Author: Emirates Insight

Companies building tech solutions for retailers, lawyers and even the military are among those that raised fresh funding this week, along with the 19 startups selected for Startmate’s latest cohort. Keep reading to learn more about the 24 Australian startups that collectively raised $91 million this week. Fluent Commerce: $46 million Fluent Commerce CEO Graham Jackson. Sydney-based tech company Fluent Commerce has raised $46 million in fresh funding to help it scale its AI-powered retail order management tools. The funding round was led by Bain Capital and comes nearly seven years after a $33 million Series B raise, which was led…

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, has concluded a high-level UAE business delegation to the Republic of Namibia as part of the UAE Trade and Investment Days, designed to strengthen bilateral economic engagement and expand cooperation across priority sectors. During the visit, Al Zeyoudi also participated in a UAE-Namibia Business Forum with senior members of the Namibian government, including Selma Ashipala Musavyi, Minister of International Relations and Trade; Modestus Amutse, Minister of Industries, Mines, and Energy; Dr. Esperance Luvindao, Minister of Health and Social Services; Veikko Nekundi, Minister of Works and Transport and Dr. Sanet Steenkamp,…

Pro sports teams are the hottest institutional asset class, and private equity wants a piece of the action. Recently, KKR & Co. said it agreed to acquire Arctos Partners in a transaction first valued at $1.4B, with an additional $550M depending on performance and KKR share-price targets. Arctos is one of the only approved entities for ownership across all five major U.S. leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS). NFL: Bills, Chargers NBA: Warriors, 76ers, Jazz MLB: Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Red Sox NHL: Penguins MLS: Liverpool FCSource: Arctos Partners KKR is using Arctos to scale “GP solutions” and secondaries to…

When it comes to financial well-being, your income is only part of the story. Government data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Treasury Department, among others, shows that the ZIP code where you live can influence your financial success as much as, or even more than, your salary. That’s because what matters most for financial security is not income itself, but the amount of money you have left after covering expenses. Here’s a look at how housing costs, taxes, insurance and the local cost of living can outweigh income differences, making location a powerful driver of financial…

The flipping point between the two investment assets is close, Kiyosaki said. But, it could be a century away in reality. The famed New York best-selling author made the headlines on Friday again as he outlined his latest bitcoin purchase, and doubled down on his belief that BTC is (or will eventually) be a better investment option than gold. It’s worth noting that some of Kiyosaki’s recent statements have caused significant backlash due to a lack of consistency, and some interpreted them as simply false. Bought 1 More BTC The author of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series took…

Australian defence technology startup Breaker has raised $9 million in Seed funding. The raise was led by US VC  Bessemer Venture Partners, with support from existing backer Main Sequence, which led 2025’s $2m pre-Seed nearly 12 months ago. The startup, which emerged out of the UNSW Founders Defence 10X program in 2023, now has a US HQ in Austin, Texas. The new cash will be deployed on the development and adoption of the Sydney startup’s AI agent software. Breaker’s platform lets military operators coordinate teams of up to 100 autonomous systems across air, land and sea with their voice. Founders Matthew Buffa, Michael…

This week, mortgage rates hit their lowest point since September 2022. According to Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed rate fell eight basis points to 6.01%. The 15-year fixed-rate dropped nine basis points to 5.35%. With rates falling, purchase and refinance demand will grow. If you will be getting a new home loan soon, whether to buy or refi, it might be time to start lining up lenders to get your best offer. Here are the current mortgage rates, according to the latest Zillow data: 30-year fixed: 5.81% 20-year fixed: 5.81% 15-year fixed: 5.35% 5/1 ARM: 5.86% 7/1 ARM: 5.98%…

The United Arab Emirates will host the Artificial Intelligence Summit in 2028, reinforcing its position as a global hub for advanced technology and a leading platform for shaping responsible international AI governance. In 2027, the UAE will co-chair the Summit alongside the Swiss Confederation in Geneva, underscoring its expanding role in steering global dialogue, advancing multilateral cooperation, and contributing to the development of balanced and forward-looking AI policies. The announcement was made during the “AI Impact Summit 2026,” held in New Delhi from 16 to 20 February, as part of the UAE’s support for international efforts to strengthen cooperation in…

The event hosted at Mar-a-Lago blended politics and digital assets, signaling deeper ties between industry and power brokers. Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) returned to the United States this week for the first time since his release from a California federal prison in 2024. The visit took place at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where Zhao attended a 500-person convention hosted by the Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial. CZ Makes Appearance at Crypto Event A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report revealed that the gathering brought together prominent figures from finance, technology, and entertainment. Guests included Goldman Sachs CEO…

It’s all about artificial intelligence on episode 45 of Startup 360 with In the Blink of AI host Georgie Healy joining the show  to talk about what many see as the 4th industrial revolution. Majella’s away this week, so Simon enlisted Georgie to talk about this week’s news, including the loss of Techstars Sydney, before they got into the weeds on AI. Listen here. Georgie’s podcast, In the Blink of AI, is out every Friday and recently spoke with AWS AI guru Rada Stanic, who admits even she’s struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of change in artificial…