Series A

Pre-Series A

Series E

Series B

Seed

Baltimore, Maryland

Series C

Series D

Learn about Knollwood Investment Advisory's contributions to technology and key investments. Explore Lucidity Insights for more.

Knollwood Investment Advisory

Knollwood Investment Advisory is focused on financing companies in the internet security sector.

Bangalore

Debt Financing

Meesho

Fashion

E-Commerce

Meesho is a rapidly growing e-commerce company, dedicated to making online commerce accessible to everyone by connecting millions of sellers, consumers, and entrepreneurs.

Dubai

Kitopi

Support & Management Services

Cloud Kitchen

Foodtech

Kitopi is a cloud kitchen platform that offers innovative and scalable solutions to restaurants looking to optimise their operations and expand their delivery services.

Abu Dhabi

NymCard

Banking

Fintech

NymCard is a cloud-based issuer processor enabling financial institutions to build virtual and plastic card programs for their customers.

Riyadh

BRKZ

Construction

Marketplace

Building Material

BRKZ is a B2B construction tech startup revolutionizing the buying and selling of building materials, through a managed marketplace.

Augmented Reality

Art-Media-Entertainment

Social Network

Digital Media

Virtual Reality

VUZ is a social app that allows users to stream and experience XR and the Metaverse.

Magicpin

Herzliya

Hypernative

Cybersecurity

Web3

Machine Learning

AI/IoT

Hypernative Platform is a real-time monitoring, risk detection and automated response solution that: 01. Detects the overwhelming majority of attacks with high accuracy. 02. Only alerts you to the actual threats.

Baraka

Finance

Financial Services

baraka is a wealth app that enables you to invest in a diverse range of assets customized to your goals. We are here to help you learn about building your net worth.
Regulated by the DFSA.

invygo

Rental

invygo app-based car subscription company that gives customers an access to dealership verified cars.

Cercli

Business Development

Enterprise Software

The single modern platform for MENA to run your entire workforce.

Penny Software

Predictive Analytics

SaaS

Software

Procurement

Penny Software offers a cloud-based Procure-To-Pay system designed to digitize and manage the entire procurement cycle, from request to approval, including RFQ management, quotation comparison, PO issuance, and payment processing.

BRKZ’s seed round ($5.55 million) was led by Better Tomorrow Ventures, with participation from Class 5 Global, Knollwood Investment Advisory, Plus VC, and several other strategic Saudi angel investors.

BRKZ secures $8 million Series A round

The funding includes an $8M Series A2 round closed in January 2025, complemented by $1M in venture debt from Capifly, following the initial $8M Series A1 round from December 2023. All existing investors strongly recommitted, including BECO Capital, Aramco’s Waed, 9900 Capital, Better Tomorrow Ventures, RZM Investment, Class 5 Global, MISY Ventures, Knollwood Investment Advisory, and Fluent Ventures.

BRKZ closes $17M Series A to transform construction procurement as Saudi Arabia's $3T project pipeline accelerates

To address this, BRKZ, a Riyadh-based construction tech startup, offers a tech-enabled managed marketplace that streamlines procurement and provides tailored financing solutions. The company has raised $9 million ($8 million in equity and $1 million in debt), bringing its total Series A funding to $17 million, with investors doubling down.

Existing investors, including Aramco’s Wa’ed, BECO Capital, Better Tomorrow Ventures, Class 5 Global, Fluent Ventures, Knollwood Investment Advisory, MISY Ventures, RZM Investment, and 9900 Capital, re-participated.

Saudi’s BRKZ closes $17M Series A for its construction tech platform

Meesho said on Monday it has raised $300 million in a new financing round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 as the Indian social commerce startup works to become the “single ecosystem that will enable all small businesses to succeed online.”

The new round — a Series E — gives the five-year-old startup a valuation of $2.1 billion, up from about $600 million-$700 million in the 2019 Series D investment. The Indian startup, which has raised about $490 million to date, said existing investors Facebook, Prosus Ventures, Shunwei Capital, Venture Highway and Knollwood Investment also participated in the new round.

