Crescent Enterprises commits AED 250 million to expand CE-Creates, a venture studio accelerating UAE start-ups’ growth and global competitiveness amid the country’s rising status as a startup hub.
Crescent Enterprises, a well-known UAE-based diversified business group, has announced a pretty big investment of AED 250 million (roughly US$68 million). This move is aimed at expanding CE-Creates, their venture-building platform. This significant funding—paired with some new leadership—signals a major step forward in their goal to support and speed up the growth of high-potential startups originating from the UAE, especially those looking to make a splash on the global scene.
Basically, CE-Creates acts as a sector-agnostic startup studio. They take a patient capital approach—meaning they’re willing to wait and invest over the long haul—and combine this with active operational support and access to a broad ecosystem. The idea here is to turn early-stage ideas into businesses capable of competing worldwide, starting from the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. They follow a clear, stage-gated process, guiding startups through milestones like validating their ideas, developing a minimum viable product (MVP), entering the market, and scaling up. They set specific benchmarks and performance indicators at each step. This method helps improve how well products fit the market, reduces risks, and speeds up growth—something that sets it apart from traditional venture capital models, which often focus mostly on funding without as much hands-on support.
This move highlights the UAE’s rising status as a prime launchpad for serious entrepreneurs, fitting in nicely with the country’s goal of becoming the worldwide startup capital. Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, shared, “The UAE has become a launchpad for serious builders, and our collective vision is for the country to be known as the start-up capital of the world. With CE-Creates, our venture-building platform, we’re helping entrepreneurs turn purpose into performance—locally proven, globally competitive.” Interestingly enough, this aligns with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s campaign called ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World,’ which further emphasizes the nation’s role as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.
CE-Creates has already shown it can make a difference through several ventures that combine cultural heritage with modern innovation. Some examples include Kava & Chai, which celebrates the region’s coffee and tea culture; ION, focused on sustainable mobility solutions; and BreakBread, a community-based digital food experience and supper club platform. These startups reflect CE-Creates’ commitment to supporting ventures that make a cultural impact while also being commercially viable.
The new AED 250 million infusion underscores Crescent Enterprises’ ongoing dedication to fostering sustainable growth and helping startups scale globally, especially in the region. Tushar Singhvi, Deputy CEO and Head of Investments, explained that their model “combines disciplined capital deployment with hands-on operational support—which is often missing in traditional venture funding—creating the right environment for sustainable growth and international expansion.” Essentially, this approach isn’t just about investing money; it’s also about providing operational support and strategic partnerships—crucial for navigating the challenges of scaling up.
Leading this expanded platform is Rakhil Fernando, an entrepreneur and experienced leader of venture studios, with a strong track record both regionally and internationally. Fernando has previously been CEO of Yabi, an AI-driven personal finance app; he’s also the founder and CEO of Koko, a BNPL (buy now, pay later) and payments platform under Alibaba that expanded across South Asia; plus, he served as Managing Director at Daraz (also under Alibaba), where he helped grow one of the region’s biggest e-commerce platforms. Fernando underlined the practical benefits for founders, saying, “Having built and scaled companies from scratch, I understand the hurdles entrepreneurs face. At CE-Creates, startups can build with confidence—supported by capital, operational tools, and strategic partnerships that unlock regional and global potential.”
This expanded focus on CE-Creates is not just a reflection of Crescent Enterprises’ strategic vision but also aligns with broader economic trends in the UAE. The latest 2024-2025 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report ranked the UAE as the top among 56 evaluated economies for entrepreneurship and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The report underscores the country’s reputation as an excellent place for startups, innovation, and sustainable growth—which is pretty impressive, right? The UAE continues to push policies that support innovation as well as inclusivity.
Additionally, this initiative mirrors a wider trend favoring venture studios and build-to-scale platforms—models that combine both funding and deep operational involvement. They’re becoming increasingly popular because they’re often more effective at nurturing startups compared to traditional venture funding, which sometimes lacks hands-on support. By employing a stage-gated approach, CE-Creates aims to reduce startup failures and speed up their journey toward international markets—especially from the MENA region, where high-growth startups often face scaling hurdles.
