Mirelo, a German startup that is building AI to add synced sound effects to videos, has raised a $41 million seed round led by Index Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz.
Software company ServiceNow is in advanced talks to acquire cybersecurity startup Armis in a deal that could reach $7 billion, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. If completed, the transaction would stand as ServiceNow’s largest acquisition to date. […]
Qwacks, a Saudi gaming technology startup building next-generation tools for game developers, has raised SAR 1.8 million in pre-seed funding from Merak Capital, a Saudi-based investment firm licensed by the Capital Market Authority. The investment marks a significant milestone for one of the earliest companies in Saudi Arabia focused on developing core technology for game creation and live operations.
As the Kingdom’s game development ecosystem expands, demand for advanced infrastructure and developer-focused tooling is emerging rapidly. Local studios are seeking platforms that help them build, test, and scale their projects more efficiently, creating a growing need for homegrown technology that supports this shift from consumer participation toward production and creation.
Founded in 2024, Qwacks is developing a unified technology layer designed to streamline the entire lifecycle of game development. The platform includes three complementary products: Flock, a scalable Backend-as-a-Service for online and multiplayer games; Protokite, an AI-enhanced playtesting system that connects developers with real players; and DataDuck, a market intelligence engine that aggregates data from platforms to help studios validate ideas and identify market opportunities.
The new funding will accelerate the expansion of Qwacks’ technology stack, enabling the company to enhance its platform, deepen product integrations, and serve a wider network of studios across Saudi Arabia and the broader region. It will also support the company’s efforts to strengthen operational capabilities as demand for locally built gaming technology continues to rise.
Abdulelah Alsharif, Vice President at Merak Capital, added: “At Merak, we continue to invest in the people and platforms shaping the future of Saudi Arabia’s gaming sector. Qwacks is addressing a clear gap in the ecosystem and doing so with a vision that aligns with the Kingdom’s broader ambitions. We see their work as a meaningful step toward building the technical foundations that will enable local studios to thrive.”
Anas Alsahli, CEO and Co-founder at Qwacks, commented: “Merak’s investment marks a major milestone for Qwacks. It allows us to accelerate the development of our unified platform and bring advanced backend, playtesting, and market intelligence tools to more studios across the region. Our mission is to give developers technology that removes friction, shortens production cycles, and helps them build better games, and this partnership moves us significantly closer to that goal.”
In a tech economy increasingly shaped by automation, AI, and software leverage, the idea of “passive income” has moved beyond personal finance blogs and into conversations among founders and startups. However, for most startup founders and serious builders, “passive income” […]
Esusu, a black-owned fintech startup focused on expanding credit access for renters, has secured $50 million in Series C funding, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The round was led by Westbound Equity Partners, with participation from the Geraldine R. Dodge […]
Disney is placing a major bet on generative video, committing $1 billion to OpenAI in a deal that allows the startup to use characters from Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar inside its Sora AI video generator, Disney announced Thursday. The […]
Imagine a fast-moving market that changes in seconds, and your data feed is lagging. By the time you become aware, prices have moved, and orders are stale, leaving you to try to salvage your trade or business. But with real-time […]
It’s Thursday, December 11, 2025, and we’re back with the day’s top startup and tech funding news across AI hardware, geothermal power, enterprise automation, biotech, crypto infrastructure, and developer tooling. From Seed to Series E, today’s funding rounds underscore strong […]
Harness has secured $200 million in new funding led by Goldman Sachs, pushing the AI software development startup to a $5.5 billion valuation. The raise is part of a larger $240 million Series E package that includes a planned $40 […]
OpenAI on Thursday introduced GPT-5.2, calling it its most capable model yet for day-to-day professional work. The release comes only weeks after GPT-5.1, marking the company’s fastest model-to-model shift to date as competition in AI development intensifies. GPT-5.2 brings upgrades […]
Vibe coding was supposed to change everything. Instead, it exposed how little we understand about building software in the age of AI. Back in March 2025, TechStartups published “When Vibe Coding Goes Wrong,” one of the first warnings that something […]
BitMEX has rolled out a major refresh of its mobile app, introducing a cleaner design and a new interaction model to help traders respond faster on the go. The update delivers a more focused interface, faster order flows, and gesture-based […]
Streetwear has been crossing into digital culture for years, but few figures have shaped that intersection as deeply as Edison Chen. Now he’s stepping into on-chain gaming with SCOR, merging his design instincts with a platform built on sports fandom […]
Graham & Walker’s Leslie Feinzaig and XYZ Venture’s Ross Fubini share the secrets for founders — and VCs — to make the most of the current fast pace of dealmaking.