Indian social commerce Meesho valued at $2.1 billion in new $300 million fundraise

UAE-based Immersive video mobile app 360VUZ, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding as part of a bridge round from Knollwood, Impact46, and DAI. This latest investment brings the startup’s total funding raised to date to $8.4 million. According to Crunchbase, the company raised $7.2 million in its Series A round. 

Other investors include Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Media Visions, AlTouq Group, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin, DTEC Ventures, Plug and Play Ventures, Al Rashid family and other strategic angel investors.

Founded in 2017, The 360VUZ Teleporter mobile app has been adopted in more than 25 countries with a significant increase in user engagement and revenues month over month. The app leverages immersive media such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and extended reality (XR) to disrupt the telecommunications market.

In Q3 2020, 360VUZ signed agreements with more than 25 new telecoms companies from around the world covering markets such as the UK, Spain, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, and South Africa. The new agreements were aimed to ease out the subscription for 360VUZ users around the globe and enhance their immersive experience.

“We believe that now more than ever our mission is vital to help people and businesses from all around the world by removing barriers of TTA (Travel, Time and Access) using our immersive platform and technologies,” said Khaled Zaatarah, founder and CEO of 360VUZ.

Recently, 360VUZ has introduced a set of features on a monthly basis such as the celebrity voice chat feature and VIP chat feature, connecting its users to celebrities.

With the new capital infusion, the company will be able to further develop its immersive video app proprietary technology and innovative features, expand its global reach, and offer more personalized experiences to build a hyper-connected world.

“360VUZ is uniquely positioned to build a global success story. The company has already demonstrated success in building an innovative product that is capable of being highly scalable to different geographies globally,” said Chris Rogers, 360VUZ board member and mobile industry expert.

“With the rise of the entertainment sector in Saudi Arabia, 360VUZ is in a great position to capitalise on this opportunity with its innovative technology and offer a full virtual experience. We’re excited to share the journey with the 360VUZ team, and admire their desire and determination to explore various areas of partnership with both local and international enterprises and introducing a product to serve a global scale,”  said Abdulaziz Alomran, founding partner at Impact46.

360VUZ raises bridge round investment

Dubai fintech company Baraka raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by Valar Ventures and Knollwood. This marks Valar Ventures' first investment in the Middle East. Baraka plans to expand its presence in the GCC and Egypt, enhance customer acquisition, attract global fintech talent, and explore new markets in MENA. The company is backed by Y Combinator and part of Abu Dhabi's Hub 71, with investors including Class 5 Global, Global Founders Capital, and Venture Souq.

Dubai fintech baraka raises $20 mln from Valar, Knollwood

Baraka, a Middle East-based commission-free investing platform, has raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by Valar Ventures. The company plans to use the funds to expand its presence in the GCC and Egypt, enhance its app with new features, and increase access to local stock exchanges. Baraka aims to empower regional investors with low-cost investment options and improve financial literacy.

Investing platform baraka snares $20m Series A

NymCard, a banking-as-a-service platform, raised $22.5 million in June 2022, bringing its total funding to $35 million. The Series A round included investors such as DisruptAD, Reciprocal Ventures, Shorooq Partners, Chimera, DFDF, Knollwood, Endeavor Catalyst, and OTF Jasoor Ventures. The company plans to continue enabling Fintechs, SMEs, and banks to create and distribute virtual and physical cards.

UAE-based cloud kitchen platform Kitopi, has raised $60 million, closing its Series B round of funding. The round was led by Knollwood and Lumia Capital with further participation from new and existing global investors, namely BECO, CE-Ventures, GIC, Rise Capital, Reshape, Global Ventures and Wilshire Lane Partners.

Kitopi raises $60 million to close Series B

Kitopi, a cloud kitchen brand based in Dubai and New York, raised $60 million in a Series B funding round led by Knollwood and Lumia Capital, with participation from existing and new investors. This follows a $27.2 million Series A in 2018. The funds will be used to open 50 new kitchens in the U.S. and 100 globally by the end of 2020. Kitopi operates 30 kitchens and offers services like order aggregation and food preparation for delivery, using its Smart Kitchen Operating System (SKOS).

