Latest news with #MohammedAlZaben
Wamda
20-03-2025
- Business
- Wamda
ClearGrid emerges from stealth after closing $10 million dual round
UAE-based fintech ClearGrid has emerged from stealth after raising $10 million in a dual round, pre-seed and seed. The pre-seed round was co-led by Raed Ventures and Beco Capital, and the seed round was co-led by Nuwa Capital and Raed Ventures. Additional institutional investors include Aramco's Waed Ventures, KBW Ventures, Sharaka, 9yards Capital, Protagonist, BYLD, Eirad Holdings, Endeavor, and Wamda Capital. Founded in 2023 by Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud, Mohammed Al Zaben, and Mohammed Khalili, ClearGrid offers an AI-powered debt collection resolution for lenders. Looking ahead, ClearGrid plans to build cutting-edge collections systems leveraging AI and machine learning and develop a comprehensive SaaS platform for early risk detection and credit orchestration, which enables it to expand across MENA and beyond. Press release: Debt collection in MENA is stuck in the past – a fragmented landscape of manual processes, aggressive tactics, and poor outcomes that costs lenders billions while punishing borrowers. As the region's $500 billion consumer lending market surges and consumer protection regulations tighten, traditional collection methods cannot deliver the reliable capital flows needed to maintain harmony in financial ecosystems. Today, ClearGrid announces its launch from stealth with $10M in funding to build the first modern debt collection infrastructure for the digital age, turning what was once a liability into a competitive advantage that reinforces the financial foundation of the entire MENA region. The funding comes across two rounds, with the pre-seed round co-led by Raed Ventures and Beco Capital, and the seed round co-led by Nuwa Capital and Raed Ventures. Additional institutional investors include Aramco's Waed Ventures, KBW Ventures, Sharaka, 9yards Capital, Protagonist, BYLD, Eirad Holdings, Endeavor, and Wamda. The round also attracted marquee angel investors*. The company was founded by Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud, Mohammed Al Zaben, and Mohammed Khalili, who recognised that at its core, debt collection is fundamentally an information and coordination problem. After encountering these challenges firsthand in their careers, they set out to replace aggressive tactics with data-driven, compassionate solutions that work better for both sides of the equation – creating the equilibrium necessary for healthy economic growth. Co-Founder & CEO, Mohammed Al Zaben, said: 'Collections should be an extension of good lending—not an afterthought. At ClearGrid, we're reimagining debt resolution from the ground up, giving lenders the intelligence and tools they need to recover capital effectively while creating better outcomes for borrowers.' ClearGrid offers an AI-powered collections platform that automates every step of the recovery process – from borrower engagement to negotiations – helping lenders scale while providing a better borrower experience. By combining AI, self-service tools, and omnichannel outreach, ClearGrid reduces resolution times and increases recovery rates. Since its launch in 2024, ClearGrid has managed hundreds of millions in debt portfolios and secured partnerships with the largest fintech players in the Middle East and leading MENA banks. The company has signed over 10 major enterprise clients and built a robust pipeline for 2025, which includes expanding revenue in the UAE and entering the KSA market. Perhaps most impressive, ClearGrid has achieved profitability for its UAE operation within just a year of launch, though the company remains focused on scaling rather than margins at this stage. The impact of ClearGrid has been transformative. A major UAE bank increased recovery rates by 30% while cutting collection costs in half, and a leading BNPL provider doubled recoveries by automating early-stage debt resolution. Beyond the numbers, borrowers who previously ignored traditional collection calls have started engaging when they feel their voice is heard and offered better options, like, interest reductions and flexible repayment plans. This improved borrower-lender dynamic builds economic confidence, reduces financial stress, and supports the stable credit markets that power economic development. Co-Founder & Chairman of ClearGrid KSA, Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud, said: 'Financial systems must evolve with the digital world. Debt resolution should be a bridge to stability, not a roadblock. At ClearGrid, we're redefining collections with a data-driven, technology-first approach that strengthens trust, ensuring credit fuels growth, not distress. This is just the first step in building the infrastructure for the future of debt resolution.' As digital lending accelerates across the MENA region, the need for efficient, technology-driven collections solutions grows. Lenders are seeking ways to improve borrower experiences and gain insights from data – a demand that ClearGrid is uniquely positioned to meet. While legacy collection agencies remain stuck in old models with manual outreach and poor borrower experiences, ClearGrid's AI-driven approach is faster, smarter, and delivers a fundamentally better experience. Founding Partner at Raed Ventures, Omar Majdouie, said: 'ClearGrid is tackling a critical pain point in the MENA debt collection industry with a truly innovative approach. Their AI-powered platform not only drives significant operational efficiencies for lenders but also fosters a more positive and sustainable relationship with borrowers. This balance is essential for the healthy growth of the region's digital lending landscape, and we're excited to support their mission to modernise collections and drive financial inclusion across the region.' Looking ahead, ClearGrid's vision extends far beyond its current offerings to tackle wider challenges in the lending life cycle. The company plans to build cutting-edge collections systems leveraging AI and machine learning, develop a comprehensive SaaS platform for early risk detection and credit orchestration, and unlock new revenue streams through alternative risk scoring, AI-powered borrower engagement, and debt consolidation. This ambitious roadmap positions ClearGrid not just as a collections solution, but as the foundation for a more transparent, efficient financial system across MENA and beyond. *Full list of angels: Anu Hariharan (ex-YC, Avra), Jason Gardner (Marqeta), Kenneth Lin (Credit Karma), Bjorn Wagner (Parity Technologies), Amjad Masad (Replit), Vinay Menda (Blank Street), Justin Kan (Twitch), and local industry leaders like Mohammed Ballout (Kitopi), Sultan Olayan, Ahmed Alenazi (Barq), and Ahmed Hamdan (Unifonic).
