Technology

AI agents for e-commerce startup, founded by Google and DeepMind alums, raises $10M seed

AI is changing how we shop online, making our experiences more personalized. Smart assistants recommend products, negotiate deals, and even handle customer service. Big retailers and smaller businesses are using AI to improve search, supply chains, and checkout.

If AI companies (and their investors) have their way, shopping will soon be focused on chatting with an assistant, with businesses automating everything behind the scenes.

Dubai-based Qeen.ai (stylized as qeen.ai) is working to make this a reality in the Middle East and beyond. The startup has raised $10 million to scale its platform, which provides autonomous AI agents for e-commerce businesses.

Prosus Ventures, a major e-commerce investor, led the seed round, which is not only one of the largest in the Middle East’s AI industry but in MENA overall. The VC believes Qeen.ai is well-positioned to bring AI-driven automation to merchants as AI agents reshape online marketplaces.

Founders Morteza Ibrahimi (CEO), Ahmad Khwlieh (CTO), and Dina Alsamhan (CBO) started Qeen after years of working on AI at Google and DeepMind.

Ibrahimi, in an interview with TechCrunch, said that they honed in on e-commerce in part opportunistically: all three had worked at Google Ads in various roles during their time with the search giant, and they saw first-hand how other alums built highly successful e-commerce businesses. On top of their AI expertise, the trio knew how to run ads and optimize SEO exceptionally well and thought it could be a strong combination.

Google and DeepMind background

E-commerce has been steadily growing for years, but apart from certain spikes (particularly during holiday periods) it still accounts for between 15% and 20% of retail sales (even in a mature market like the U.S. it was only just over 16% at of the last quarter, per the U.S. Census Bureau).

Qeen’s thesis is that this could grow if the e-commerce processes were run better. Success in e-commerce, they believed, should be about great products and operational efficiency — not just who can game the ad system best. That insight led them to build a platform that helps e-commerce sellers grow without relying on ads as their primary driver.

The global e-commerce market is expanding fast, driven by changing consumer behavior, digital payments, and better logistics. In MENA, the market is expected to hit $50 billion by 2025, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading the growth.

Qeen.ai is tapping into this boom by developing AI-powered marketing agents designed for e-commerce businesses across MENA. These fully automated agents handle content creation, marketing, and conversational sales, allowing small and mid-sized merchants to compete without relying on expensive agencies or deep ad expertise.

Unlike traditional solutions, Qeen’s AI continuously learns from consumer interactions using its proprietary RL-UI technology, refining marketing strategies in real-time for better results.

From Google ads to AI-driven e-commerce

While AI-powered sales and customer service tools often struggle with high churn rates, as businesses frequently switch platforms, Qeen.ai claims to see stronger retention in e-commerce and marketing. Ibrahimi attributes this to how deeply Qeen’s AI agents integrate into merchants’ workflows, making them a core part of daily operations rather than a replaceable tool.

A key feature driving engagement is dynamic text personalization, which adjusts content based on user behavior and device type. For example, an iPhone user might see product details in bullet points for quick reading, while a laptop user gets a detailed paragraph.

Since launching its Dynamic Content agent in Q2 2024, Qeen.ai has served over 15 million users, generated 1 million SKU descriptions, and helped merchants increase sales by 30%, according to the company.

“We worked with a client to optimize their content and SEO. After using our AI plugins, their search volume increased by 40%, and their Google ranking improved from 22 to 18—all with zero manual effort. The entire process was fully autonomous,” said Ibrahimi, giving another instance where Qeen’s AI capabilities have shone.

Qeen employs a subscription-based pricing model and incorporates value-based pricing, a growing trend in AI services. Currently, Qeen generates revenue through two subscription models: content automation, where businesses pay per active SKU, typically $0.10 to $0.20 per SKU per month. Then its AI marketing agent whose pricing is based on per-interaction volume.

Ibrahimi declined to disclose the number of businesses using Qeen, as well as revenue growth metrics. Notable clients include Dubai Store, 6th Street, and Jumia.

Standing out… with talent

Ibrahimi left DeepMind in early 2023 to co-found the startup. That same year, the company raised a $2 million pre-seed round before launching its product in June 2024. With its recent $10 million seed round, qeen has raised a total of $12 million in under a year.

During this time, AI-powered marketing agents have gained traction worldwide, with several startups, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, entering the space. Competitors like YC-backed Unusual and Rankai are tackling similar challenges, so how does Qeen stand out?

