#UAE

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.

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.

Dubizzle Group has made an investment in Tern, a rental rewards platform based in the UAE, aiming to enhance its services beyond property listings. This partnership will allow tenants to pay rent using credit cards while earning loyalty points that can be redeemed across various retail outlets. The integration will be exclusive to Dubizzle-owned platforms, including Bayut and dubizzle.

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.