On Me raises $6 million for its digital gift card platform that lets users purchase cards categorized by interests rather than being restricted to specific retailers.
Port offers a proprietary alternative to Spotify's popular devtool catalog Backstage, but with a valuable addition — it can be used to manage AI agents, too.
It’s Wednesday, December 10, 2025, and we’re back with the day’s top startup and tech funding news across quantum hardware, cybersecurity infrastructure, frontier biotech, underwater robotics, parametric insurance, and circular retail logistics. From seed rounds to Series B1, today’s funding […]
Baseten is deepening its AI specialization with the acquisition of Parsed, a startup focused on reinforcement learning and post-training work for large language models, the company announced Wednesday. The deal aims to bring production data, fine-tuning, and inference under one […]
Skydo has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round as India pushes toward a $2 trillion export target and exporters remain stuck with slow, expensive cross-border payments. The Bengaluru-based fintech startup‘s latest round was led by Susquehanna Asia […]
BrainChip, the Australian chip company behind one of the earliest commercial neuromorphic AI processors, has raised $25 million to advance its technology toward production and real-world deployment. The funding will support continued work on its Akida chips, on-device generative AI […]
Black Swan, a Mauritius-based FinTech startup, has been named the winner of the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025, following a high-energy Grand Finale at Innovation City, Cape Town on November 26, 2025.
Led by the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa) and powered by Absa Group, the MEST Africa Challenge is one of the continent’s leading Pan-African pitch competitions, providing a platform for early-stage startups to secure funding, mentorship, and global visibility.
The 2025 edition turned its focus to FinTech; spotlighting startups and embedded financial solutions driving inclusion, smarter payments, and digital transformation across Africa’s economies.
Co-founded by Derick Kazimoto, Black Swan is on a mission to “Make Africa Bankable.” Across Africa, millions of consumers and MSMEs remain invisible to formal lenders because their data is fragmented, informal, and difficult to verify; a gap that locks out capable borrowers and limits credit growth. Black Swan tackles this challenge by turning fragmented data into instant credit intelligence that enables precise affordability assessments and inclusive lending at scale. Its platform helps financial institutions see real risk, unlocking new pathways for growth and economic mobility across the continent.
“Africa’s financial system cannot see the true creditworthiness of millions of consumers and Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) because their data is fragmented, informal, and invisible to traditional lenders,” said Derick Kazimoto, Co-founder and CEO of Black Swan. “This invisibility locks out capable borrowers, limits credit growth, and slows economic mobility. Our mission is to make Africa bankable.” Kazimoto added, “We believe Africa is shifting from informal, collateral-heavy lending to data-driven credit. A transformation that’s changing how banks and FinTechs trust, lend, and grow.”
MAC 2025 attracted hundreds of applications from eight of Absa priority markets, including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Mauritius. After a rigorous selection process, ten startups advanced to the Cape Town finale, where they pitched to a panel of judges comprising investors, Absa executives, and industry leaders.
The Grand Finale was a celebration of Africa’s ingenuity; where founders showcased real, scalable solutions tackling challenges across payments, credit, insurance, and trade finance.
