VC React Podcast:
Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, VCs, and investment rounds.
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Hosts:
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Available on:
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Guests:
1. Karima El Hakim, Country Director for Egypt and Co-Director Africa @ Plug and Play Tech Center
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karimaelhakim/
- VC Firm Website: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/
2. Mo Salah, Founding Partner @ Pitlane Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisismosalah/
- VC Firm Website: https://pitlane.ventures/
3. Waleed Al Ballaa, Managing Partner @ Sukna Ventures
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ballaa/
- VC Firm Website: https://suknaventures.com/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privatecredit #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #revenuebasedfinancing #fintech #climatetech #edtech #accelerator #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
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Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle.
Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
In Today's Episode:
- Valu prepares EGX debut after securing 25% market share in consumer financeSummary: Egypt's buy now pay later (BNPL) fintech Valu has announced its intention to list on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) following an in-kind dividend distribution by parent company EFG Holding. Valu's shares were officially listed on 21 May 2025, and trading is expected to commence the week of 22 June 2025, pending regulatory approvals. Valu is a subsidiary of EFG Hermes Holding.
- Sukna Fund provides $20 million credit facility to OCTASummary: UAE-based fintech Octa has raised $20 million in a credit facility from Sukna Fund for Direct Financing (SFDF). Co-founded by Jon Santillan, Andrey Korchak, and Nupur Mittal in 2024, OCTA automates financial operations for SMEs — covering invoicing, payments, collections, and now embedded credit.
- Egypt’s Octane raises $5.2 million to digitize fleet payments across MENASummary: Egyptian fintech Octane has raised $5.2 million in a funding round led by Shorooq Partners, Algebra Ventures, and SC Holding. The Cairo-based startup, co-founded by Amr Gamal and Ziad Eladawy in 2022, provides a digital platform that consolidates all fleet-related expenses—including fuel, maintenance, and petty cash—into a single closed-loop wallet.
- HUMAIN and Replit Enable a Nation of AI CodersSummary: Replit and HUMAIN, the PIF-backed AI company, have partnered to make AI-powered coding tools accessible across Saudi Arabia. The collaboration includes a localised version of Replit hosted on HUMAIN Cloud for sovereign data residency, integration of HUMAIN’s Arabic-first LLM (ALLAM), and co-developed education programs to bring AI coding agents to students, professionals, and government teams.
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