Bayanat Podcast: Inside MENA Tech

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, ⁠ Christian Vezjak ⁠, co-founder and CEO of ⁠TAP⁠ , shares his journey from Bolivia to Palestine and how his heritage inspired him to launch a platform unlocking career access for underserved youth in fragile regions. Christian unpacks how TAP is turning untapped human potential in MENA into a force for scalable impact. To stay up to date with more stories like th...

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, ⁠ Hanan Shahin ⁠, co-founder and CEO of ⁠Bloomcart⁠ , shares how she turned a lockdown fashion resale experiment into MENA’s first "try-before-you-buy" software. From event planning to e-commerce pivots, Hanan unpacks the lessons and resilience that shaped Bloomcart into a SaaS redefining online shopping and returns for the region. To stay up to date wit...

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, ⁠ Maher Ayari ⁠, co-founder of ⁠Sorbet⁠ , shares how his journey as a digital nomad led to building borderless banking for MENA. From spotting the stablecoin shift to launching Sorbet in Saudi Arabia, Maher unpacks how he’s tackling cross-border payments for freelancers and SMBs with a frictionless, stablecoin-powered platform. To stay up to date with more stories...

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, ⁠ Cedric Zovighian ⁠, co-founder and CEO of ⁠Tick’it⁠ , shares the story behind building one of MENA’s fastest-growing ticketing platforms. From two failed product attempts in Lebanon to scaling the platform to 150,000+ active users and $3.5M in transactions, Cedric unpacks the grit, pivots, and strategy fueling Tick’it’s rise. To stay up to date with more stories...

In this Industry Voices episode, ⁠Hani Haidar ⁠, Program Manager at ⁠AUB iPark ⁠, takes us inside Lebanon’s leading university-backed accelerator. From turning raw ideas into market-ready startups to overcoming Lebanon’s ecosystem hurdles, Hani shares the playbook for fueling a new generation of entrepreneurs. To stay up to date with more stories like this, subscribe to our ⁠Newsletter⁠ . An AI-na...

In this Industry Voices episode, ⁠ Ahmad Sufian Bayram ⁠, GP at ⁠Blackbox⁠ and founder of ⁠Startup Syria ⁠, shares how entrepreneurship can drive peacebuilding, resilience, and social cohesion in conflict-affected regions. From launching startups amid war to uniting fragmented communities through hackathons, Ahmad unpacks the challenges, innovations, and untapped potential shaping Syria’s emerging...

In this Behind the Deal episode, ⁠Antoun Mouawad ⁠, VP of Investments at ⁠IM Fndng ⁠, walks us through the firm’s investment in ⁠WeCheer⁠ , a customer experience platform turning offline sales into connected growth engines. From navigating a pandemic-driven pivot to scaling across the CPG industry, Antoun unpacks the founder-market fit, traction, and strategic rationale that made WeCheer a standou...

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, ⁠ Mansour Al Than i⁠, founder and CEO of ⁠MoonTech⁠ , shares his journey from early e-commerce experiments to launching Itcan , a powerhouse performance marketing agency, and now building MoonTech, an AI-powered platform automating influencer marketing. From pioneering affiliate programs at Namshi to rethinking how brands and creators collaborate, Mansour unpacks...

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, ⁠Omar Abu Innab ⁠, co-founder and CEO of ⁠Keyper⁠ , shares how he went from 18 years in investment banking to building one of Dubai’s fastest-growing proptech startups in the region. From digitizing rent with the UAE’s first Rent Now, Pay Later model to managing $4B+ in assets, Omar breaks down how Keyper is reshaping the rental market in the UAE and beyond.  To s...

In this Behind the Deal episode, ⁠ Hossam Shafick ⁠, Principal at ⁠Silicon Badia ⁠, takes us inside the firm’s investment in ⁠Roboost⁠ , the AI-powered last-mile delivery platform redefining logistics in MENA. From spotting early product-market fit with mom-and-pop shops to closing a game-changing McDonald’s contract, Hossam unpacks the conviction behind the deal, Roboost’s expansion playbook, and...

In this Industry Voices episode, ⁠ Manar Labidi⁠ , CFO at ⁠Cynoia⁠ , takes us inside Tunisia’s startup scene, its post-Startup Act progress, the “Death Valley” of scaling beyond seed, and why many founders are looking abroad to unlock growth. From local hurdles to global ambition, Manar shares what it really means to build in Tunisia today. To stay up to date with more stories like this, subscribe...

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, ⁠ Ramzi Chahin⁠ shares his journey from architecture to tech entrepreneurship, launching Birdhouce, an ambitious digital-first furniture startup, and ultimately shutting it down. He reflects on resilience, lessons learned, and how those experiences shaped his new venture, VentureCopilot , where he’s tackling talent outsourcing with a fresh perspective. To stay up...

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, ⁠ Tarek Shafik ⁠, Co-founder & CEO of ⁠xedu⁠ , shares how he turned a personal frustration into a mission-driven edtech startup. From building a first network of 50 users in a WhatsApp group during military service to launching a platform connecting students with verified advisors worldwide, Tarek unpacks how xedu is redefining social learning, making higher e...

In this Industry Voices episode, ⁠ Ramzi Farah ⁠, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at ⁠Razor Capita l⁠, takes us from Lehman Brothers during the 2008 crisis to pioneering venture capital in “frontier markets” like Bangladesh. He shares the story behind building Razor Capital, the challenges of fundraising in emerging ecosystems, and why the biggest opportunities often lie where others only see risk...

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, ⁠Ajinkya Tanpure ⁠, Co-founder & CEO of ⁠CrossVal⁠ , shares how he’s automating the finance function with AI. From sleepless nights spotting inefficiencies in due diligence to building a platform trusted by clients like Cafu and DIFC, Ajinkya unpacks the journey of streamlining financial planning and analysis, and why relentless iteration is key to transformin...

In this Industry Voices episode, ⁠ Yousef Srouji ⁠, CEO of ⁠MENA Analytics ⁠ and Principal Consultant at ⁠Momentum Labs⁠ , shares what it really means to build startups in Palestine. From legal hurdles and funding gaps to resilience under pressure, Yousef unpacks the challenges, grit, and untapped potential shaping Palestine’s startup ecosystem. To stay up to date with more stories like this, subs...

In this Founder’s Hustle episode, Onur Elgün , Co-founder & CEO of ⁠CarbonSifr⁠ , shares how he’s making climate action accessible for businesses across MENA. From turning millions of messy data points into clear carbon insights to enabling green financing, Onur unpacks how AI-powered solutions can help companies decarbonize without disrupting their operations, and why the region is poised to...

In this Industry Voices episode, hear from ⁠ Jules Chasles ⁠, Partner at ⁠Dopamine⁠ and former Principal at ⁠ Global Ventures ⁠, as he unpacks the realities of managing down rounds, keeping cap tables clean, and navigating MENA’s unique fundraising landscape. From avoiding dilution traps to seizing fundraising opportunities, Jules shares candid insights every founder should hear before their next...

In this Behind the Deal episode, discover what convinced Aboudi Al-Qattan and DASH Ventures to invest in Omniful. AI , how the startup went head-to-head with global incumbents like Oracle and SAP, and why conviction in founders often outweighs conventional wisdom. To stay up to date with more stories like this, subscribe to our ⁠Newsletter⁠ . An AI-narrated episode brought to you by Bayanat —your...