awareness of local regulations, operational complexity, and fragmented banking systems. Fintech founders are creating end-to-end platforms that go beyond point solutions, bundling payments, accounting, and reporting into integrated stacks. CFO tools landscape: The modern CFO toolkit is evolving into a fully integrated stack spanning the full spectrum of financial operations: from payment automation and expenses to accounts payables/receivables and accounting software. Payment automation solutions streamline fund disbursements— from payroll to supplier payments - by reducing manual intervention, minimizing errors, and ensuring on-time execution. Expense management tools give real-time visibility into operational spending. Expenses can be tracked, controlled, and optimised via reporting, approval workflows, and policy enforcement. Cashflow and equity management platforms open access to alternative funding streams such as revenue-based financing, SME lending, and invoice factoring, while also supporting equity management. Accounts payable and receivable solutions automate matching of payments with invoices, significantly improving efficiency and reducing errors. Finally, cloud-native accounting software delivers end-to-end financial management - from general ledger and payroll to reporting - integrating with other systems to give CFOs a unified view of operations. The CFO Tech Landscape below highlights selected fintech solutions emerging across MENA's CFO technology landscape, each addressing a specific function within the broader financial operations ecosystem. What's next for CFO tech in MENA? Looking ahead, four trends will define the next phase of CFO technology in the MENA region: localised compliance, end-to-end platforms, sector-specific solutions rather than generic ones, and financial planning and cashflow tools. Localised compliance features, such as Arabic-first interfaces, native e-invoicing, and tailored tax handling, are becoming increasingly essential. Fintech tools are also evolving from single-function products into comprehensive, end-to-end platforms that integrate multiple workflows, beginning with core functions like cards or accounting and expanding into broader operational capabilities. Sector-specific solutions within verticals such as retail, logistics, and e-commerce are expected to gain traction, bringing further efficiencies compared to generic solutions. Finally, financial planning and cashflow tools allow dynamic, scenario-based decision-making – shifting away from static dashboards to real-time, predictive models. As digital transformation accelerates across MENA, CFOs are becoming key enablers of operational scale and strategic clarity. Tailored fintech tools are enabling SME finance to scale with greater efficiency and insight.
