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Dear Stakeholders and Partners, |
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As we closed the first quarter of 2026, we are proud to reflect on a period marked by great momentum across HALA Capital and our portfolio. From global stages to product launches, strategic partnerships to industry recognitions, Q1 has set a strong and exciting tone for HALA and its portfolio. Here is a look at the key highlights from this quarter. |
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Events, Thought Leadership,and Ecosystem Engagement |
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RLC Global Forum
Co-Founder & CEO Ali Abussaud took the stage at the RLC Global Forum, participating in the "What Investors Look For Now" panel discussion. |
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Entrepreneur Middle East
Featured in Entrepreneur Middle East, following Ali Abussaud's appearance at SuperReturn Saudi, where he discussed the maturation of Saudi Arabia's VC ecosystem and HALA Capital's strategic evolution from a venture firm into a full capital house, spanning FinTech, AI, private equity, and private credit. Full article here |
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digital interviews
Ali Abussaud shared his investment philosophy and vision in a digital interview series with Nour El Shaeri, offering key insights on what it takes to build meaningful companies. Watch here. |
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Egypt Career Summit.
Our Value Creation Manager, Nada Helmy has moderated a panel: Startups Are Easy to Start, Hard to Survive at Egypt Career Summit. |
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Intella made its presence felt across the region this quarter, showcasing its Arabic AI vision at Web Summit Qatar. Moreover, CEO Nour Taher joined a conversation at VisaConnect Lebanon on how Intella's Arabic-first speech capabilities enhance Visa's transaction intelligence. |
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Kaso's CEO Manar Al-Kassar represented the brand on two major stages this quarter, speaking at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival and STEP Dubai on the theme of innovation in the F&B sector. |
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Sarwa has earned its place among the region's fastest-growing tech companies, ranking #3 in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 - Middle East & Cyprus. The team also hosted Sarwa's 2nd Wealth Summit at the Museum of the Future, bringing together leading investment experts to discuss market outlooks across equities, crypto, and gold for 2026.
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Torod had a standout quarter on multiple fronts. CEO Faisal Al Makhlas represented the company at the Saudi Innovation Forum 2026, while Torod's journey was honored as an academic case study at IESE Business School, one of the world's top-ranked institutions. The platform also expanded its reach by going live on Magento and Faisal Al Makhlas joined the Logistics National Committee at the Federation of Saudi Chambers. |
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Q1 was a landmark quarter for VUZ. The team launched the VUZ Dome at Boulevard World, Riyadh, a fully immersive 360° cinematic venue, and delivered sweeping coverage of Riyadh Season, reaching 17 million viewers. The platform crossed 2 billion screen views globally, sealed a major partnership with the NBA drawing 7 million viewers, took center stage at the 1 Billion Followers Summit with sessions featuring Mr. Beast and Will Smith, and was officially recognized by Guinness World Records for the longest synchronized light immersive show at 7.08 kilometers.
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Rize strengthened its rental ecosystem this quarter through two key partnerships, with Asas Althbat, advancing flexible and seamless renting experiences, and with Tawuniya, adding a layer of safety and reassurance for users across the platform.
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MAGNiTT reinforced its role as MENA's leading private capital intelligence platform with a strong Q1. The team tracked and reported Saudi Arabia's dominance in regional deal activity, with startups raising $162M in Q1 2026, hosted the first MAGNiTT Private Briefing at Dubai Founders HQ, a closed-door session for LPs, GPs, and policymakers, and engaged with global stakeholders at Web Summit Qatar on capital flows and sustainable growth.
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Raqamyah crossed a significant financial milestone this quarter, surpassing half a billion Saudi Riyals in deployed investments , fueling business expansion and unlocking new growth opportunities across its portfolio.
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Democrance received multiple recognitions from Intelligent Insurer. The company was awarded InsurTech of the Year - Personal Lines and also earned a Highly Commended distinction in the Commercial Lines category. The team officially launched Democrance AI Teams, insurance-native AI agents built for sales, underwriting, and operations in both Dubai at Digital Insurance MENA 2026 and Riyadh at GAIP InsureTek. The company was also featured in the January 2026 issue of Middle East Insurance Review on the future of microinsurance.
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Q1 has laid a strong foundation, and we enter Q2 with momentum, conviction, and a portfolio that continues to punch above its weight. We remain committed to backing the builders, the disruptors, and the visionaries who are shaping the future of MENA's innovation economy.
Connect with us on LinkedIn and visit hala.capital for upcoming updates. |
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Warm regards, The HALA Capital Team |
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