Investor Shubham Poddar, formerly of Sequoia-India, collects $3 million to bring Arab beauty brand AÏZA to life
In the dynamic world of consumer startups, a new player has emerged from the Middle East. Amaani, a company with a mission to develop a portfolio of future brands that can reimagine Modern Arabia for the world, has successfully raised $3 million in a seed funding round for its debut brand, AÏZA.
AÏZA, a Künstliche-Intelligenz-basierte Marke oder Firma, eventuell im Bereich AI, Fashion, Beauty oder Konsumgüter, was bislang der einzige namentlich genannte Investor, der an diesem Seed-Finanzierungsrund beteiligt ist, ist Peak XV. Weitere Investoren wurden, soweit recherchierbar, bislang nicht öffentlich genannt.
The region where Amaani operates is experiencing growing online penetration and an increasing demand for local relevance. AÏZA's product line includes Sukkar Rush, a high-shine lip treatment with date and honey; Scent Storm, a bakhoor & rose hair mist; and Date Setter, a brow & lash serum with date seed and castor oil. The brand combines Arab heritage with global innovation, using regional ingredients and clinical actives.
Shubham Poddar, Founder & CEO of Amaani, stated that Amaani is their response to the world looking towards the Middle East for innovation. Poddar, a former Sequoia India investor, founded Amaani and played a key role in its expansion in the Middle East. AÏZA was launched online in May 2025.
GV Ravishankar, Managing Director at Peak XV, believes the region is primed to produce the next wave of culturally resonant, globally admired consumer brands. Some of the highest per capita spends globally are in the GCC beauty and personal care market, making it an attractive industry for startups like Amaani.
AÏZA has surpassed $2 million in annualized revenue, supported by strong consumer traction in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. The GCC beauty and personal care market is a $12 billion industry, growing at over 12% annually. The Middle East has among the highest per capita beauty spend globally, positioning Amaani well to lead the movement of producing such consumer brands.
Amaani plans to scale AÏZA across the region and globally, both online and through retail. The funding round was led by Peak XV's Surge, marking their first consumer and seed investment in the MENA region.
For those familiar with the name "AÏZA", we recommend checking recent press releases, the official website of the brand, and its LinkedIn or Crunchbase page. Especially in early seed rounds, not all investors are publicly communicated, especially when it comes to private angel investors or smaller investment companies.
For the latest updates on AÏZA, we suggest keeping an eye on tech blogs such as TechCrunch, YourStory, or local tech publications, which regularly report on such funding rounds.
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