“Congratulations to Black Swan and all ten finalists of this year’s MEST Africa Challenge,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor at MEST Africa. “This year showed a clear shift toward building for scale; founders are prioritizing compliance, interoperability, and cross-border readiness from day one. FinTech is now powering real sectors like agriculture, energy, and trade, and that’s where lasting impact will come from. At MEST, we’re inspired to see entrepreneurs building solutions that are deeply local yet globally adaptable. It reflects a new maturity in African innovation; grounded in customer realities, and ambitious enough to scale across borders.”
As the 2025 winner, Black Swan will receive US $50,000 in equity investment, entry into the MEST Portfolio, and the opportunity to pilot commercial solutions with Absa business units across Africa; support that will help the company scale its technology and expand its impact across the continent.
“This year’s Challenge brought forward solutions that reflect how people and businesses want to manage their financial lives in a simpler, more accessible, and more integrated way. Black Swan secured the winning position because their solution meets a clear need and shows potential to complement the services we provide across our markets. The Challenge has revealed just how much opportunity exists to enhance customer experiences through thoughtful innovation,” says Tawanda Chatikobo, Head of Digital for Absa Regional Operations (ARO), Retail and Business Banking.
Now in its seventh year, the MEST Africa Challenge has become a launchpad for early-stage founders across the continent; offering visibility, mentorship, and access to partners who can help them grow. The Challenge continues to serve as a bridge between emerging startups and established industry players, uniting the agility of innovation with the scale of corporate collaboration.
“Congratulations to Blackswan on reaching this milestone. What resonated with us was the technical discipline behind their approach: the architecture, the clarity of the build, and the way they’re thinking about scaling responsibly. For us, the Challenge is about expanding Absa’s view of the technology landscape and identifying where new capabilities or partnerships might emerge.” Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy and Transformation for Technology at Absa Regional Operations (ARO).
COGNNA, the Saudi-based pioneer in AI-led Security Operations, announced at Black Hat MEA 2025 the successful closing of its Series A funding round, raising $9.2 million. The round was led by Impact46, co-led by BNVT Capital, and joined by Vision Ventures and tali ventures. This achievement marks a defining milestone in COGNNA’s mission to safeguard organizations against cyber threats through agentic AI, positioning the company as one of the fastest-growing and most influential cybersecurity startups in the region.
The new investment will accelerate COGNNA’s global expansion across product development, sales, and operations. With demand for intelligent and scalable cybersecurity solutions rising, the company plans to enhance its AI capabilities, broaden its reach across MENA and international markets, and strengthen its engineering and SOC operations teams. CEO Ibrahim AlShamrani emphasized that the funding represents more than financial backing, describing it as validation of COGNNA’s vision to protect the digital future of humanity. He highlighted the company’s ambition to build a global force in cybersecurity where AI and human expertise converge to empower organizations to operate securely, innovate boldly, and scale fearlessly.
CTO Ziyad AlSheri reinforced this vision, noting that COGNNA’s mission has always been to transform cybersecurity from reactive defense into intelligent prevention. He explained that the company’s AI-led platform is designed to anticipate threats rather than simply respond to them, creating an Agentic SOC that adapts and protects in real time. The funding will accelerate research and development in AI and automation, enabling COGNNA to scale globally while continuing to deliver proactive and predictive security solutions.
At the heart of its offering is the “Nexus” platform, which delivers measurable impact for organizations by enabling faster threat detection and resolution, reducing operational costs, and integrating seamlessly within minutes. Backed by a leadership team with experience from Fortune 500 companies and global technology leaders, COGNNA is positioning itself as a key player in the $500 billion cybersecurity market projected for 2030. Investors share this confidence, with Impact46 praising the company’s technical depth and agentic AI capabilities, and Vision Ventures highlighting its ability to address real operational gaps in the region. Together, these endorsements underscore COGNNA’s potential to evolve from a regional innovator into a global cybersecurity leader.
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