Riyadh-based construction tech startup BRKZ closed a USD 17 mn series A funding round, with participation from BECO Capital, Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures, 9900 Capital, Better Tomorrow Ventures, RZM Investment, Class 5 Global, MISY Ventures, Knollwood Investment Advisory, and Fluent Ventures, according to a statement (pdf).

The breakdown: The round includes a fresh USD 8 mn in series A2 funding plus USD 1 mn in venture debt from Capifly raised last month, in addition to a previous USD 8 mn Series A1 funding in January 2024. This brings BRKZ’s total funding to USD 22.5 mn.

Use of proceeds: The funds will be used to scale BRKZ's tech platform as the company plans to expand into Saudi Arabia’s Northern and Southern regions in 2025 and enter global markets, focusing on China and India.

What they said: “Given our momentum, our next funding milestone will be a significant series B round, aimed at accelerating expansion, enhancing our fintech capabilities, and deepening our impact in the industry,” a representative from BRKZ said in an email to EnterpriseAM Saudi.

About BRKZ: Founded in 2022 by Ibrahim Manna (LinkedIn), BRKZ offers a B2B platform that connects suppliers and contractors in the construction industry, attempting to address fragmented, manual procurement processes. BRKZ served over 850 contractors and processed USD 350 mn in RFQs in 2024, supporting gigaprojects like Neom and Red Sea, the statement said.

ALSO FROM STARTUP LAND-

Riyadh-based AI solutions startup WideBot AI raised USD 3 mn in a Pre-Series A funding round, it said in a press release (pdf). The round was co-led by Al Wafra II-backed Keheilan Asset Management, Enza Capital, and DisrupTech Ventures, with participation from Den VC and SparkLabs Ventures.

Use of proceeds: The funds will be mainly used to accelerate the development of WideBot’s proprietary AQL Mind model — the first Arabic large language model (LLM) hosted on Saudi cloud servers, according to the statement. AQL Mind will allow WideBot to “deliver a highly accurate, secure, and tailored AI experience specifically designed for Saudi government entities and businesses,” CEO and co-founder Mohamed Nabil told EnterpriseAM.

Ambitious goals: “We’re targeting a 2.5x increase in revenue and sales compared to last year, driven by strategic investments in technology, talent, and partnerships that will solidify our leadership in the Mena AI market,” Nabil added.

About Widebot: Initially established in Cairo, WideBot delivers Arabic-focused AI solutions to governments and businesses across the region, serving over 350 clients in 12 countries, including Saudi’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and Egypt’s Tax Portal.

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