Have you truly been a devoted reader of Tribe Techie if you’ve never read about the Builder’s Tribe Startups Community on this site? I doubt it. But for the benefit of our first-time readers, I’ll do us all the honour of introducing the community again.
Builder’s Tribe is a community passionate about fostering collaboration, innovation, startups and tech professionals’ empowerment to scale and succeed across the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region.
Knowing fully well the benefits of having a supportive community, the founders of Builder’s Tribe Startup Community are on a mission to build the most vibrant and connected tech ecosystem in the MENA region.
In less than a year, Builder’s Tribe has onboarded several startups and tech founders into her community and has also succeeded in helping them make waves. For the year 2025, these startups should be on your success watchlist because they’re coming in hot!
Builder’s Tribe Startups to Watch
1. RBetach
RBetach by Reposebay is a tech startup in the Human Resources (HR) Industry. This is not just your regular HR software company. RBetach caters to the needs of talent acquisition for businesses and simplifies HR management processes to ensure operational excellence. It leverages AI and automation to streamline processes, foster employee engagement, and drive better business decision-making.
The team at RBetach is led by Kelechi Abiri, an award-winning techpreneur who is dedicated to promoting decent work and economic growth, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 8. This year, RBetach was one of 30 founders chosen from a pool of 200 applicants, to join the prestigious Nobellum Innovator Program 2024 Cohort. The startup also won big at the 10th edition of the Idea Camp in November this year.
In 2025, RBetach will introduce an expanded range of employee benefits. They will leverage AI to enhance business processes, which is especially exciting because it allows us to serve and create even more value for businesses.
According to Abiri, the goal is to “become an inclusive, user-friendly ERP platform, with a strong emphasis on user experience. We aim to meet customers at their level of technological understanding and aspire to become the largest ERP built by Africans for the global market.”
2. Tatami
Tatami is a FinTech company in the Builder’s Tribe Startup Community, digitizing the way people pay rent in Qatar. Founded in 2024, Tatami “was born out of a desire to bring digital transformation to the Qatari real estate market.”
Having experienced firsthand the inefficiencies of traditional rent collection methods, Tatami’s founder determined to digitize and simplify the rental process, foster financial inclusion and empower landlords and tenants.
The startup utilises technology like AI to predict rent pricing and tenant recommendations. It is also exploring the integration of blockchain technology and smart contracts to further enhance security and transparency in real estate transactions.
Founded by Aimen Bedawi and Omar Al Khal, Tatami won 1st place in the Idea Track at the 10th Edition of Idea Camp, hosted by the Digital Incubation Center, and is Builder’s Tribe Startup (Rookie) of the Year. The startup aims to “become the leading fintech platform for rent collection and real estate transactions across the MENA region” and interested consumers are welcome to join the waitlist using this link: https://lnkd.in/gV5TP3tR
3. Zakaful
Formerly known as Amanah, Zakaful is another Qatar-based FinTech in the Builder’s Tribe Startup community but this time, for Islamic finance. It is also the first Takaful aggregator in the region which was born out of a desire to “make Takaful more accessible, personalized, and user-friendly.”
To achieve this, Zakaful uses AI to offer personalized Takaful recommendations based on each user’s unique needs. It won the Qatar Innovation Hackathon organised by the Qatar Development Bank in June 2024 and went home with the sum of 25,000 QAR.
The team consists of Labeeba Ahmed, Ajiri Omafokpe, and Shaz Mohamed, all remarkable professionals in their respective fields. Zakaful intends to educate users about the benefits of Takaful and get more people to see the value of ethical insurance.
4. Bayt Travel
One reoccurring theme in the story of members of the Builder’s Tribe Startup community is the personal experiences that spur innovations. That was exactly the case with BaytTravel, the hospitality-focused startup founded in 2021 to redefine Qatar’s luxury staycation scene.
Recognizing a gap in the market for luxury short-term rentals as Qatar prepared to host the World Cup was all the motivation BaytTravel’s founders, Marcus Bradley and Ramy Morsy needed to launch out.
With the aid of technology, hosts and guests can easily communicate on the startup’s platform and conclude transactions without interference from any third party. Additionally, 3D tours of the properties are available for users before they make commitments or payments.
According to Bradley, a new partnership the firm recently signed will “enable guests to pay for their staycations in instalments” even as they make plans to expand into the GCC region and other arab countries.
5. Effectual Learning
This Edtech startup is passionate about the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 which aims to ensure all people have access to quality education and lifelong learning opportunities. Established in 2020 by Sajitha E. P Ph.D, Effectual Learning (EffectualL) provides an effective and powerful 3D learning platform for interactive STEM Learning.
EffectualL is incubated at DIC under the Ministry of Communication Information Technology. Speaking on how technology is helping them impact students and educators, Sajitha said they target the difficult concepts and break them down into less complex bits using visual interactive elements.
“Our startup targets the difficult concepts and tries to make it as simple as possible with visual interactive elements for students to understand. I feel that with the coming of AI and quantum, visual interactive learning would be very beneficial for our students,” she said.
In the last quarter of 2024, the startup participated in both the SWITCH Singapore 2024 and QSTP AI Week where it showcased how AI is revolutionalizing STEM Education. Anyone interested can visit the website, www.effectuall.com
6. Breathe Better
Breathe Better is the only Climate Tech product manufacturing company in the Builder’s Tribe Startup community. They are particular about purifying the air indoors as it has been established that indoor spaces are often more polluted than outdoor environments.
To do this, Breathe Better is creating an algae-powered air purifier that converts CO2 into oxygen, captures airborne pollutants for cleaner, healthier air, and reduces carbon footprint with eco-friendly materials like rPET and PLA. The startup was also a participant at the Idea Camp 10th Edition organized by the Digital Incubation Center.
The Climatetech firm was founded by Hissa Al-Thani and Wael Osama Mubarak, a duo dedicated to the SDGs and the vision of creating a healthier, more sustainable future, one breath at a time.
The Builder’s Tribe Startup Community is a vibrant hub for innovation in the MENA region. The startups highlighted here exemplify the spirit of entrepreneurship and the potential for positive change in the region.
As these startups continue to grow and disrupt their respective industries, Builder’s Tribe is committed to providing a much-needed community and we can expect to see even more groundbreaking solutions emerge from this dynamic region in the years to come. Keep an eye on these startups, and the entire Builder’s Tribe community.
