Startups Arabia

Yasmine El-Mehairy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Dija, a platform helping Muslim women invest with confidence in a way aligned with their faith and values. Yasmine is a serial entrepreneur, passionate about startups with purpose. Before launching Dija, she worked in global financial service organizations like City Ventures and Deloitte Digital, as well as founding and managing other startups in various fields, like digital media and e-commerce. She previously Co-Founded SuperMama, the one-stop shop for mothers in the Arab world, which was acquired by Mawdoo3. She's also an expert in entrepreneurship, serving as a lecturer and tutor at Oxford University. Yasmine holds an executive MBA from London Business School, a master's in online media from the University of Westminster, and a bachelor's in computer Science from Egypt's Aisha's University, and has been strongly committed to creating the change she wants to see in the world by starting purposeful startups that contribute to the growing ecosystem. —-----------------------------------------------------------The Startups Arabia Podcast connects you to the most prominent founders, investors, and operators of the Arab region. You will be inspired by their success, the challenges they overcame and the opportunities they see.Follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated and get in touch:LinkedIn: Startups Arabia PodcastTwitter: @ArabiaStartupsFacebook: @startupsarabiaYoutube: Startups Arabia Podcast—--- Resources—--------:Yasmine’s LinkedIn account: @Yamine El-MehairyDija Money’s Website: https://www.dija.money/ —-----------------------------------------------------------SHOW NOTES:00:00 Introduction to the Startups Arabia Podcast00:25 Meet Yasmine El-Mehairy: A Serial Entrepreneur02:17 Yasmine's Early Career and First Startup03:01 The Turning Point: From Corporate to Startup07:28 The Birth of SuperMama09:11 Challenges and Pivots in SuperMama's Journey19:46 SuperMama's Growth and Traction34:31 Navigating Investor Relations and Board Dynamics38:37 The Acquisition of SuperMama45:07 Transition to Dija Money and Financial Empowerment45:30 The Origin of Dija Money46:29 Financial Mistakes and Lessons Learned49:32 Gender and Financial Literacy54:18 Geopolitical and Socioeconomic Factors01:00:45 The Dija App: Vision and Development01:06:23 Building a Startup: Strategies and Challenges01:10:51 Personal and Professional Reflections01:20:53 Quickfire Questions and Closing Thoughts

Ramez El-Serafy is the General Partner and Co-Founder of F6 Ventures, bringing over 18 years of experience in technology, investments, entrepreneurship, and management. Before launching F6 Ventures, Ramez served as CEO of Flat6Labs from 2011 to 2025, where he led its transformation into one of the most active innovation platforms in the Middle East and Africa, expanding its footprint, scaling its operations, and investing in hundreds of high-growth startups.Earlier in his career, Ramez was responsible for building and managing the mobile applications business at Sarmady – a Vodafone company – and served as a board member of the Global Accelerator Network from 2014 to 2016. He holds a B.Sc. in Computer Engineering from Alexandria University and is deeply committed to fostering innovation, empowering entrepreneurs, and building impactful businesses that shape the future of emerging markets.—-----------------------------------------------------------The Startups Arabia Podcast connects you to the most prominent founders, investors, and operators of the Arab region. You will be inspired by their success, the challenges they overcame and the opportunities they see.Follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated and get in touch:LinkedIn: Startups Arabia PodcastTwitter: @ArabiaStartupsFacebook: @startupsarabiaYoutube: Startups Arabia Podcast—--- Resources—--------:Ramez’s LinkedIn account: @Ramez El-SerafyF6 Ventures’ Website: https://f6.vc/—-----------------------------------------------------------SHOW NOTES:00:00 Introduction to Ramez El-Serafy and the Podcast02:41 The Birth of Flat6Labs07:14 Challenges and Growth of Flat6Labs24:00 Expanding Beyond Egypt30:36 The Evolution into F6 Ventures38:59 Introduction to F6 Ventures39:30 Launching F6 Ventures and Portfolio Management40:33 Regional Strategies and Consolidation41:54 Investment Programs and Mandates43:00 Focus on Africa, Levant, and GCC52:07 Personal Transformation and Health Journey57:11 Fundraising Advice for Founders01:03:51 Investment Decision-Making Process01:10:22 Challenges in the Regional Ecosystem01:13:04 Navigating Market Challenges01:14:00 Geographical Diversification Strategy01:15:07 Startup Exit Options01:15:51 Investor Exit Strategies01:18:33 Impact of Exits on Ecosystems01:22:33 Key Questions for Founders01:25:36 Challenges in Fundraising01:28:38 Emerging Sectors and Technologies01:35:19 Building a Sustainable Ecosystem01:40:12 Future Goals and Expansion01:41:43 Quickfire Questions and Closing Thoughts

