Loulou Khazen Baz

📢 Big news at Journify We’ve doubled our valuation, 5x’d our revenue in six months, and expanded across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the broader Gulf. Today we’re proud to welcome Shorooq, Bunat Ventures, and Plug and Play Tech Center as strategic investors as we scale the next generation of AI-powered data infrastructure. This funding is not just a milestone. It is fuel to scale what we’re already seeing in-market: 📈 182% ROAS increase for Jarir Bookstore on Meta 📉 44% drop in CPP for Baytonia on TikTok ⚡ Real, measurable impact by activating first-party data across Meta, TikTok, Snap Inc., Google, and more. As cookies disappear, privacy expectations rise, and AI reshapes how we engage customers, brands need smarter, faster, more ethical ways to grow. That is exactly what we’re building. Grateful to our customers, investors, partners, and team for helping bring this vision to life. 🔗 Full story here: https://lnkd.in/dnKAYy9K #AI #FirstPartyData #Marketing #GCC #Data #Growth

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Yesterday, an entrepreneur told me something simple but devastating: “We didn't fail because it was a bad product. We had to shut down because we weren't paid on time.” And the numbers back him up. In the UAE, 58% of B2B invoice value is overdue - and SMEs, already operating on the thinnest margins, feel it most. Cash flow dries up. Energy shifts from building to chasing. Growth stalls before it even begins. This isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a systemic drag on innovation, jobs, and national competitiveness. In the UK, where SMEs face a similar challenge, policymakers have just unveiled the toughest crackdown on late payments in 25 years: - Maximum payment terms of 60 days, reducing to 45 - Audit committees legally required to scrutinize payment practices - Fines worth millions for repeat late-payers - Mandatory interest charges on late payments Why? Because late payments cost the UK economy £11 billion a year and shut down 38 businesses every day. Now imagine the scale of impact in the UAE, where SMEs make up 94% of businesses and over half of non-oil GDP. Yes - invoice factoring, AI-powered receivables, and fintech solutions can help. But at its heart, this is about fairness and trust. When an SME delivers on time, they deserve to be paid on time. It’s time for us to follow suit: - Embed transparency into payment practices - Hold large firms and public entities accountable - Build a culture where “on-time payment” is as sacred as “on-time delivery” Because the real test of how much we value small businesses isn’t in speeches or strategies. It’s in whether we pay them what we owe, when we owe it. #UAE #SME #Payments

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In the latest "Born to Disrupt" episode, I speak with Mark Walker and Simon Hardie and dive into the MENA venture capital landscape. In this podcast, I elaborate on the similarities and differences between the venture capital landscapes in Southeast Asia and the MENA region, and cite examples of companies relocating to the Middle East to tap into its burgeoning tech ecosystem, driven by government initiatives and a focus on sectors like AI, data centres, and healthcare. The conversation touches on the challenges and opportunities of investing in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of targeting top-tier players within specific markets and the potential for companies to expand regionally and globally. Thanks to the DISRUPTS team for having me on the show. Link to the podcast here https://lnkd.in/gU3_PQPN

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Over the past five years, the Middle East has established itself as a proven and attractive technology hub. Today, there are 14 unicorns in the region, 9 in Saudi Arabia, and 5 in the UAE. However, in our 2022 STV Insight Report “From Startup to IPO,” we projected around 20 unicorns by now, including 11 in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, when measured by VC deployment as a share of GDP, the region still lags behind global benchmarks, signaling untapped potential. We see a healthy pipeline of high-potential tech ventures ready to scale. What remains missing are more regional-native growth-stage VCs and greater capital allocation to them. The gap identified in our 2023 STV Insight Report, “Mind the Gap,” still persists. https://lnkd.in/dzhhxY3u While mature, late-stage companies such as Tabby can attract global investors, identifying and supporting promising Series B ventures requires local VCs with deep market insight and proximity to founders, those best positioned to elevate the next generation of winners.

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The surge was largely fuelled by a wave of mega-deals from Saudi fintechs, led by Tamara’s $2.4 billion debt facility, Hala’s $157 million Series B, Lendo’s $50 million debt, and Erad’s $33 million debt financing. Saudi Arabia once again topped the regional charts, with 25 startups raising a combined $2.7 billion. Much of this momentum stemmed from Money20/20, the fintech sector’s headline event, where 15 deals were announced.

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