Well, for one, most of these AI startups focus on developed markets, while Qeen instead is prioritizing the Middle East first—a region largely underserved by AI-driven marketing automation tools. According to Ibrahimi, Qeen will serve small businesses across MENA, establish a strong foothold, and then expand globally.

Deep tech expertise and a strong talent pool give Qeen an edge over new entrants, the chief executive added. Two of its co-founders earned PhDs in AI over a decade ago, long before AI became mainstream. Ibrahimi himself previously led a DeepMind research team specializing in self-learning, goal-driven AI agents—the same technology that now powers Qeen.

“One of the most exciting things we’ve seen is the quality of AI talent here,” Ibrahimi said. “We’ve attracted great talent both locally and internationally—people have left the Bay Area, Europe, and the UK to come here and build with us.”

Qeen.ai currently employs over 25 people across the UAE and Jordan.

The seed funding will support qeen’s growth strategy by expanding its AI platform, scaling its team, and attracting more customers, it said. Wamda Capital, 10X Founders Fund, and Dara Holdings are among the other investors in this round.

Technology

The Case for Custom eLearning Platforms: Why Organizations Are Making the Switch

aloe vera plant on grey pot on table with MacBook Pro and iPad

The corporate eLearning market has exploded in recent years, growing over 800% since 2000. As the demand for eLearning continues to accelerate, more and more organizations are finding that off-the-shelf solutions cannot keep pace with their training needs. This has led many companies to make the switch to custom-built eLearning platforms tailored specifically for their requirements.

There are several key reasons driving the demand for customized eLearning tools:

Greater Flexibility and Scalability

Generic eLearning software packages often impose rigid constraints that limit their ability to adapt to an organization’s evolving needs. Meanwhile, the “one-size-fits-all” approach fails to support the personalized learning critical for employee development. Custom platforms provide flexibility to add and modify features to match ever-changing business goals. As companies scale training across global workforces, custom solutions built on cloud infrastructure can scale seamlessly to handle growing demand.

Deeper Integration Across Systems

Smooth integration with existing HR, LMS, and other business systems is critical for optimizing training workflows. However, off-the-shelf tools rarely integrate well, creating data and process siloes. Custom platforms can tightly integrate role-based learning paths with core business applications, sync user profiles, enable single sign-on, and more. This level of integration catalyzes more impactful training function.

Better Data and Analytics

Generic software severely limits access to data insights that drive improvement. Custom platforms unlock a trove of analytics on content consumption, learner progression, platform adoption, and real-time feedback. Integrated analytics dashboards and APIs allow businesses to derive deep visibility across the learner lifecycle. These insights help continuously enhance learner experience, target development gaps, and demonstrate direct training ROI.

Enhanced Learner Engagement

For modern learners accustomed to consumer-grade digital experiences, poor platform usability quickly erodes engagement. Custom designs allow companies to incorporate familiar features from popular apps and websites while optimizing for their audience. Adaptive learning approaches further personalize content to individual styles and needs. With modular component architecture, custom platforms stay on the cutting edge of new modalities like AR/ VR to captivate learners.

Brand and Culture Alignment

Off-the-shelf tools impose a generic and often disruptive experience that clashes with existing brand identity and culture. In contrast, custom platforms allow organizations to carry over familiar styling, voice, and workflow patterns. Consistency in experience preserves brand recognition while smoother onboarding leads to wider adoption across all employee groups. Over time, the platform can evolve alongside cultural changes as well.

While custom elearning tools require greater upfront investment, for enterprise training needs, the long-term benefits far outweigh the costs. The ability to mold platforms to current and future needs results in greater leverage from learning spend.

As businesses demand ever-more from their learning technology, custom solutions provide the agility needed for true scale. Rather than forcing training functions into the constraints of generic software, custom elearning development keeps the focus on nurturing talent and capabilities. For any organization looking to drive workforce transformation through learning, custom elearning represents the way forward.

Technology

Pintarnya raises $16.7M to power jobs and financial services in Indonesia

Pintarnya, an Indonesian employment platform that goes beyond job matching by offering financial services along with full-time and side-gig opportunities, said it has raised a $16.7 million Series A round.

The funding was led by Square Peg with participation from existing investors Vertex Venture Southeast Asia & India and East Ventures.

Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan founded Pintarnya in 2022 to tackle two of the biggest challenges Indonesians face daily: earning enough and borrowing responsibly.

