We are a team of passionate Researchers, Data Junkies, and Story-Tellers that believe there is not enough quality business insights and compelling data analysis available in the marketplace, told in the formats users want. We want to give an insider's look into the industries, businesses and economies that are changing the world today, so our users can become inspired, empowered and equipped to run their businesses as best they can.

Lucidity Insights Research Team

Erika is Co-Founder and Chief Content Officer at Lucidity Insights. Having  spent 15 years advising Fortune 500 companies  and multinational conglomerates  from around the world on how to grow businesses in emerging markets, Erika found that data and knowledge underpinned and empowered strategic decision-making. The creation of Lucidity Insights was inspired by the idea that strategic C-suite level data and insights could empower startups and Venture Capitalists in the MENAPT region, elevating the entire regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

Data is not just for the Chief Executive, or the data analyst after-all. Democratizing access to quality data across the tech ecosystem will elevate every startup and every investors’ decision-making, and thus, benefit the economy, overall.

Erika has worked with data to develop comprehensive business success stories and strategies for her entire professional career. She is a thought leader in growth strategies in fast-moving emerging markets, with a focus on Middle Eastern and Asian Markets. She is an expert on the startup ecosystems in the Middle East, and a thought leader on entrepreneurship, disruptive technologies and sustainability. She has worked with both government and corporates clients, across over 30 different industry verticals and in over 40 countries. She is best described as a data-curious strategic thinker and advisor, who also happens to be an  enthusiastic storyteller and writer.

Erika graduated from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business with an Executive MBA (MSx), and also holds degrees from McGill University (B.Sc Neuroscience) and the University of Cambridge (Sustainability in Business). She speaks English and Japanese, is conversational in French, and speaks survival Arabic. In her spare time, she is an avid globe trotter, having travelled to over 70 countries, and counts scuba-diving, free-diving and yoga among her favourite activities. She is a self-described wellness-junkie and adventure enthusiast. She is also a dog mum.

Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer

Erika Masako Welch

Ashok is a storyteller who uses numbers as his medium. He loves to crunch data, analyze it, and investigate deeper questions until the stories begin to emerge on their own. Ashok comes from a finance and consulting background, having worked in the strategy consulting and private equity fields across the Middle East and Emerging Asia for over 15 years, prior to becoming a business writer. When it comes to tech stories, Ashok has a penchant for startups in the fintech, B2B SaaS, AI and ML spaces. He loves writing about Venture Capital, M&A and the general investor landscape of startup ecosystems.
Ashok holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as a diploma in Finance. He speaks English and Hindi fluently.

Researcher

Ashok Raman

Nazmia is a young writer passionate about making complex data and research more approachable, understandable and entertaining. She’s always been an educator at heart, taking on mentorship roles teaching creative and business writing to the scientific community. She is currently pursuing her passion at the intersection of technology and healthcare through a Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering. When she’s not in the lab pouring herself into the magic of tissue engineering and reconstruction, she’s writing and educating the world about all things biotech, healthtech, insurtech and edutech. If you're looking for practical insights with a touch of whimsy, Nazmia is the voice to follow with a fresh perspective on the ever-evolving digital and tech industry. 
Nazmia holds a BS in Biology and is currently pursuing her MS in Biomedical Engineering at the American University of Beirut. She specializes in cartilage tissue research, and uses her writing as a therapeutic escape to produce captivating pieces that take her readers on a journey with every word.

Nazmia Nassereddine

Sustainable Innovations and Startups in the MENA Region

Articles

United Arab Emirates

STV's Latest Whitepaper Highlights That Unlocking MENA's Tech Potential May Require Bridging a $20 Billion Growth Funding Gap

Unlocking MENA's Tech Potential May Require Bridging a $20 Billion Growth Funding Gap

Sustainability

Saudi Arabia

Demystifying Foodtech: Why It Matters

Food Tech

With over 6 years of professional experience in live reporting, news research and writing, documentary filmmaking, news documentaries, creative writing, oral history and life interviews, archiving, and field research, I believe, I have found my niche interests in recording trauma, loss, grief, displacement and memory. I've worked for national and international publications including prominent ones like LA Times, France 2, Channel News Asia, Arte, France 24, and the 1947 Partition Archive. Additionally, my intuitive built towards a humanistic approach has added to my skills of UX writing, psychology, empathetic listening, and communication.

