Reading time: 2 & 7 minutes

Welcome to this weeks technology updates & insights. I share market insights, potential business opportunities & upcoming events.

This week I discuss my quick thoughts on the AI race as well as some funding & regional tech news.

Your 2-Minute Summary

📚 On leveraging the rapid AI development for tech founders

The rapid pace of AI innovation has created a virtuous cycle where increased investment leads to better capabilities. For entrepreneurs, the strategic focus should be either on developing better AI or leveraging existing AI for vertical applications. Niche focus offers dual advantages: competitive edge beyond what LLMs provide and automatic product improvement as AI capabilities grow.

💰 Tech Funding & Support Programs

Yango Ventures Launch: Yango Group has established a $20M venture fund targeting early-stage startups in fintech, B2B SaaS, and online-to-offline services across emerging markets, including MENAP.

LIFE Pitch Night for Lebanese Founders: Opportunity for startups with at least one Lebanese founder to connect with investors and secure $150K-$1M in funding. Application deadline is April 7, 2025, with the pitch night scheduled for May 15, 2025.

📊 MENA Tech Updates

AliExpress African Expansion: AliExpress has expanded local payment options in Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, Morocco, and Tanzania, removing foreign currency barriers for entrepreneurs. The company has also improved logistics for faster delivery within 10 days and launched its first showroom in Ethiopia to support wholesale buyers.

Web Summit Qatar Highlights: AI dominated the summit, representing 17% of all startups present. Qatar signed a 5-year agreement with Scale AI to integrate AI tools into government services, following similar initiatives in UAE & KSA. Beyond AI: Fintech, Cybersecurity, and RegTech were identified as key growth areas.

🗓️ Upcoming Events

Dubai AI Festival 2025: Global event on April 23-24, 2025 at Madinat Jumeirah, bringing together AI leaders, innovators, and investors. Features include AI governance discussions, participation from 20+ global unicorns and venture capitalists, the FutureTech World Cup startup competition, and a product launch platform.

Interested to know more? Scroll below ⬇️ (7 minutes read)
Sometimes, this newsletter’s content gets truncated due to its length
Read Online 

Quick thoughts on the AI race & exponential improvements

Since I created TuraLabs (an AI solution agency for SMBs), we've been working to stay ahead of the latest advancements in AI. There are dozens of updates & new improvements each week. There simply isn't enough time for someone, even a team, to test & distinguish hype from real opportunities.

I've tasked my AI engineering team with creating reviews & articles that help us stay updated (Arabic capabilities, new agent architectures, MCP, etc.). However, it's impossible to follow everything, and it's overwhelming for 99% of both technology executives & clients. It's like daily news—you might benefit from 1% of the information, but most of it is here to distract you and serves as entertainment.

My take: I think LLMs opened the eyes of investors, governments, and public opinion to the potential of AI. Now, we're in a virtuous cycle. The more people invest time & resources into making AI better, the better it becomes, until we reach a certain plateau in technological capabilities (we'll need to wait for quantum computing to take it further).

For technology entrepreneurs, I believe we should either be focusing on making better AI or leveraging it to focus on vertical applications.

For me, focusing on a specific niche application provides two key advantages:

• You gain competitive advantage beyond what LLMs can do. They won't have the data, the specific industry experience & insights for that niche & they won't bother developing it.

• You grow with the growth of AI capabilities. If the AI improves, your product improves.

Forget the constant updates. Focus on your niche application & just update from time to time using the validated upcoming tech (new voice models, new LLMs, OCR..etc.)

What are your thoughts on it? Answer by replying to this email.

📊 MENA Tech Updates

Highlights of Web Summit Qatar Pt1

I've found an interesting article "realistically" summarizing Web Summit Qatar with its key trends, real opportunities, and current investment climate. All written by a startup founder who spent 3 days there.

You can read the full first part here, but here are my highlights:

• • AI and fintech remain the key areas of growth and investment opportunities. AI was a dominant topic, representing 17% of all startups at the summit.

  • Discussions centered around AI-driven automation, decision-making, and customer service improvements. Some of these have already been implemented by many businesses. However, it shows that the demand is still there.

  • Qatar signed a 5-year agreement with Scale AI to integrate AI tools into government services. This is similar to actions taken by UAE & KSA.

  • In Fintech: Integrated and accessible financial technologies have significant market potential due to increasing demand from SMEs and unbanked populations.

  • Beyond Fintech & AI, Cybersecurity & RegTech are another focus trend.

To read more: Beyond the hype, what actually happened in Web Summit Qatar: Pt.1 - Wamda

AliExpress expands local payment in Algeria, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, Morocco and Tanzania

This is very good news for many upcoming entrepreneurs in Africa. Before, entrepreneurs needed to rely on lengthy procedures & were faced with foreign currency accessibility roadblocks.

All of the above-mentioned countries will be able to source goods from China for their operations, product development, production lines & much more. I don't yet understand how AliExpress managed to make this happen, and I'll follow to see the on-the-ground realities.

AliExpress has also improved logistics, enabling faster delivery within 10 days to select countries, and launched its first showroom in Ethiopia to support wholesale buyers.

Source: Link

💶 Tech Funding & Support programs

LIFE pitch night in Dubai for Lebanese founders

If your founding team is composed of at least one Lebanese member, this opportunity is for you.

Benefits:

• Connect with investors & mentors

• Get potential $150K–$1M in funding

Requirements & dates:

• Application Deadline: 07 April 2025

• Pitch night: 15 May 2025

• At least one Lebanese founder or partner

• Based in the MENA region

• MVP ready with 6+ months of traction

• Tech or tech-enabled startup

To learn more & apply: Here

New $20M venture fund for early stage startups

Yango Group has launched Yango Ventures, a $20M venture fund focused on supporting early-stage startups in sectors like fintech, B2B SaaS, and online-to-offline services across emerging markets, including MENAP.

The fund aims to empower entrepreneurs with financial backing, expertise, and networking opportunities.

There was no mention of application details.

Article source: link

🗓️ Upcoming Events

Dubai AI Festival 2025

The Dubai AI Festival 2025 is a global event bringing together top leaders, innovators, and thinkers in artificial intelligence to showcase advancements and discuss the future of AI. The event is organized by Dubai AI campus, a campus specifically created last year to promote & incubate AI startups.

• Dates: 23 – 24 April 2025

• Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

• Target Audience: Industry experts, government agencies, investors, global enterprises, venture capitalists, and AI startups

What's Interesting About It:

• Features important themes such as global AI governance and FutureTech to discuss/unveil latest advancement & their real world applications.

• Hosts 20+ global unicorns and 20+ top venture capitalists, +500 investors

• The FutureTech World Cup for startups to pitch their ideas and connect with investors.

• FutureTech Launchpad: A platform to unveil cutting-edge AI solutions and products.

• Provides unparalleled networking opportunities with key decision-makers and industry leaders.

You can register and learn more here.

📧 Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe below

Amine Rabehi

Find me on LinkedIn or Book a Free Call

🔍 Whenever you’re ready, here are 3 things I can help you with:

• Tailored Smart Solutions (AI, Automation, Blockchain, IoT): with my team at TuraLabs, we help you assess where AI & other solutions can best provide value for your business. We then build the solutions starting with the most immediate ROI.

• Technology Solution/Product consultancy: I help you assess your product idea from a technological & business point of view. So far, I have built a network of professionals covering the MENA region in term of IP, Market Research.

• Market entry strategy and support: understand the market, legal framework