Merak Capital Backs Saudi-based Master Works
Saudi's Merak Capital has taken a strong step in late-stage Tech funding in Saudi Arabia as it invests in pioneering data and digital transformation company Master Works in a first of its kind Private Equity Fundraise.
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The Saudi company specialized in data and digital transformation, Master Works, has secured $40M (150 million SR) in private equity financing. The deal was backed by Merak Capital, an investment firm focused on technology companies and licensed by the Capital Market Authority of Saudi Arabia.
Founded in 2010 by Hani Al-Lehaibi and Bandar Al-Amri, Master Works offers products and services across multiple technology fields such as data management, artificial intelligence, data strategy, API management, software development, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). The business is headquartered in Riyadh with offices in Egypt, UAE, Jordan, and India.
Against the backdrop of our VC world in Emerging Venture Markets, this private equity round presents the case of the race for next-generation technology across all asset classes. Surely the hub of such innovations lies in the entrepreneurial space, where the Saudi-based cloud communications tech startup Unifonic has raised KSA’s first Mega Round in 2021 driving the enterprise software sector’s 1,557% growth and accounting for 95% of all capital invested in the sector over 2021. Over the last year, VC investment has backed up-and-coming innovations across all industries including in cloud Kitchen Tech with startups like Kitopi and Kitch raising major investments, blockchain technologies, and open-banking with BitOasis and Taraubut Gateway, AI and MI integrations with startups like Leena AI and surely in FinTech with startups like Tabby, Dopay, and Rasan Information Technology exploring next-gen tech for alternative and digital payments as well as data-driven financial servicing. These innovations were the cornerstone of MENA’s 138% YoY growth in Capital investment to near the $3Bn mark in 2021.
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Recently, the company has succeeded in launching numerous in-house developed software such as Digital PMO (P+), Digital SMO (S+), Baseer, and Diwan. The firm served more than 140 clients across government and private sectors in the Kingdom, with the support of more than 20 global technology providers. Hani Al-Lehaibi, the founder of Master Works, highlighted: “This deal reflects the outstanding journey of our company over the past years, where we were able to develop our four product lines and services, as well as expand our customer base, while boosting our relationships with key players in the information technology sector, locally and globally”.
Al-Lehaibi added, “We aim to continue on developing local innovative products by relying on the experience of our well-qualified team to achieve our future ambitions. Having Merak Capital as a partner reflects our absolute intention to meet the investors' aspirations, and it will play a key role in helping us achieve the growth journey we desire as we help more clients, and the Kingdom, expedite this digital transformation.”
As a leading technology investor in the region, Merak Capital intends to support Master Works ambitious goals and pave the way for public listing in Saudi Arabia. Othman Abdulrazaq Alhokail, Partner at Merak Capital, said: “It was great to witness the amazing development that Master Works has achieved over the past decade and how it has succeeded in becoming one of Saudi’s leading technology companies in data and digital transformation.” Mr. Othmman concluded, “With the vision of the executive team, we are confident the company will hit more achievements in the coming years. Merak Capital is proud to be part of this distinguished journey, which is an embodiment of an inspiring success story for all stakeholders in the information technology sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
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