As the region’s $500 billion consumer lending market surges and consumer protection regulations tighten, traditional collection methods cannot deliver the reliable capital flows needed to maintain harmony in financial ecosystems. 

Today, ClearGrid is launching from stealth with $10 million in funding to build the first modern debt collection infrastructure for the digital age, turning what was once a liability into a competitive advantage that reinforces the financial foundation of the entire MENA region.

The funding comes across two rounds, with the pre-seed round co-led by Raed Ventures and Beco Capital, and the seed round co-led by Nuwa Capital and Raed Ventures. Additional institutional investors include Aramco’s Waed Ventures, KBW Ventures, Sharaka, 9yards Capital, Protagonist, BYLD, Eirad Holdings, Endeavor Catalyst, and Wamda Capital. The round also attracted marquee angel investors.

The company was founded by Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud, Mohammad Al Zaben, and Mohammad Al Khalili, who recognized that at its core, debt collection is fundamentally an information and coordination problem. 

After encountering these challenges firsthand in their careers, they set out to replace aggressive tactics with data-driven, compassionate solutions that work better for both sides of the equation – creating the equilibrium necessary for healthy economic growth.

Mohammad Al Zaben, co-founder & CEO of ClearGrid  said: “Collections should be an extension of good lending—not an afterthought. At ClearGrid, we’re reimagining debt resolution from the ground up, giving lenders the intelligence and tools they need to recover capital effectively while creating better outcomes for borrowers.”

ClearGrid offers an AI-powered collections platform that automates every step of the recovery process – from borrower engagement to negotiations – helping lenders scale while providing a better borrower experience. By combining AI, self-service tools, and omni-channel outreach, ClearGrid reduces resolution times and increases recovery rates.

Since its launch in 2024, ClearGrid has managed hundreds of millions in debt portfolios and secured partnerships with the largest fintech players in the Middle East and leading MENA banks. The company has signed over 10 major enterprise clients and built a robust pipeline for 2025, which includes expanding revenue in the UAE and entering the KSA market. 

Perhaps most impressive, ClearGrid has achieved profitability for its UAE operation within just a year of launch, though the company remains focused on scaling rather than profitability at this stage.

ClearGrid’s impact has been transformative. A major UAE bank doubled borrower engagement, leading to a 30% improvement in recovery rates. Leveraging ClearGrid’s AI-powered automation, a leading BNPL provider saw its early-stage debt resolution fully automated—with 95% of cases handled without human intervention—resulting in a doubling of performance and an outstanding 4.8/5 CSAT score. 

Beyond the numbers, borrowers who previously ignored traditional collection calls have started engaging when they feel their voice is heard and offered better options, like, principal waivers and flexible repayment plans. This improved borrower-lender dynamic builds economic confidence, reduces financial stress, and supports the stable credit markets that power economic development.

Co-Founder & Chairman of ClearGrid KSA, Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud, said: “Financial systems must evolve with the digital world. Debt resolution should be a bridge to stability, not a roadblock. At ClearGrid, we’re redefining collections with a data-driven, technology-first approach that strengthens trust, ensuring credit fuels growth not distress. This is just the first step in building the infrastructure for the future of debt resolution.” 

As digital lending accelerates across the MENA region, the need for efficient, technology-driven collections solutions grows. Lenders are seeking ways to improve borrower experiences and gain insights from data – a demand that ClearGrid is uniquely positioned to meet. 

While legacy collection agencies remain stuck in old models with manual outreach and poor borrower experiences, ClearGrid’s AI-driven approach is faster, smarter, and delivers a fundamentally better experience.

 Founding Partner at Raed Ventures, Omar Majdouie, said ClearGrid is tackling a critical pain point in the MENA debt collection industry with a truly innovative approach.

“Their AI-powered platform not only drives significant operational efficiencies for lenders but also fosters a more positive and sustainable relationship with borrowers. This balance is essential for the healthy growth of the region’s digital lending landscape, and we’re excited to support their mission to modernize collections and drive financial inclusion across the region.”

Khaled Talhouni, founding partner at Nuwa Capital, said:

“We invest in founders who see inefficiencies as opportunities for reinvention. Khalid, Mohammad, and Mohammed are doing exactly that with ClearGrid—turning debt resolution from a fragmented, outdated process into a unique commercial opportunity. By leveraging AI and automation, they are not just improving collections but fundamentally reshaping how lenders engage with borrowers, setting a new standard for the industry.”

Looking ahead, ClearGrid’s vision extends far beyond its current offerings to tackle wider challenges in the lending life cycle. The company plans to build cutting-edge collections systems leveraging AI and machine learning, develop a comprehensive enterprise platform for early risk detection and credit orchestration, and unlock new revenue streams through alternative risk assessments, AI-powered debt counseling, and debt consolidation. 