Contributing Writer

Avantika Seth

The Growing Business of Foodtech

2023 Foodtech Revolution: Emerging Industry Trends

Revolutionizing the Foodtech Industry: Emerging Trends in 2023

Six Graphs that Map Out Foodtech in MENA (including Israel)

6 Graphs that Map Out Foodtech in MENA

Now, Let’s Meet Some of the Biggest Foodtech Unicorns That Are Making Waves in the Foodtech Industry, from around the World

Meet Some of the Biggest Foodtech Unicorns Making Waves in the Global Foodtech Industry

Unveiling Data Insights Behind the Rise of Foodtech

Data Points That Help Explain the Emergence of Foodtech

Global Foodtech Unicorn Success Stories

India

Foodtech Startups in the Middle East Raise over US $2.6 Billion in the past Two Years

Staff Writer

Opportunities in Web3

Move over ChatGPT, Google Bard is Gaining Traction

Artificial Intelligence

Pierrick Ribes is an accomplished professional adept in strategy formulation and consultancy. Fueled by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a propensity for continual learning, he dedicates his free time to Lucidity Insights, enriching its content with insights drawn from his extensive professional expertise and refined research acumen.

A distinguished graduate of EDHEC Business School and Anglia Ruskin University, Pierrick holds a master's in management, an MSc in financial management, and a BA (Hons) in business management. His unwavering commitment to learning, coupled with a drive for professional excellence, underscores his aspiration to be an influential voice. Through his insightful writings, Pierrick aspires to provide invaluable knowledge and perspectives to the discerning readers of Lucidity Insights and Entrepreneur.com.

Contributing Writer and Researcher

Pierrick Ribes

Exploring DAOs: Understanding Their Definition and Diverse Types of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)

What is a DAO? The Different Types of DAOs

Crypto, Blockchain & Web3

Meet the 10 Middle Eastern Women Making Waves in Silicon Valley

Middle Eastern Women Making Waves in Silicon Valley

Dubai's Venture Capital Ecosystem

Overview of MENA Tech Venture Funding and the Evolution of Venture Funding in Dubai

Economies

We're creating a formation of technologists and entrepreneurs building applications, infrastructure, and solutions for web 3.0.

Founder & CEO

Joseph Lubin

Joseph Lubin: Building a Decentralized Future for All

Building our Desired Future with Web3

Exploring Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) Implementation and Blockchain Adoption Across Nations

Why Governments Around the World are going Ga-Ga for CBDCs

Navigating Cryptocurrency Regulation: Challenges, Failures, and the Path Forward

Navigating the Regulatory Maze: Crypto’s Road to Legitimacy

Transforming Governance for the Digital Era: Exploring Government Approaches to Blockchain and Web3

Government Adoption of Blockchain and Web3

Driving Startup Success: Dubai's Attraction for Scaleups Growth

Driving Scaleup Success: Dubai's Attractiveness for Startup Growth

Entrepreneurship

Bringing Real Gamers to the Frontier of Play-to-Earn Web3 Gaming

“Game On!” Enter the Wild, Wild Web3! Bringing Real Gamers to Web3

Everything You Need to Know about Utility NFTs: Transforming Industries and Beyond

Utility NFTs: The Rising Digital Revolution Transforming Industries

Celebrating Middle Eastern Roots: 10 Influential Founders from Silicon Valley

10 Notable Middle Eastern Executive and Founders who have made their Mark in Silicon Valley

Anamika  is a change maker with 15+ years of management consulting, project management, event management and research experience. Having worked for Accenture for over a decade, she began her career overseeing change management and digital learning and development programs across Fortune 500 clients globally. 
Today, Anamika works with select clients on large-scale change programs, and writes whenever she can. As a life-long learner, and lover of writing, she found herself becoming an excellent interviewer, story-teller and speaker. She is passionate about giving voice to startups, projects and new technologies that are nearing break-through. She is curious about the intersection between technology, human behaviour and wellness, and is often most intrigued by startups that help people live better and happier lives.  
Anamika received her BA in Economics and Chinese Studies from the University of Nottingham. She is London born and bred, and splits her time between London and Dubai. She is a certified HIIT instructor, NLP coach and world traveler with a love of experimental cooking.

