News

Egypt-Based Cybersecurity Firm Buguard Completes Seed Fund

The investment round was led by MENA venture capital firm A15 and will help drive expansion into the GCC later this year.

Published

3 years ago

August 7, 2023

Nour Nasir

egypt-based cybersecurity firm buguard completes seed fund

Buguard, the Cairo-based offensive security and dark web monitoring company has announced the successful completion of a $500,000 seed funding round.

Fundraising was led by A15, one of the most prominent backers of early-stage startups in the MENA region, with participation from various other angel investors.

The $500,000 sum is Buguard’s first external investment, with the company having been bootstrapped since its launch in 2021. The funding injection will be used to grow the Buguard team and to expand further across the Gulf Coast Countries (GCC) later this year.

Youssef Mohamed, Buguard’s founder and Chief Technology Officer, said: “We are delighted to announce our fundraising, and I thank A15 for its great support. The world of dark web cyber threats is very real, dynamic, and growing. Any company can be a victim, and one must be prepared. We are already a global company, with clients across the world, but our immediate strategy is to grow even stronger in the GCC. We look forward to expanding into Saudi Arabia during 2023 and using our proceeds to help fulfill our significant growth potential”.

Since commencing operations, Buguard has helped many of Egypt’s leading businesses and developed a global client base spanning Saudi Arabia, the United States, France, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Also Read: The Largest Data Breaches In The Middle East

The startup’s primary role is monitoring dark web marketplaces, hacking forums, underground channels, and private clouds to identify and neutralize data breaches across different venues. Buguard provides a wealth of security services, including penetration testing, phishing simulation, threat intelligence, and more. The company also offers a subscription-based SaaS product known as Dark Atlas that helps businesses prevent data breaches.

Founded in 2021, Buguard’s team comprises highly skilled security researchers and engineers. The company is renowned for exposing critical security vulnerabilities in tech giants, including Yahoo, PayPal, Twitter, Amazon, eBay, Microsoft, and even the U.S. Department of Defense.

Related Topics:Buguard Cybersecurity Egypt

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Syria Just Got Its First Super App Featuring Built-In Digital Payments

Built by UAE-based Syrian founders with the Ministry of Tourism’s backing, My Syria lands as visitor numbers more than double.

Published

4 days ago

August 1, 2026

Nour Nasir

syria just got its first super app featuring built-in digital payments

For most of the past decade, paying for anything in Syria with an international card was effectively impossible. Sanctions, a collapsed banking sector, and years of isolation left the country running on cash. That is what makes the launch of My Syria — the country’s first super app — more than a routine product announcement.

Developed by 121 Living, a company founded by four UAE-based Syrian entrepreneurs — Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani, and Kinan Madi — the app launched in Damascus on July 30 under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Mazen Al-Salhani. It bundles hotels, restaurants, transport, attractions, food delivery, and other lifestyle services into a single platform, currently offering eight services with plans to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.

Although the app already sounds enticing, the headline feature is its built-in payments. My Syria is the first platform in Syria to support cross-border digital payments through Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express — familiar tools for international visitors, and a route into the digital economy for local businesses that have long operated outside it.

my syria super app launch event

The launch rides on a sharp rebound for the troubled country. Syria’s tourism sector recorded 3.52 million visitor arrivals in the first half of 2026, a 111 percent increase over the 1.67 million during the same period in 2025 — a mix of returning expatriates, regional visitors, and international tourists.

Also Read: This UAE Platform Wants To Replace Fashion Photo Shoots With AI

The Ministry of Tourism, which supported and supervised the app’s development, frames the launch as proof of concept for a wider strategy. “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector,” Al-Salhani said, inviting technology companies “globally, regionally and locally” to explore opportunities across the wider economy.

For 121 Living, this is phase one, with additional services and expanded geographic coverage planned. Whether a super app can flourish in a market still rebuilding its infrastructure is an open question, but for the first time in years, a visitor to Damascus can pay for dinner with their phone.