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Sarwa Helps UAE Residents Easily Invest In Global Stocks
Sarwa, the UAE-based online investment platform that is democratizing investing in the region, allows anyone to invest small amounts of money in global markets making investing simple and affordable for all investors in the Middle East.
Thanks to modern technology, lucrative investment opportunities are no longer available only to individuals with traditional access to stock markets. These days, there are many apps that let inexperienced and seasoned investors alike sit on a couch and invest their hard-earned money using nothing but a smartphone, and Sarwa is one of them.
The investment platform launched in February 2018 after raising over $1.3 million from regional and global investors during a pre-Series A. “We’re so excited to close this round with the top VCs regionally and internationally that are backing Sarwa in its growth,” said Mark Chahwan, CEO and co-founder of Sarwa, at the time.
Sarwa Founders
Fast-forward to today, and Sarwa has over 25,000 registered users, who use it to invest in international stock markets through a range of class assets. Sarwa caters to everyone regardless of their net worth: the platform has high net worth individuals, mass affluent as well as small retail investors. The same users will soon be able to trade with global shares without paying any commission on their trades.
What separates Sarwa from other investment platforms that are licensed to operate in UAE, such as Wealthface or Stashaway, is its AI-driven hybrid nature and exceptional customer support. The app platform uses artificial intelligence to recommend a specific investment portfolio based on each investor’s preferences and investment priorities while also providing their client base with access to humans when needed.
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“When you start investing with Sarwa, we assess your risk profile and recommend a diversified portfolio that reflects it,” explains Chahwan. “If you are a short-term investor, then your portfolio will inherently be less risky. If you are in a portfolio that has more exposure to stocks, which is considered more growth and more risk, then you are in it for the long-term and the short-term (even if it is a couple of years) won’t have an impact on your long-term strategy.”
In its beta form, access to global stock trading will be provided exclusively to Sarwa Invest customers, but other Sarwa users can enter a waiting list to join when the full product is launched.
News
Paymob Extends Series B Funding To $72M Amid Continued Growth
The financial services provider has secured an extra $22 million after strong performance in its core market of Egypt.
Leading financial services provider Paymob has secured an additional $22 million in a funding extension, bringing its Series B total to $72 million.
The funding was spearheaded by EBRD Venture Capital, with support from Endeavor Catalyst. Existing backers such as PayPal Ventures, BII, FMO, A15, Nclude, and Helios Digital Ventures also participated, reaffirming their confidence in Paymob’s business model and potential in the regional fintech industry.
This extension comes on the back of Paymob’s strong performance in its core market of Egypt, where it has experienced 6x revenue growth since the initial Series B in Q2 2022. With the Series B extension and continued profitability in Egypt, Paymob is well-positioned to further its expansion strategy across the MENA region.
Islam Shawky, Co-founder and CEO of Paymob, commented: “We are very excited by our strong prospects in Egypt – where we hold a market-leading position – and the significant traction experienced in the UAE since launching operations there. This funding will help Paymob fully capitalize on the momentum in our established markets, as we accelerate our GCC roll-out. We remain committed to creating cutting-edge infrastructure enabling SMEs across the region to thrive in the digital economy and are proud of our continued impact”.
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The expansion into GCC markets has been driven by Paymob’s initial Series B funding of $50 million, raised in 2022 and led by Kora Capital, PayPal Ventures, and Clay Point. The investment fueled Paymob’s growth, allowing it to launch its mobile app in 2023 and grow its merchant base by 3.5 times, now serving nearly 350,000 merchants across MENA.
Paymob has also expanded its payment acceptance suite to offer 50 payment methods through its gateway, POS terminals, and the Paymob app, providing the region’s most comprehensive fintech solution. The company recently introduced embedded checkout services for Shopify and WooCommerce, further demonstrating its commitment to empowering small and medium businesses across the region.
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