Anamika Patel

Infobytes

Africa's Funding Breakdown by Volume and Value from 2018 to 2022

Funding Breakdown by Type–Volume & Value

Fintech

In the MENA Region, Foodtech & F&B Industry Number of Funding Rounds Split Between Scaleup and Startups

Foodtech & F&B Industry Number of Funding Rounds Split Between Scaleup and Startups

Cumulative Number of Foodtech Unicorns Shows the World has More Foodtech Unicorns, Doubling in the Past Two Years

Cumulative Number of Foodtech Unicorns (to Q1 2022)

Global Foodtech Exit Activity by Year Showing the Foodtech Exits Slow Down in Q1 2023

Global Foodtech Exit Activity by Year (2018-2023)

Global Foodtech Deal Activity by Quarter has Seen a Declining Trend Since Q1 2022

Global Foodtech Deal Activity by Quarter (2018-2023)

More Food Security Issues We Face that Foodtech Could Help Address

Food Security Issues that Foodtech Could Help Address (2)

Pure Harvest's Entrepreneurial Journey as the Pioneer in the Sustainable Agriculture

Pure Harvest's Entrepreneurial Journey

UAE & Saudi Startups Dominate the Top 5 Most Funded Foodtech Scaleups in MENA List

Top 5 Most Funded Foodtech Scaleups in MENA (2023)

Over the Past Decade, Restaurant Management Software VC Deal Activity Has Seen a Significant Rise

Restaurant Management Software VC Deal Activity

The Top 10 Saudi-Born Startups That Have Been Funded to Date Plus Honorable Mentions

Top 10 Funded KSA-Born Startups to Date + Honourable Mentions

Foodics has Been the Region’s Most Prominent Foodtech-Meets-Fintech Player Since 2014

Foodics Growth Story in Numbers (2014-2023)

The Electric Vehicle Revolution Has Arrived

BYD Passenger BEV Monthly Sales Are Sky-Rocketing

BYD Passenger BEV Monthly Sales

Number of  years it took each platform to reach 100 milion users

How Long Each Platform Spent to Reach 100 Million Users

Race for Global EV Sales Dominance: Tesla vs BYD

Global Passenger EV Sales by Automaker

Which MENA and GCC Countries Account for Largest Funding Raised by Foodtech Scaleups?

Which MENA Countries Account for Largest Funding Raised by Foodtech Scaleups?

Foodtech & F&B Industry Total Scaleup Funding has Secured a Total of $2.93 Billion in Funding Between January 2021 to June 2023

Foodtech & F&B Industry Total Scaleup Funding by Year

Global Foodtech Funding Deal Activity by Sector

Global Foodtech Deal Activity by Sector

Global Foodtech Deal Activity by Year (2018 to First Quarter of 2023)

Global Foodtech Deal Activity by Year (2018 to Q1 2023)

Food Security Issues that Foodtech Solutions Could Help Address

Food Security Issues that Foodtech Could Help Address

Top 10 Most Funded Foodtech Startups in the Middle East and North Africa region to Date

Top 10 Most Funded Foodtech Scaleups in MENA to Date

venture-capital

private-equity

accelerator-incubator

corporate-venture-capital

angel-investor-group

institutional-investor

angel-investor

fund-of-funds

venture-capital-private-equity

private-equity-venture-capital

Dubai

Gust

Kuwait

Series A

Series C

Wafra International Investment

Agriculture

Wafra International Investment Company manages diverse portfolios and investment funds with highly qualified personnel experienced in investment and asset management who prioritize building client relationships based on trust, honesty, and transparency.

