VC React Podcast VC React MENA E57: Jahez + noon against Keeta, Shgardi shuts down, DataCamp acquires UAE’s Optima
Nov 14, 2025
Amjad Ahmad, Managing Partner at 500 Global, and Hasan Haider, Founder of Plus VC, provide sharp insights into the MENA startup landscape. They discuss how Keeta's aggressive strategy is disrupting delivery services and the defensive alliance between Jahez and Noon amid fierce competition. The guests also touch on the implications of public market dynamics on startups, Shgardi's shutdown as a market casualty, and the importance of local growth capital in developing regional champions. Additionally, they analyze DataCamp's acquisition of Optima and the challenges facing the edtech sector.
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Deep-Pocketed Entrants Reshape Market
- Keeta's aggressive entry uses deep-pocketed Chinese-style customer acquisition to reshape MENA delivery markets.
- Amjad Ahmad warns that deep pockets and scale will determine winners, not local incumbency.
Partner On Demand, Not Infrastructure
- Share data and customers rather than attempting full infrastructure integration to reduce complexity.
- Hasan Haider suggests consumer acquisition partnerships are simpler and more practical than merging fleets or dark stores.
Price Wars Favor Deep Pockets
- Price wars favor the deepest-pocketed entrants, compressing margins and killing smaller players.
- Amjad Ahmad expects unit economics and scale to decide survival amid heavy marketing spend.