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ClearGrid, armed with a fresh $10M, is developing AI to improve debt collection in MENA
Debt collection in emerging markets often feels outdated and can be costly — damaging borrower trust. As consumer lending surges and regulators push for fairer practices, legacy collection outfits are struggling to maintain pace. ClearGrid aims to help modernize debt collection — and recovery — with AI. The Dubai-based startup, which is emerging from stealth with $10 million in funding ($3.5 million pre-seed and $6.5 million seed), helps banks, fintechs, and lenders recover more debt without resorting to customer harassment. For a startup founded just in May 2023, the backing is significant. Co-founder and CEO Mohammed Al Zaben called it a crucial advantage for a "very ambitious company with a big mission in a very big market." Al Zaben stumbled into the debt collection space after selling his previous startup, Munch:On, to Careem in 2022. While taking time off following the exit, Al Zaben says he reflected on one of Munch:On's biggest challenges: collecting payments from corporate customers. That led Al Zaben down a rabbit hole into receivables management and unpaid invoices. Upon further reflection, Al Zaben realized consumer collections posed an even bigger problem. "When we spoke with collectors, it was clear the industry was stuck in the past — some agencies still used pen and paper, and the most advanced relied on basic CRMs," Al Zaben told TechCrunch. "Debt collection was a people-driven business where collectors relied on scare tactics and harassment. Borrowers had a terrible experience, and Saudi and UAE regulators were beginning to prioritize consumer protection." Simultaneously, consumer lending was booming. Buy now, pay later (BNPL) unicorns like Tabby and Tamara were handling billions in sales, and unsecured lending totals were skyrocketing in the Middle East. Al Zaben and his co-founders, Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud and Mohammed Khalili, sensed an opportunity. Despite having no experience in the collections market, they launched ClearGrid, creating software and AI to streamline recovery and collaborate with the existing vendors in the space. "At a time when lending is booming, regulations are tightening, and AI is reshaping industries, we see this as an opportunity to help lenders recover debt while building trust with borrowers." the CEO said. "This is just the first step in building the infrastructure for the future of debt resolution,' Bader Al Saud added. ClearGrid sits between lenders and borrowers, using AI to automate the collections process. Lenders integrate via ClearGrid's platform or API, sending borrower accounts for processing. ClearGrid says its AI models score things like repayment likelihood, help predict customer behavior, and personalize outreach across communication channels. According to Al Zaben, 95% of ClearGrid's operations are fully automated, including AI voice agents that handle hundreds of thousands of calls daily. For borrowers preferring human interaction, the platform facilitates direct conversations and feeds the insights into the startup's many models. ClearGrid's platform categorizes borrowers based on their ability and willingness to pay, then structures repayments into smaller, manageable chunks, nudging them toward repayment without coercion. The company claims its platform can cut collection costs by 50%. 'We're building purpose-built tools and finding ways to make lenders better at what they do while also creating an opportunity for consumers to get out of debt," said Al Zaben. Since launching in 2024, ClearGrid says it has managed hundreds of millions in debt portfolios and signed ten of the major fintechs and banks in the UAE. An unnamed major bank increased recovery rates by 30% and cut collection costs in half, ClearGrid claims, while a leading BNPL provider doubled recoveries by automating early-stage debt resolution. Across the board, Al Zaben says ClearGrid resolves debts twice as fast as traditional collection agencies, achieving between 38% to 50% resolution rates, while borrowers interact with the platform 60% more than they do with these agencies. ClearGrid makes money by charging a percentage fee on recovered amounts. The startup's revenues are growing 30% month-on-month in the UAE, where ClearGrid is already profitable, and the company is looking to enter Saudi Arabia this year, per Al Zaben. Al Zaben said with the funding raised, ClearGrid aims to "10x" revenue and accounts managed in 2024 (it engages with over 130,000 borrower accounts monthly.) The company also plans to double its engineering team in the next fiscal quarter to build what Al Zaben calls the "definitive credit orchestration infrastructure for the region." ClearGrid's investors include Middle East and North Africa-focused VCs Beco Capital, Nuwa Capital, and Raed Ventures and prominent angel investors such as Anu Hariharan (ex-YC, Avra founder), Amjad Masad (Replit CEO), Jason Gardner (Marqeta CEO), Justin Kan (Twitch co-founder), and Kenneth Lin (ex-CEO at Credit Karma). Sign in to access your portfolio
