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UAE Fintech Qashio Raises $19.8M For Regional Expansion
The Dubai-based fintech will use the cash injection to expand its B2B spend management platform and loyalty program across the MENA and Europe.
Dubai-headquartered fintech Qashio has raised $19.8 million in its latest funding round, paving the way for continued geographic expansion and growth of its industry-leading B2B loyalty ecosystem. Already operating in 22 countries — including the UAE, Europe, and the UK — the company will use the new capital to support its imminent entry into Saudi Arabia and strengthen regulatory compliance.
The funding, comprising equity and non-equity sources, was led by existing Silicon Valley-based investor Rocketship. Qashio’s consistent growth, demonstrated by over 800% year-on-year revenue increases for three consecutive years, reflects the platform’s rising dominance in B2B expense management solutions.
In addition to Rocketship, several existing investors including ABN Ventures, MITAA, and Oneway VC reaffirmed their support. The round also welcomed strategic new backers, such as Luxembourg-based MoreThan Capital, prominent regional banks, and several family offices from across the region.
“We invested in Qashio because of their bold vision to modernize spend management in the Middle East, a region ripe for financial innovation,” said Sailesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Partner at Rocketship. “They’re not just solving a pain point, but transforming how companies operate and scale”.
Unlike traditional corporate cash back programs, Qashio’s loyalty network uniquely features premium partners like Emirates, Air France, KLM, Avios (British Airways, Iberia, Finnair), US Airways, and elite hotel groups including Jumeirah One, Accor, and IHG Intercontinental Hotel Group. These high-value rewards differentiate Qashio from competitors, enhancing its appeal to businesses that previously had limited access to such exclusive benefits.
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“At Qashio, we understand change often meets resistance, especially when shifting from manual processes,” said Armin Moradi, CEO and Co-founder. “Our loyalty program is designed to reward positive financial management behaviors with meaningful incentives like air miles and hotel points — rewards that are typically hard to obtain. Coupled with transparent pricing, lowest cross-border fees, and unmatched cashbacks without restrictive conditions, we empower businesses to embrace streamlined financial management”.
With profitability achieved — earning over $1.2 million in the first quarter of 2025 — Qashio’s fresh capital infusion positions the fintech leader to further accelerate its ambitious growth across MENA and into European markets.
News
LUVED Is A New Curated Preloved Marketplace For The UAE
Sellers keep 100 percent of every sale and AI can build a listing in five seconds — though the app’s smartest tools are still coming.
Secondhand shopping has become mainstream in the UAE, but the experience is still scattered across resale sites, social media and informal group chats. LUVED, a mobile-first marketplace that launched in Dubai this month, is betting it can pull that activity into one place — and that the thing buyers and sellers actually want is not more inventory, but trust.
The app trades in what it calls circular luxury: preloved fashion and lifestyle pieces across men’s, women’s and children’s categories, bought, sold or given away peer to peer. Its main pitch is economics, with sellers keeping 100 percent of every sale under a zero-commission, fast payout model, while buyers are promised vetted pieces at lower prices.
Where LUVED is staking its reputation is verification. Sellers pass a KYC check, and items run through a two-layer authentication system powered by Entrupy that pairs instant AI screening with human expert review for high-value pieces. Authenticity certificates travel with each item, payments sit in escrow, and a buyer-protection package the company calls The Safety Net adds a 48-hour return window and dispute resolution. Door-to-door logistics removes the in-person meetups that make most resale deals awkward.
An in-app assistant called Luvbot — offering selling insights and demand-based recommendations — is soon to be introduced to the platform. Other features include autofill and dynamic pricing that lets users build a listing in as little as five seconds from three photos, plus a swipe-based feed, story-style drops and in-app chat in English and Arabic. Finally, a gifting layer, Luved & Gifted, lets users pass items to others inside the app rather than sell them.
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“After moving to Dubai, I saw how difficult it was to sell or even give things away,” says founder and CEO Shaima Sibtain. The friction is real, and so is the competition. In resale, trust is won transaction by transaction — and that is the test LUVED has set itself.
The app is live on the App Store now, with Google Play to follow. The company also plans to expand across the region, which will be the real test for a marketplace staking everything on trust.