As the UAE works toward solidifying its status as a global entrepreneurial hub, Crescent Enterprises’ AED 250 million investment in CE-Creates is a notable step. It signals a strong commitment to supporting local startups with big ambitions and international aspirations. Not only does it provide a boost to the startups involved, but it also sends a positive signal to investors and the wider market—helping to attract more innovation and investment into the region’s lively startup scene.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.zawya.com/en/business/investment/crescent-enterprises-launches-6811mln-investment-programme-txxf4s92 – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.crescententerprises.com/news/crescent-enterprises-commits-aed-250-million-to-scale-ce-creates-building-home-grown-ventures-with-global-potential/ – Crescent Enterprises has announced an investment programme of AED 250 million to scale CE-Creates, its venture-building platform. This initiative aims to transform early-stage concepts into globally competitive businesses capable of scaling from MENA to international markets. The programme combines patient capital with operational expertise to support high-growth, impact-driven startups from the UAE to the world. Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, emphasised the UAE’s role as a launchpad for serious builders and the vision for the country to be known as the start-up capital of the world. CE-Creates has already catalysed ventures such as Kava & Chai, ION, and BreakBread. Tushar Singhvi, Deputy CEO and Head of Investments at Crescent Enterprises, highlighted the model’s blend of disciplined capital deployment with on-the-ground operating support, creating conditions for sustainable growth and international scale. The initiative follows a stage-gated methodology from idea validation to MVP, go-to-market, and scale-up, benchmarking each step against clear milestones and performance metrics to improve product-market fit, reduce risk, and accelerate growth. Rakhil Fernando, the newly appointed Head of CE-Creates, brings extensive entrepreneurial and operating experience as both founder and venture studio leader, having previously served as CEO of Yabi and founder and CEO of Koko. The initiative aligns with the UAE’s ambition and positioning as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and SMEs, reinforcing Crescent Enterprises’ commitment to innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth.
- https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/people-in-the-news/crescent-enterprises-commits-aed250mln-to-scale-ce-creates-building-home-grown-ventures-with-global-potential-ps6gopdn – Crescent Enterprises has announced an investment programme of AED 250 million to scale CE-Creates, its venture-building platform. The fresh capital, combined with new leadership, marks a major expansion of CE-Creates’ role as a builder and scaler of high-growth, impact-driven startups from the UAE to the world. Operating as a sector-agnostic venture studio, CE-Creates will deploy staged, patient capital alongside deep operational expertise and ecosystem access to turn early-stage concepts into globally competitive businesses capable of scaling from MENA to international markets. Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, commented, “The UAE has become a launchpad for serious builders, and our collective vision is for the country to be known as the start-up capital of the world. With CE-Creates, our venture building platform, we’re helping entrepreneurs convert purpose into performance – locally proven, globally competitive.” CE-Creates has already helped catalyse a number of ventures, including Kava & Chai (celebrating the region’s coffee and tea heritage), ION (developing sustainable mobility solutions), and BreakBread (a community-centred digital food experience and supperclub platform). “This AED 250 million allocation marks an exciting new chapter for CE-Creates and for regional entrepreneurship,” said Tushar Singhvi, Deputy CEO and Head of Investments at Crescent Enterprises. “Our model blends disciplined capital deployment with on-the-ground operating support in ways traditional venture funding often does not—creating the conditions for sustainable growth and international scale.” CE-Creates follows a stage-gated methodology from idea validation to MVP, go-to-market, and scale-up – benchmarking each step against clear milestones and performance metrics to improve product-market fit, reduce risk, and accelerate growth. “Having built and scaled companies from the ground up, I know the hurdles founders face. At CE-Creates, entrepreneurs can build with confidence – backed by capital, operating tools, and partnerships that unlock regional and global potential,” said Rakhil Fernando, the newly appointed Head of CE-Creates. Rakhil Fernando has extensive entrepreneurial and operating experience as both founder and venture studio leader. Previously to CE-Creates he served as CEO of Yabi, a personal finance platform built on AI-driven financial literacy and coaching; founder and CEO of Koko, a leading BNPL and consumer payments platform under Alibaba Group that scaled across South Asia; and Managing Director at Daraz (Alibaba Group), where he helped scale one of the region’s largest e-commerce platforms. The initiative reinforces Crescent Enterprises’ broader commitment to innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth, and aligns with the UAE’s ambition and positioning as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and SMEs. The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s newly launched campaign: ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’ is set to further solidify the UAE’s position as a global hub for entrepreneurship. Having secured top ranking in the 2024-2025 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report for the fourth year running, the UAE has also been recognised as the best destination for entrepreneurship and SMEs among 56 evaluated economies worldwide.
