Participated · Equity · Oct 2025

Smartlens’ flagship product, miLens, is the world’s first electronics-free soft contact lens capable of continuous intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement. The microfluidic lens pairs with the firm’s AI-powered smartphone imaging platform to capture real-time pressure data and deliver predictive analytics for glaucoma and ocular-hypertension patients. The company is running a multi-site U.S. pivotal trial and has advanced regulatory preparation, manufacturing scale-up, and clinical validation. Market demand appears strong: a Market Scope survey of 166 ophthalmic practitioners showed 96.2 % intend to adopt miLens once available. After securing FDA clearance, Smartlens plans an expedited commercial launch and expects its platform to enable earlier, data-driven interventions that could slow disease progression for the 180 million people affected by glaucoma and ocular hypertension worldwide. The recent $5.2 million bridge financing provides the capital needed to complete the clearance process and prepare for market entry.

Participated · Series A · May 2025

WakeCap provides a sensor-powered project controls and intelligence platform that turns live jobsite data into actionable insights to improve safety, productivity, and risk management. The platform is deployed across more than $80B in active projects and over 100 million worker hours. It is used by customers including Aramco, NEOM, Qiddiya, and Emaar. The company operates across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Japan, and the U.S., and is led by CEO and Founder Dr. Hassan Albalawi. WakeCap intends to use the new funding to consolidate its presence in existing and new markets, deepen product capabilities, and expand integrations with key industry platforms. The company is supported by a team representing 34 nationalities.

Participated · Equity · Dec 2023

Datalogz builds an algorithm-driven automation tool that plugs into customers' business intelligence environments to identify duplicated dashboards, unused assets, security risks and inefficiencies and to generate insights for risk reduction and cost savings. The company positions its product as an alternative to manual BI audits performed by consulting firms, and the founder says it costs a fraction of consulting fees while delivering a 10–20x ROI. Founder and CEO Logan Havern draws on his experience at JetBlue, where report proliferation drove the product thesis. Datalogz has secured enterprise customers including the American Bureau of Shipping, Gateway Services and SSA & Company and is targeting roughly 10 enterprise customers early next year. It reports an eight- to 12-month sales cycle with annual contract values between $100,000 and $250,000. The company recently raised $5M led by Great Point Ventures, following a $2.3M financing in February led by Squadra Ventures.

Participated · Seed · Dec 2023

Start operates a digital platform designed to broaden access to internships and trainee roles for university students across Brazil. The company says it will use the newly raised capital to invest in and expand that platform. Leadership includes CEO José André Nunes, who discussed the raise in an exclusive interview with journalist Marcos Bonfim of EXAME. The startup frames its mission around improving employability for young Brazilians and addressing talent shortages faced by companies. No operating metrics (revenue or user counts) were disclosed in the article.

Participated · Equity · Nov 2023

Retailo, founded in 2020 by Talha Ansari, Wahaj Ahmed, and Mohammad Nowkhaiz, operates a plug-and-play B2B digital distribution platform serving thousands of retail partners and restaurants in Saudi Arabia. The company offers next-day delivery on a catalogue of 5,000 stock-keeping units and hosts 200+ leading local, regional and global brand partners. Retailo positions its platform as a way for suppliers to distribute products across the Kingdom and leverage the company’s distribution network and customer base. The business has announced strategic collaborations, including a technology distribution partnership with South Korea’s Dtonic to deploy AI-powered retail technology. Retailo says it will use new funding to grow its supplier network, enlarge its customer base, expand new verticals and deepen its presence within Saudi Arabia. Investors and partners cite the company’s tech capabilities and "profitable growth" as drivers for continued support as Retailo pursues further expansion under Saudi Vision 2030 initiatives. Retailo operates a mobile B2B marketplace that lets small businesses order from a catalogue of over 5,000 SKUs with deliveries in less than 24 hours. The platform offers buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services and provides sellers with data analytics to evaluate sales performance and consumption trends. Retailo works directly with hundreds of local, regional and global brands and manages end-to-end logistics including efficient warehousing operations and smart fleet management. The company has begun offering sellers cross-border distribution across KSA, UAE and Pakistan to provide a one-stop shop. Founded in July 2020 and based in Riyadh, Retailo has raised $36M in Series A equity and venture debt and a total of $45M in under 1.5 years of operations. It plans to use the funds to expand into new geographies, verticals and products. Retailo was launched in early 2020 by former Careem executives Talha Ansari, Muhammad Nowkhaiz, and Wahaj Ahmed to address fragmented retail supply chains in the Middle East and South Asia. The company operates an online B2B marketplace that connects small retailers with suppliers, provides last-mile delivery, and is piloting credit for merchants. Its model aims to remove transportation and cash constraints so retailers can restock more frequently and scale operations. Retailo emphasizes three core pillars: marketplace access for suppliers via smartphones, logistics (last-mile delivery), and credit deployment, with plans to integrate backward into the supply chain by working directly with farmers. The startup has used early external funding to expand operations in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and plans further regional launches. Financially, Retailo raised a $2.3M pre-seed in October and closed a $6.7M seed round in May to support its expansion and product development. Retailo is described in the article as a Pakistani B2B platform. The company raised $2.3 million in a pre-seed funding round. The pre-seed round was led by Shorooq Partners. The article does not disclose revenue, user counts, product specifics, or future plans. No past rounds or additional investors were named in the coverage. The report positions the raise as early-stage funding for the company.