JEDDAH: Riyadh-based startup Speero, a platform offering automobile after-sales and repair services, has raised $1.8 million in pre-Series A funding from regional venture capital funds.
The investment drive was led by Riyadh and Dubai-based Nuwa Capital and Dubai-based Eq2 Ventures, with additional input from Abu Dhabi-based Access Bridge Ventures, Zurich-based Mountain Partners and Saudi Arabia’s Jameel Investment Management Company.
Speero was founded in Riyadh in 2017 by Abdullah Bin Shamlan and Ameen Mahfouz, and the platform is used by more than 1,000 partners and service providers. It has collected over 750,000 registered customers from all over the Kingdom. Toyota, Nissan, BMW, Audi, and Honda are among the brands found on the website
“The automotive after-sales value chain hasn’t evolved in this digital era. Vendors seek solutions that will help create access to growth opportunities, while customers today want a convenient, affordable and digital first approach to their vehicle ownership experience. With Speero we are building just that,” Bin Shamlan, co-founder and managing director at Speero, said in a statement.
Speero plans to use the funding to develop its logistics infrastructure, with the creation of fully automated, cloud-based warehouses for partners in Riyadh and Jeddah. It also plans to expand its management team in the coming months.
A spokesperson from JIMCO, the Jameel family’s global investment arm, said: “JIMCO’s participation in Speero’s latest funding round is an example of our commitment to invest in early-stage and breakthrough technologies. We are excited to contribute to this critical stage of Speero’s growth, which will help drive the digitalization of Saudi’s mobility sector.”
Saudi auto sales, repair startup raises $1.8m in early funding
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Saudi auto sales, repair startup raises $1.8m in early funding
- Speero was founded in Riyadh in 2017 and the platform is used by more than 1,000 partners and service providers
Free trade negotiations between GCC, India mark new phase of partnership, says sec-gen
RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general affirmed that the negotiations for a free trade agreement between the GCC and India, and the signing of the joint statement, represents a new phase of strategic partnership.
Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi said that this contributes to enhancing close cooperation and strengthening economic and trade ties, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
This came during the signing ceremony of the joint statement on launching the free trade agreement negotiations between the Al-Budaiwi and India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, which took place in New Delhi, on Tuesday.
During the signing ceremony, Al-Budaiwi said that the Terms of Reference, signed on Feb. 5, provide a comprehensive and clear framework for these negotiations. The two nations agreed to discuss enhancing cooperation in vital strategic areas, including trade in goods, customs procedures, and services.
Additionally, the framework covers Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures, intellectual property rights, cooperation on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, along with other topics of mutual interest. This reflects the comprehensive nature of the agreement and its ability to keep pace with the future economy.
Al-Budaiwi expressed hope that these negotiations would lead to a comprehensive and ambitious free trade agreement that works to remove customs and non-customs barriers, enhance the flow of quality investments in both directions, and achieve further liberalization in trade and investment cooperation between the GCC and India for mutual benefit.
This would provide a stimulating economic environment and an investment climate that opens broad horizons for the business sector, supports supply chains, and accelerates the pace of economic growth in line with the ambitious developmental visions of the GCC states.
The top official affirmed the full readiness of the General Secretariat to host the first round of negotiations at its headquarters in Riyadh during the second half of this year.
The two sides held a meeting during which they reviewed the existing cooperation relations between the GCC and India and discussed ways to develop and elevate them to broader horizons, serving mutual interests and enhancing opportunities for strategic partnership between the two sides, particularly in the economic, investment, and trade fields.
They praised the role undertaken by the negotiating teams from both sides, appreciating the efforts contributing to reaching a comprehensive agreement that enhances economic integration and supports the smooth flow of trade between the two nations.