Don't miss tomorrow's restaurant industry news

Kitopi, a leading managed cloud kitchen platform, raised $60 million in its Series B funding round led by Knollwood and Lumia Capital, with participation from investors like BECO, CE-Ventures, GIC, and others. The funds will be used to expand Kitopi's operations with 50 more locations in the US and 100 globally by the end of 2020, and to further develop its in-house applications to enhance kitchen efficiency. Kitopi currently operates 30 kitchens globally and partners with over 100 restaurants.

Kitopi raises $60 million in Series B funding

Penny Software, a Saudi B2B SaaS procurement startup, has completed its Pre-Series A funding round with investments from Iliad Partners, GSI, and Knollwood Investments, along with continued support from existing investors like Dallah Investment and Hambro Perks Oryx Fund. The funding will support Penny Software's regional and global expansion plans, aiming to manage over $1B USD in Gross Transaction Value this year. The company focuses on digitizing the Source-to-pay process and enhancing procurement efficiency for medium to large corporations, particularly in the Middle Eastern markets.

Penny Software welcomes investment by Iliad Partners, GSI,...

Penny Software, a Saudi Arabia-based B2B SaaS procurement startup, has secured a pre-Series A funding round in April 2024. The round was led by Iliad Partners, with additional investments from GSI, Knollwood Investments, Dallah Investment, Hambro Perks Oryx Fund, Class 5 Global, and Altuwajiri family fund. The amount raised was undisclosed.

Penny Software Secures Pre-Series A Funding | The SaaS News

Penny Software, founded in 2020, has secured Seed funding from Iliad Partners to fuel its regional and global expansion. The company, which digitizes the procurement process, aims to manage over $1 billion in transaction value this year. The investment marks Iliad Partners' first venture into the Saudi market, aligning with their strategy to invest significantly in the Kingdom over the next five years.

Penny Software raises undisclosed pre-Series A round

Transport Invygo, Gulf’s largest car subscription startup, raises $10m By Shane McGinley October 31, 2022, 11:09 AM Creative Commons More people are choosing to rent cars since the cost of fuel began to rise Invygo, the Gulf’s first car subscription operator, has secured $10 million in new funding, endorsing a trend for businesses to opt for renting over ownership. Headquartered in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Invygo is an app-based service that allows people to choose, drive and swap cars. Founded in 2019, the new funding was led by Dubai venture capital fund MEVP, with participation also from Al Rajhi Partners, Arab Bank, Amana Capital and Palm Drive Capital. UAE drivers rent cars rather than buy since fuel price surge Already the largest operator in the car subscription segment, the startup aims to use the new cash to finance further expansion in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. “Since our launch, Invygo has achieved leadership in the car subscription category, with four times average growth annually,” Eslam Hussein, co-founder and CEO of Invygo, said in a press statement. The global car subscription market is worth $3.1 billion and expected to grow to $9.8 billion by 2027. Earlier this year industry experts told AGBI that higher petrol prices in the UAE are pushing small businesses and private individuals to switch from vehicle ownership to rentals. UAE fuel prices have increased more than 40 percent since the beginning of 2022, attributed to tightening global crude supplies after EU sanctions were applied to oil imports from Russia, the world’s third largest oil producer, following its invasion of Ukraine in February. Soham Shah, CEO and founder of subscription platform Selfdrive.ae, said his company had recorded growth of 30 percent month-on-month since petrol prices began surging in April. “In the [car] rental industry things typically slow down in the summer,” he said. “Subscriptions, or micro-leases as we call them, have skyrocketed and people want to have on-demand rentals rather than committing to a purchase.” Shah said customers who usually opt for daily or weekly rentals before buying a car have been switching to longer-term subscriptions for up to 12 months. “It’s not just the fuel price that has gone up, multiple factors have changed the industry at a rapid pace in the last couple of months,” he said. Nicholas Watson, co-founder and CEO of pay-per-minute car rental app Udrive, said his company has seen a 15 percent increase in users since the petrol price hikes. 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