“Traditionally, mass workers in Indonesia find jobs offline through job fairs or word of mouth, with employers buried in paper applications and candidates rarely hearing back. For borrowing, their options are often limited to family/friend or predatory lenders with harsh collection practices,” Henry Hendrawan, co-founder of Pintarnya, told TechCrunch. “We digitize job matching with AI to make hiring faster and we provide workers with safer, healthier lending options — designed around what they can reasonably afford, rather than pushing them deeper into debt.”

Around 59% of Indonesia’s 150 million workforce is employed in the informal sector, highlighting the difficulties these workers encounter in accessing formal financial services because they lack verifiable income and official employment documentation.

Pintarnya tackles this challenge by partnering with asset-backed lenders to offer secured loans, using collateral such as gold, electronics, or vehicles, Hendrawan added.

Since its seed funding in 2022, the platform currently serves over 10 million job seeker users and 40,000 employers nationwide. Its revenue has increased almost fivefold year-over-year and expects to reach break-even by the end of the year, Hendrawn noted. Pintarnya primarily serves users aged 21 to 40, most of whom have a high school education or a diploma below university level. The startup aims to focus on this underserved segment, given the large population of blue-collar and informal workers in Indonesia.

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“Through the journey of building employment services, we discovered that our users needed more than just jobs — they needed access to financial services that traditional banks couldn’t provide,” said Hendrawan. “We digitize job matching with AI to make hiring faster and we provide workers with safer, healthier lending options — designed around what they can reasonably afford, rather than pushing them deeper into debt.”

Pintarnya Founders Press Kit — image credits: Pintarnya (Founders of Pintarnya Ghirish Pokardas, Nelly Nurmalasari, and Henry Hendrawan)

While Indonesia already has job platforms like JobStreet, Kalibrr, and Glints, these primarily cater to white-collar roles, which represent only a small portion of the workforce, according to Hendrawan. Pintarnya’s platform is designed specifically for blue-collar workers, offering tailored experiences such as quick-apply options for walk-in interviews, affordable e-learning on relevant skills, in-app opportunities for supplemental income, and seamless connections to financial services like loans.

The same trend is evident in Indonesia’s fintech sector, which similarly caters to white-collar or upper-middle-class consumers. Conventional credit scoring models for loans, which rely on steady monthly income and bank account activity, often leave blue-collar workers overlooked by existing fintech providers, Hendrawan explained.

When asked about which fintech services are most in demand, Hendrawan mentioned, “Given their employment status, lending is the most in-demand financial service for Pintarnya’s users today. We are planning to ‘graduate’ them to micro-savings and investments down the road through innovative products with our partners.”

The new funding will enable Pintarnya to strengthen its platform technology and broaden its financial service offerings through strategic partnerships. With most Indonesian workers employed in blue-collar and informal sectors, the co-founders see substantial growth opportunities in the local market. Leveraging their extensive experience in managing businesses across Southeast Asia, they are also open to exploring regional expansion when the timing is right.

“Our vision is for Pintarnya to be the everyday companion that empowers Indonesians to not only make ends meet today, but also plan, grow, and upgrade their lives tomorrow … In five years, we see Pintarnya as the go-to super app for Indonesia’s workers, not just for earning income, but as a trusted partner throughout their life journey,” Hendrawan said. “We want to be the first stop when someone is looking for work, a place that helps them upgrade their skills, and a reliable guide as they make financial decisions.”

Technology

OpenAI warns against SPVs and other ‘unauthorized’ investments

In a new blog post, OpenAI warns against “unauthorized opportunities to gain exposure to OpenAI through a variety of means,” including special purpose vehicles, known as SPVs.

“We urge you to be careful if you are contacted by a firm that purports to have access to OpenAI, including through the sale of an SPV interest with exposure to OpenAI equity,” the company writes. The blog post acknowledges that “not every offer of OpenAI equity […] is problematic” but says firms may be “attempting to circumvent our transfer restrictions.”

“If so, the sale will not be recognized and carry no economic value to you,” OpenAI says.

Investors have increasingly used SPVs (which pool money for one-off investments) as a way to buy into hot AI startups, prompting other VCs to criticize them as a vehicle for “tourist chumps.”

Business Insider reports that OpenAI isn’t the only major AI company looking to crack down on SPVs, with Anthropic reportedly telling Menlo Ventures it must use its own capital, not an SPV, to invest in an upcoming round.