Revolut has obtained regulatory approvals from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, allowing it to launch its services in the competitive UAE financial market. The London-based fintech company has been granted Stored Value Facilities (SVF) and Retail Payment Services licences, marking a significant step in its market entry plans.

Dubai-based surplus food marketplace Peekabox has raised $1.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round to enhance its operations in the United Arab Emirates and expand throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Founded in 2025 by brothers Hasan and Omair Sarwar, the startup connects consumers with restaurants, cafés, and grocery retailers to offer surplus food at discounted prices.

CNTXT AI, a data and artificial intelligence company based in the UAE, has successfully raised $60 million in a Series A funding round co-led by AI71 and BlueFive Capital. The company focuses on sovereign AI solutions and aims to scale secure AI deployments for enterprise and government clients globally. This funding represents a significant milestone for the two-year-old company.

The rebranding of Credable to _able highlights the importance of credit infrastructure in Africa, according to TechTrends KE. While consumers typically interact with familiar financial service brands like banks and fintechs, the underlying infrastructure remains largely unseen. The Dubai-based company believes that enhancing this infrastructure presents a significant opportunity for growth in the African financial services market.

In the latest TechCabal Daily, it is reported that Monzo is expanding its operations into Nigeria. Additionally, Mauritius' largest bank is looking to enter the Côte d'Ivoire market, Zanzibar has signed a $114 million deal for fiber infrastructure, and Daya has raised $2.4 million to support stablecoin payments.

South Africa's Yoco is expanding its services beyond payment processing through a new artificial intelligence deal. This development is part of a broader discussion that includes the Central Bank of Nigeria's data localisation rule, which has raised concerns within the fintech sector, and Visa's plans to integrate AI for shopping with cards in South Africa, according to Techpoint Africa.