Born in Tunisia and “well-travelled”.Geek, started my first software company at the age of 16.Studied Software Engineering and AI at INSA Toulouse and University of Western Ontario.Joined Microsoft, where I spent 7 years — from Software Engineer to Engineering Manager — and truly fell in love with testing and quality.Then co-founded Expensya, an AI-powered expense management scale-up that grew across Europe and was acquired for over $100M.Now building Thunders: a no-code, agentic AI testing solution that empowers both developers and non-technical teams to automate end-to-end testing at scale — without writing a single line of code. Passionate about shipping faster, with confidence.—-----------------------------------------------------------The Startups Arabia Podcast connects you to the most prominent founders, investors, and operators of the Arab region. You will be inspired by their success, the challenges they overcame and the opportunities they see.Follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated and get in touch:LinkedIn: Startups Arabia PodcastTwitter: @ArabiaStartupsFacebook: @startupsarabiaYoutube: Startups Arabia Podcast—--- Resources—--------:Karim’s LinkedIn account: @Karim JouiniThunders’ Website: https://www.thunders.ai/—-----------------------------------------------------------SHOW NOTES:00:00 Introduction to Karim Jouini and the Podcast03:10 Karim's Journey in Tech and Early Ventures05:00 The Importance of Hard and Soft Skills07:29 Challenges and Lessons from Building Expensya10:16 Founding Thunders and Its Vision25:56 Thunders’ Progress and Future Plans30:38 AI in Testing and Overcoming Regional Challenges47:55 Handling Customer Feedback50:16 Go-to-Market Strategy53:34 Team Size and Structure55:56 Remote Work Policy56:53 Leadership Principles59:37 Identity and Global Citizenship01:01:55 Impact of Global Events01:08:54 Fundraising Strategy01:13:05 Acquisition Decision01:17:32 Co-Founder Dynamics01:22:21 Regional Startup Ecosystem01:25:13 Quickfire Questions and Closing Thoughts

Jon Santillan is the co-founder of OCTA, a platform automating financial operations for businesses — starting with accounts receivables and embedded financing. He’s a second-time founder, previously building and selling Denarii to Careem. Based in Dubai, Jon’s been operating in the region for over a decade, and he’s now focused on helping SMEs across the Middle East get paid faster, streamline workflows, and access capital when they need it.—-----------------------------------------------------------The Startups Arabia Podcast connects you to the most prominent founders, investors, and operators of the Arab region. You will be inspired by their success, the challenges they overcame and the opportunities they see.Follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated and get in touch:LinkedIn: Startups Arabia PodcastTwitter: @ArabiaStartupsFacebook: @startupsarabiaYoutube: Startups Arabia Podcast—--- Resources—--------:Jon’s LinkedIn account: @Jon Edward SantillanOCTA’s Website: https://weareocta.com/—-----------------------------------------------------------SHOW NOTES:00:00 Introduction to Jon Santillan and the Podcast03:06 Journey to Founding OCTA04:49 Challenges and Solutions in Payment Collections09:21 Revenue Streams and Business Model17:40 Global Market Aspirations20:22 Fundraising and Investor Relations27:35 Early Career and SEO Expertise32:31 Entrepreneurial Journey and Founding Denarii45:03 Acquisition by Careem and Lessons Learned53:35 The Role of Capital in Ambition and Creativity54:19 Integration Process Post-Acquisition58:00 Reflections on Selling the Company01:01:16 Angel Investing Approach01:03:31 Building in Public: Strategy and Benefits01:08:28 Challenges of Being an Expat Founder01:11:42 Advice on Co-Founding Relationships01:18:00 Managing Investor Relationships01:27:03 Quickfire Questions and Closing Thoughts

Khaled Talhouni is the Managing Partner and co-founder of Nuwa Capital, a VC firm investing in early-stage startups across the MENAPT region, based in Dubai and Riyadh. He has managed over 150 early-stage deals with a total AUM exceeding $300M and has successfully exited 15+. With deep expertise in venture investing and portfolio management, he plays a key role in shaping the region’s startup ecosystem.—-----------------------------------------------------------The Startups Arabia Podcast connects you to the most prominent founders, investors, and operators of the Arab region. You will be inspired by their success, the challenges they overcame and the opportunities they see.Follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated and get in touch:LinkedIn: Startups Arabia PodcastTwitter: @ArabiaStartupsFacebook: @startupsarabiaYoutube: Startups Arabia Podcast—--- Resources—--------:Khaled’s LinkedIn account: @Khaled TalhouniNuwa Capital’s Website: https://www.nuwacapital.io/—-----------------------------------------------------------SHOW NOTES:00:00 Introduction to Khaled Talhouni and the Podcast01:50 Early Career and Entry into VC08:05 Wamda Capital and Its Impact11:49 Founding of Nuwa Capital13:44 Investment Thesis and Founder Profiles22:57 AI's Impact on SaaS and Future Trends37:14 Regional Startups Going Global42:33 The Golden Age for the Region44:50 Technological Transformation in the GCC45:32 The Impact of Youth and Demographics47:18 Geopolitical Neutrality and Economic Reforms48:40 Case Study: A Successful Acquisition52:21 The Importance of Founder-Investor Relationships54:34 Reflecting on Missed Opportunities57:49 Challenges in the Venture Capital Landscape01:00:47 Spotting and Supporting Great Founders01:03:23 Quick Investment Decisions01:07:22 The Future of the Regional Ecosystem01:12:42 Quickfire Questions and Closing Thoughts