FAST launches FASTFoundry, a $3 million fund backing MENA’s next wave of AI, AdTech and creator startups

• Born in the region and built for the world, new venture studio will invest in and boost early-stage companies with global potential

Dubai, UAE & Riyadh, KSA, xx November 2025

FAST Ventures, a dynamic AdTech entity at the intersection of marketing, technology, and consumers has launched FASTFoundry, its investment arm and venture studio backed by a $3 million fund to boost early-stage startups across the wider MENA region. FASTFoundry will invest in startups building the next wave of AdTech, creator, AI and marketing products with global potential.

FASTFoundry is born in the region and built for the world. It combines investment with the full FAST Ventures ecosystem, giving startups access to specialist teams in marketing, product, creators and data, plus a clear path from idea to traction.

Waseem Afzal, CEO of FAST Ventures commented, "For years the region has relied on imported, white-labeled technology. It solved short-term gaps, but it never built a real ecosystem. We created FAST Ventures to address that - to build original, homegrown IP that understands this region deeply and can scale globally. FASTFoundry is the next chapter. We're backing founders who want to create the tools, platforms and products that redefine how marketing and growth work - built in MENA, for the world."

FASTFoundry will focus on four themes where technology, culture and commerce meet:

• AI native marketing agents
• Retail and commerce media infrastructure
• Creator commerce and influencer infrastructure
• Vertical AdTech for FinTech, PropTech, TravelTech and EdTech

FASTFoundry is designed around a clear challenge. Unfortunately, many young companies close when growth and revenues stall, even when the product is strong. Research shows that around 90% of MENA startups fail and close within the first few years before reaching profitability, while 43% say they struggle to increase and build repeatable demand.

Selected startups receive investment plus workspace at either FAST Ventures HQ in Internet City, Dubai, as well as FAST's offices in Riyadh where they will receive engineering and go to market support from various services and entities under the FAST Venture umbrella. These include Platformance, the fastest growing AdTech platform in MENA, delivering real business outcomes; Lion, an award winning creative shop; and Calibrate, an end to end digital advertising agency; as well as preferred access to cloud credits, and on call senior talent across product, creative and commercial roles.

Since its establishment in 2022, the FAST Ventures ecosystem's team and IP has delivered massive outcomes, solving complexity and unlocking growth across marketing, product, creators, and data for the Advertising and Media industry and for its enterprise clientele across multiple sectors across the MENA region and afar. The team consists of established industry veterans who have built brands, led growth, and delivered outcomes for over 25 years for some of the region's most progressive brands.

For more on FAST Ventures, visit https://www.weareFAST.io/

Now Open for Applications

FASTFoundry is now live. Applications are open to early-stage founders across the MENA region who are building product led, growth focused companies.

To apply: https://foundry.weareFAST.io

For media enquiries: Hamza Sarawy, Head of Communications

Email: hamza@platformance.io