MENA Startups
Qatar-Based Ghuyom Acquires Swedish Natural Beauty Brand Loelle After Raising $5.5M from GCC Investors, Expanding Gulf Capital into Global Brands
Qatar-based Ghuyom has acquired Swedish organic beauty company Loelle after raising more than QAR 20 million from over 140 investors across Qatar and the GCC, gaining access to a brand already selling across more than 40 global markets.
Qatar-based Ghuyom has acquired Swedish organic and natural skincare and haircare company Loelle, giving the Qatari company an established international brand with a presence across more than 40 countries.
The acquisition follows Ghuyom raising more than QAR 20 million ($5.5 million) from over 140 investors from Qatar and other GCC markets, providing the company with capital to pursue its international expansion strategy.
Rather than building a new beauty brand from the ground up and gradually expanding outside the Gulf, Ghyoom is taking a different route: acquiring an existing European company with established products, customers and international distribution.
For Mohammed Al Adhab, Co-founder and CEO of Ghuyom , the acquisition is part of a broader strategy to build a regional leader in organic and natural skincare and haircare while using international acquisitions as a faster route into global markets.
Ghuyom Acquires a Brand Already Present in 40+ Countries
Loelle is a Swedish company specializing in organic and natural products for skincare and haircare.
Its products are already available in more than 40 countries, including major markets such as the United States, China, Germany and the United Kingdom.
That international footprint gives Ghuyom something that can take emerging consumer brands years to develop: an existing distribution network and presence across multiple mature markets.
The transaction therefore provides the Qatari company with more than a portfolio of products. It gives Ghuyom an existing international platform from which it can pursue further growth.
Al Adhab said Ghuyom deliberately chose to approach international expansion differently from many companies in the Arab world, which typically establish themselves domestically before attempting to enter larger foreign markets.
Ghuyom instead began by targeting major international markets.
“We started from major global markets, and after succeeding and establishing our presence there, we were able, by the grace of God, to export to China, which is one of the world’s largest markets and centers for manufacturing and trade,” Al Adhab said.
More Than QAR 20 Million Raised From 140+ Gulf Investors
The acquisition comes after Ghuyom secured investments exceeding QAR 20 million, backed by more than 140 investors across Qatar and the Gulf.
The investor base highlights growing Gulf appetite for opportunities involving consumer brands with the potential to expand internationally.
Ghuyom is now using that capital and its international experience to strengthen its position in the natural and organic beauty sector.
According to Al Adhab, the company has already participated with its products in major international competitions and events, securing advanced rankings that strengthened management’s confidence in its ability to compete globally.
Following the Loelle acquisition, Ghuyom intends to bring that international experience back to the Gulf and build a stronger regional business around organic and natural skincare and haircare products.
Acquisition Instead of Building From Zero
The strategy also reflects a broader argument Al Adhab is making to Gulf entrepreneurs: international expansion does not always need to begin with creating a new brand from scratch.
Acquiring an established international company can provide immediate access to products, customers, distribution channels, market knowledge and brand recognition.
For companies with sufficient capital, this can potentially compress years of product development and international market entry into a much shorter period.
Al Adhab encouraged Gulf companies and entrepreneurs to consider acquisitions of successful international businesses and brands more seriously.
Buying a company that already possesses a proven product, customer base and international market presence, he argued, can save investors years of experimentation while reducing some of the costs associated with mistakes during company-building and global expansion.
Can Gulf Capital Build Global Consumer Brands Through M&A?
The acquisition points to a model increasingly relevant to the Gulf’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The region has substantial investment capital and a growing population of founders and investors seeking opportunities beyond domestic markets. But building globally recognized consumer companies organically can require years of investment in branding, distribution and customer acquisition.
Cross-border acquisitions provide another route.
Instead of asking whether a Gulf company can build an international brand entirely from the region, companies can acquire established businesses abroad and use Gulf capital, networks and growth ambitions to expand them further.
Al Adhab believes the region already possesses many of the ingredients necessary to build global companies, particularly access to capital and increasingly ambitious entrepreneurs and investors.
The bigger challenge, in his view, is changing how companies think about their addressable markets.
Global expansion, he argues, should be considered from the beginning rather than treated as something that happens only after local growth opportunities have been exhausted.
From Sweden and Global Markets Back to the Gulf
Ghuyom ‘s next phase will combine Loelle’s existing international presence with an effort to establish a stronger position across Gulf markets.
That creates an unusual expansion trajectory.
Instead of Qatar → GCC → international markets, Ghuyom is effectively pursuing a strategy built around global markets → acquisition → stronger GCC presence → further international expansion.
Loelle’s presence across more than 40 countries gives the company a foundation from which to pursue that strategy.