Giza

Pre-Seed

Seed

Flat6Labs

Healthcare

IT & Communication

Flat6Labs is a leading seed and early stage venture capital firm in the MENA region, renowned for its startup programs.

Plus Venture Capital

Plus Venture Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in investing in seed to Series A technology startups across the MENA region and its diaspora.

Sigma Capital Holding

SIGMA Capital Holding is one of the leading financial services companies in Egypt providing top-notch quality to the regional market.

Tunis

Flat6Labs Tunisia

Flat6Labs is a top venture capital firm who supports thousands of entrepreneurs each year, providing seed and early-stage funding to innovative and technology-driven startups.

Cairo

Foundation Ventures

Foundation Ventures is an early-growth stage venture capital fund that backs founders building industry-defining companies.

Series B

iMENA Group

E-Commerce

Transportation

Support & Management Services

Software Dev/Test

Marketing/Sales

Finance

Real Estate

Operating online & mobile businesses in the high-growth, under-served market of the MENA region. Creating value for users and communities

Bangalore

Ruraverse Ventures

A venture studio for rural micro-enterprises

Nilepreneurs

Nilepreneurs is a non profit organization which supports start-ups in the fields of manufacturing, agriculture & digital transformation.

News

UAE’s Startup Ecosystem Achieves Global Recognition

The Crypto Universe

cek-test

cek test

The Future of Fintech in Africa

United States

update-news-30-july

Lucidity News Update, July 30th

new news

Emirates News Agency

Managing Director

Fahad Alidi

Dubai’s Digital Economy and Its Expanding Startup Ecosystem

Abu Dhabi Launches Jais, a New Open-Source AI Model for Arabic Language Named After a Mountain Peak

Abu Dhabi Launches Jais, an AI Model for Arabic Language

Dubai's Tabby Launches Tabby Shop, a Digital Shopping Assistant Featuring Over 500,000 Products from Various Brands

Dubai's Tabby Launches Tabby Shop, a Digital Shopping Assistant

Press Release

The Evolution of Saudi Arabia's Startup Ecosystem 2010-2022

Axiom Space Secures $350 Million in Series C Funding Led by Saudi Arabia's Aljazira Capital and Korean Healthcare Firm Boryung

Axiom Space Secures $350 Million in Series C Funding Led by Saudi and Korean Investors

Virgin Mobile Latin America has Been Successfully Acquired by Dubai's Technology Investment Group Beyond ONE

Virgin Mobile Latin America Acquired by Technology Investment Group Beyond ONE

ZetaChain Secures $27 Million Funding from Prominent Participants to Develop Interoperable Layer-1 Blockchain Enabling Seamless Connection Across Major Chains

ZetaChain Secures $27 Million Funding to Develop Interoperable Layer-1 Blockchain Enabling Seamless Connection Across Major Chains

Egypt's Financial Regulatory Authority has Issued New Regulations to Make Startups Secure Financing Easier

Egypt's Financial Regulatory Authority Issued New Regulations to Make Startup Financing Easier

Rondo Energy Secures $60 Million to Accelerate Industrial Decarbonization and Enhance Its International Presence from Global Giants and Other Climate Investors

Rondo Energy Closes $60 Million to Accelerate Industrial Decarbonization from Global Giants and Other Climate Investors

Let's Talk About the New Round of Tech IPOs — Which Company Will Initiate Contact?

Let's Talk About the New Round of Tech IPOs and How They Need to Deliver

IMPACT46 Starts Deploying SAR 500 Million Into Tech Startups Through Fund III to Invest in Technology Companies in Saudi Arabia and the MENA Region

IMPACT46 Starts Deploying SAR 500 Million Into Tech Startups Through Fund III

A New Acceleration Partner Archie, was Launched for the Next Generation of Fintech Disruptors

Archie – A New Acceleration Partner for the Next Generation of Fintech Disruptors

Rewaa Secures $27 Million (SAR 100 Million) Series A Funding Led by Wa'ed Ventures

Rewaa Closes $27 Million in Series A Funding Led by Wa'ed Ventures

The Go-to-Hub for the Middle East & Africa's Startup Founders & Ecosystem Builder