This ambitious roadmap positions ClearGrid not just as a collections solution, but as the foundation for a more transparent, efficient financial system across MENA and beyond.

List of angels in the round include Anu Hariharan (Avra), Jason Gardner (Marqeta), Bjorn Wagner (Parity Technologies), Amjad Masad (Replit), Vinay Menda (Blank Street), Justin Kan (Twitch), Mohammed Ballout (Kitopi), Sultan Olayan, Ahmed Alenazi (Barq), Ahmed Hamdan (Unifonic), and additional founders from the US and MENA. 

Recession or no recession, growth is just not high enough to improve economic conditions and coupled with record interest rates and increasing prices at the fuel pump and grocery store, South Africans are under pressure.

In these conditions, debt collection is crucial and the emergence of Omnichannel platforms represents a pivotal technological advancement, revolutionising debt collection practices and significantly enhancing customer service.

By providing clear, discreet, and accessible communication channels, these platforms acknowledge the sensitivity of financial discussions, offering a dignified way to manage these situations.

It’s an approach that prioritises the customer’s experience and dignity, ensuring that each interaction is not only effective but also empathetic and affirming.

Businesses that have both contact centre and non-contact centre environments and need to collect arrears payments from customers share similar challenges.

The first is arduous authentication processes – these require time and in the world of a time-pressed customer who owes a business money, these processes need to be shortened dramatically in order to resolve customer problems effectively and efficiently.

Second is contactability – not all customers are in a position to answer a phone call, while SMS messages have proven to be unreliable due to the influx of marketing messages.

There are many other examples, but if you are able to connect with the correct person on the channel of their choice, your contactability rate increases which increases your ability to collect arrears payments.

Technology will play a crucial role here, as it is already drastically improving contact centre callbacks. Businesses that have automated digital platforms that ensure a 2 pm call is made at exactly 2 pm are not losing an opportunity to engage with customers at a time of their choosing.

Similarly, many businesses have opted for menu options via a channel of their choice, be that on a business platform or another channel such as WhatsApp. If a customer receives a phone call or is drawn to another important task at work, there is often a timeout where the engagement closes and is over – which results in no resolution. Smarter deployment of technology can solve this challenge by linking the conversations across communication channels.

Consider this scenario: A customer knows she or he owes a business money. A call comes in while the customer is sitting in an open-plan office. This customer chooses not to answer this call and speak about personal matters.

If the organisation has implemented the right technology, it can follow up with an SMS or WhatsApp, with a link to settle the debt easily through a host of convenient payment rails.

Little tweaks such as these go a long way towards engaging with a customer who owes money in a manner, on a platform and at a time when they are more likely to settle the debt.

The scenario also works in reverse. While consumers may be under pressure, they have shifted their expectations of how to engage with a business.

This has led to a scenario where organisations or contact centres find themselves in a high-velocity environment that becomes cluttered with queries and tickets. Perhaps it is best to explain this through another scenario: A customer wants an issue resolved and calls the call centre number.

If the call is not answered, he or she may chat via WhatsApp, send a message on the website and draft an email. While this query may eventually be solved, there are still a host of open tickets cluttering the system.

On the other hand, with a smart, omnichannel solution, an agent can see at the outset everything the customer has done and is able to hold a meaningful and informed engagement to resolve the issue timeously and close the remaining open ends.

While technology’s potential is exciting, it is a mistake to presume that more technology necessarily needs to be adopted.

It is crucial to ensure that technology and the customer journey work together to ensure that each engagement with a customer is meaningful and that automation does not cause frustration.

It is critical to understand where to automate and build efficiencies and where to allow customers to have human intervention when required.

The only way to achieve this state is through a managed service approach where a provider walks the journey with a business to ensure they have the right technology and the right channels to engage with their customers effectively.

A relationship such as this involves a careful mapping of the business’s customer journey touchpoints, providing a detailed analysis of the customer’s interactions with the company. Only once this journey is understood can a business – alongside its partner – identify areas to streamline, automate and ultimately provide a better and more personalised service.

Finding a provider that shifts the way a business engages towards an omnichannel environment is crucial because this provides a cohesive experience that aligns with a customer’s expectations regardless of the channel they choose to use.

The role of generative AI and intelligent automation further enhances the capabilities of businesses. By automating routine inquiries and guiding customers through complex processes, AI allows human agents to focus on more nuanced and high-value interactions.

Finally, the use of open standards and APIs facilitates the integration of additional cloud technologies, such as analytics and smart assistants.

This allows businesses to leverage data to tailor their communication strategies, ensuring that each customer interaction is informed, personalised and effective.

Businesses—both with and without contact centres—that want to improve their debt collection, sales from leads, customer service, and much more should seek out managed service providers known for long-term quality and reliability, a proven record of transparency, and acting in the best interests of their customers.