For Ghuyom , the acquisition therefore represents more than entry into the Swedish beauty industry. It is a bet that Gulf companies can use cross-border M&A to accelerate the creation of internationally competitive consumer businesses.
“Instead of having a limited number of target customers in the Gulf region, through global expansion you can reach markets with more than a billion potential customers,” Al Adhab said.
That ambition will now be tested by Ghuyom ‘s ability to take an established Swedish brand, expand its position in the Gulf and use its international footprint to build a larger natural beauty business with roots in Qatar and customers around the world.
MENA Startups
Saudi-Based RetailTech Startup Raff Raises $1.7M Pre-Seed to Connect Consumer Brands With Physical Retail Across GCC
Saudi-based retail technology startup Raff has raised $1.7 million in pre-seed funding led by Vision Ventures, after enabling more than 900 brands across nine countries to expand into physical retail.
Saudi-based retail technology startup Raff has closed a $1.7 million pre-seed funding round, led by Vision Ventures, as it looks to simplify how consumer brands move from online commerce into physical retail across the GCC.
The round also saw participation from 500 Global, Palm VC, Oqal Group, and several angel investors, including Salman Butt, Co-founder of Saudi e-commerce platform Salla.
Raff plans to use the fresh capital to accelerate its expansion across the GCC, develop its product and strengthen its AI capabilities as it builds infrastructure connecting consumer brands directly with retailers.
Founded in 2024 by Ali Al Qudah and Abdul Kareem Munla, Raff has already enabled more than 900 brands across nine countries, spanning the GCC and the UK, to grow their presence through physical retail channels.
Bridging the Gap Between Online and Offline Retail
The startup is targeting a problem that has become increasingly visible as e-commerce lowers the barriers for launching consumer brands.
While digital marketplaces and platforms have made it easier for brands across the GCC to launch and sell online, entering physical retail remains significantly more fragmented.
Brands typically need to establish separate commercial relationships, onboarding processes, logistics arrangements and inventory operations with individual retailers.
Raff is building an end-to-end technology platform designed to digitize that process.
The platform handles distribution, commercial operations, inventory management, order fulfillment and payments, giving brands a more centralized way to expand into physical stores.
For retailers, Raff automates key workflows and helps manage growing vendor networks while integrating with leading point-of-sale and accounting software used across the region.
The company is targeting a significant opportunity, with the GCC retail market valued at more than $300 billion annually.
More Than 900 Brands Across Nine Countries
Raff’s early traction has extended beyond its home market.
Less than 18 months after launching, the platform has worked with more than 900 consumer brands across nine countries, including markets across the GCC and the UK.
The model is designed to provide the technology and operational infrastructure brands need to move from predominantly online businesses into omnichannel companies with a physical retail presence.
The name Raff itself — the Arabic word for “shelf” — reflects the company’s focus on helping brands reach physical points of sale.
“Our mission is to simplify that journey and give brands a faster and more efficient way to reach offline customers,” said Ali Al Qudah, Co-Founder and CEO of Raff.
“This investment enables us to accelerate that vision, expand across the GCC, and continue building the infrastructure powering the next generation of retail.”
Founders Bring E-Commerce, Technology and Finance Experience
Raff was founded by Al Qudah and Munla, combining experience across e-commerce, technology, financial management and business operations.
Before launching Raff, Al Qudah built and scaled two e-commerce brands. He later joined Salla as an early employee before serving as Head of Growth at Saudi legal-tech startup Qanoniah.
Munla brings more than 20 years of experience in financial management and business operations, including financial transformation, governance, compliance and operational efficiency across multiple sectors.
The founders’ backgrounds give Raff experience on both sides of the challenge it is trying to address: scaling digital businesses and managing the operational infrastructure required as companies grow.
Vision Ventures Sees the Reverse of the E-Commerce Shift
For lead investor Vision Ventures, Raff represents an opportunity emerging from the next stage of the region’s e-commerce evolution.
The venture capital firm previously invested early in Salla, backing infrastructure that helped businesses move from traditional commerce into online selling.
Now, it sees a complementary opportunity as digitally native brands increasingly seek physical distribution.
“We previously supported the shift from offline to online through our early investment in Salla. Today, we see an equally significant opportunity as brands look to expand from online into physical retail,” said Kais Al-Essa, Founding Partner and CEO of Vision Ventures.
Al-Essa described Raff as creating a new efficiency layer at the intersection of retail technology and logistics.
Raff Targets GCC Expansion and AI Development
With the pre-seed round completed, Raff will focus on expanding its footprint across the GCC while continuing to develop the technology behind its distribution platform.
Part of the investment will go toward AI capabilities, alongside broader product development intended to automate more of the processes connecting brands, retailers, inventory and commercial operations.
The opportunity is particularly relevant as the region produces a growing number of consumer brands that have built their initial customer bases through e-commerce and social platforms but face a more complicated path into offline distribution.
Rather than requiring each brand to recreate those relationships and processes independently, Raff aims to provide a shared infrastructure layer connecting them with physical retailers.
Having already facilitated physical retail expansion for more than 900 brands across nine countries, the startup will now use its $1.7 million round to test whether that infrastructure can scale across the wider GCC and eventually become a key link between the region’s online and offline retail economies.
MENA Startups
Qatar-Based Restaurant Tech Startup DineNORDER Expands into Egypt With All-in-One Digital Platform for Restaurant Operations
DineNORDER enters Egypt, offering integrated digital tools for restaurant management.
Qatar-based restaurant technology startup DineNORDER has taken a significant step forward in its regional growth strategy by expanding into Egypt.
Founded in 2023 by Ahmad Al-Kubaisi, DineNORDER provides a broad spectrum of digital tools designed for the restaurant industry, facilitating online ordering, point-of-sale technology, reservation systems, marketing, customer insights, and inventory management.
This expansion signifies a major milestone as the company seeks to establish a strong presence beyond its home market.
As DineNORDER enters the Egyptian market, it brings with it a comprehensive digital platform that integrates all facets of restaurant operations.
The company offers solutions that unify order management, payments, and customer interactions, aiming to streamline day-to-day operations for restaurant businesses.
By targeting those looking to digitize and enhance the customer experience, DineNORDER is poised to make a substantial impact on the local food service scene.
Strategic Expansion into Egypt
Entering Egypt is a critical component of DineNORDER’s regional expansion plan. The company is eager to collaborate with local restaurant businesses, technology partners, and regional talent as it establishes itself in this vibrant market.
This move not only reflects the startup’s growth ambitions but also its commitment to partnership and innovation within the region.
“Egypt represents an exciting market for us, and we look forward to bringing our smart digital solutions to restaurants,” said Anja Miscevic, product manager at DineNORDER.
The startup is incubated at the Qatar Science & Technology Park, where it has developed its technology into a cohesive operating toolkit for restaurants, covering everything from ordering and reservations to marketing and inventory management.
With its entry into Egypt, DineNORDER is set to transform how restaurants manage their operations, paving the way for enhanced efficiency and customer satisfaction across the industry.
MENA Startups
UAE-Based FinTech Fasset Raises Massive $68M Series C Round at $1B Valuation to Expand Stablecoin Network Across Global Markets
Fasset secures $68 million to expand its global financial network, highlighting significant growth potential.
UAE-Based FinTech Fasset, the innovative AI-powered stablecoin neobanking platform, has announced a successful $68 million Series C funding round. Valued now at $1 billion, the company continues its impressive trajectory in the fintech industry.
The funding was led by SBI Group, a significant player in Japan’s financial sector, and marks another major milestone for Fasset, which previously raised $51 million in a Series B round earlier this year.
This latest infusion of capital is poised to enhance the expansion of Fasset’s Own Network. This regulated financial ecosystem connects a wide range of banking, telecom, and payment entities to facilitate seamless settlements across international markets.
The investment will also bolster the company’s development of AI-enabled systems, supporting corridor banking, stablecoin settlement, and tokenized asset infrastructure, key components of Fasset’s value proposition.
Fasset has established itself as a formidable entity in the global fintech landscape, entering the esteemed unicorn category. Since its Series B fundraising in May, the company has amassed a total of $119 million in 2026.
Raafi, Daniel, and their dedicated team are breaking geographical barriers, providing people and businesses in emerging markets with access to stablecoins and global financial assets.
Strategic Partnerships and Global Growth
The involvement of SBI Group, which extends across various banking, securities, and asset management sectors, signifies a deepened strategic collaboration.
SBI Group’s vision aligns with Fasset’s ambition to create a world where financial transactions traverse borders as effortlessly as information flow.
This partnership intends to build a stablecoin-based remittance and settlement infrastructure, stretching from the Asia-Pacific to the Middle East and Africa.
Fasset is not just expanding its partnerships but also its operational reach, now processing over $40 billion in annualized transaction volume through more than 3 million wallets across 125 countries.
The company’s growth is facilitated by the Own Network’s ability to link local banking systems, financial institutions, telcos, liquidity providers, and settlement networks across over 100 banking corridors.
With its strong business foundation and robust regulatory framework established in several high-growth emerging markets, Fasset is set to play a pivotal role in connecting Japan with other emerging economies.
The company’s innovative financial solutions continue to attract investment from key industry players, ensuring Fasset remains at the forefront of the financial technology sector’s development.
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