- https://www.wamda.com/2025/10/crescent-enterprises-commits-68-million-build-globally-competitive-ventures-uae – Crescent Enterprises has launched a $68 million investment programme to scale CE-Creates, its venture-building platform. The fresh capital, combined with new leadership, marks a major expansion of the platform’s mission to build high-growth, impact-driven startups from the UAE to global markets. CE-Creates operates as a sector-agnostic venture studio, deploying patient capital and hands-on operational support to turn early-stage ideas into scalable international businesses. The platform has already incubated ventures such as Kava & Chai (celebrating the region’s coffee and tea heritage), ION (developing sustainable mobility solutions), and BreakBread (a community-centred digital food experience and supper club platform). Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, commented, “The UAE has become a launchpad for serious builders, and our collective vision is for the country to be known as the start-up capital of the world. With CE-Creates, our venture-building platform, we’re helping entrepreneurs convert purpose into performance – locally proven, globally competitive.” Tushar Singhvi, Deputy CEO and Head of Investments at Crescent Enterprises, highlighted the model’s blend of disciplined capital deployment with on-the-ground operating support, creating conditions for sustainable growth and international scale. The initiative follows a stage-gated methodology from idea validation to MVP, go-to-market, and scale-up, benchmarking each step against clear milestones and performance metrics to improve product-market fit, reduce risk, and accelerate growth. Rakhil Fernando, the newly appointed Head of CE-Creates, brings extensive entrepreneurial and operating experience as both founder and venture studio leader, having previously served as CEO of Yabi and founder and CEO of Koko. The initiative aligns with the UAE’s ambition and positioning as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and SMEs, reinforcing Crescent Enterprises’ commitment to innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth.
- https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/crescent-commits-dh250m-to-scale-ce-creates-building-home-grown-ventures-with-global-potential – Crescent Enterprises has announced an investment programme of AED 250 million to scale CE-Creates, its venture-building platform. The fresh capital, combined with new leadership, marks a major expansion of CE-Creates’ role as a builder and scaler of high-growth, impact-driven startups from the UAE to the world. Operating as a sector-agnostic venture studio, CE-Creates will deploy staged, patient capital alongside deep operational expertise and ecosystem access to turn early-stage concepts into globally competitive businesses capable of scaling from MENA to international markets. Badr Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, commented, “The UAE has become a launchpad for serious builders, and our collective vision is for the country to be known as the start-up capital of the world. With CE-Creates, our venture building platform, we’re helping entrepreneurs convert purpose into performance – locally proven, globally competitive.” CE-Creates has already helped catalyse a number of ventures, including Kava & Chai (celebrating the region’s coffee and tea heritage), ION (developing sustainable mobility solutions), and BreakBread (a community-centred digital food experience and supperclub platform). “This AED 250 million allocation marks an exciting new chapter for CE-Creates and for regional entrepreneurship,” said Tushar Singhvi, Deputy CEO and Head of Investments at Crescent Enterprises. “Our model blends disciplined capital deployment with on-the-ground operating support in ways traditional venture funding often does not—creating the conditions for sustainable growth and international scale.” CE-Creates follows a stage-gated methodology from idea validation to MVP, go-to-market, and scale-up – benchmarking each step against clear milestones and performance metrics to improve product-market fit, reduce risk, and accelerate growth. “Having built and scaled companies from the ground up, I know the hurdles founders face. At CE-Creates, entrepreneurs can build with confidence – backed by capital, operating tools, and partnerships that unlock regional and global potential,” said Rakhil Fernando, the newly appointed Head of CE-Creates. Rakhil Fernando has extensive entrepreneurial and operating experience as both founder and venture studio leader. Previously to CE-Creates he served as CEO of Yabi, a personal finance platform built on AI-driven financial literacy and coaching; founder and CEO of Koko, a leading BNPL and consumer payments platform under Alibaba Group that scaled across South Asia; and Managing Director at Daraz (Alibaba Group), where he helped scale one of the region’s largest e-commerce platforms. The initiative reinforces Crescent Enterprises’ broader commitment to innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth, and aligns with the UAE’s ambition and positioning as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and SMEs. The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism’s newly launched campaign: ‘The Emirates: The Startup Capital of the World’ is set to further solidify the UAE’s position as a global hub for entrepreneurship. Having secured top ranking in the 2024-2025 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report for the fourth year running, the UAE has also been recognised as the best destination for entrepreneurship and SMEs among 56 evaluated economies worldwide.
- https://www.asiabusinessoutlook.com/news/crescent-enterprises-injects-aed-250m-into-ce-creates-nwid-10191.html – Crescent Enterprises, a leading UAE-based diversified conglomerate, has announced a commitment of AED 250 million (US$68 million) to accelerate the growth of its venture-building arm, CE-Creates. The investment aims to strengthen regional startups with international growth potential through staged funding and operational support over the next five years. CE-Creates operates as a sector-agnostic venture studio, focusing on developing and scaling early-stage ventures through a structured, stage
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is fresh, with the earliest known publication date being 17 October 2025. ([crescententerprises.com](https://www.crescententerprises.com/news/crescent-enterprises-commits-aed-250-million-to-scale-ce-creates-building-home-grown-ventures-with-global-potential/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The quotes from Badr Jafar and Rakhil Fernando are unique to this report, with no earlier matches found online.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from Crescent Enterprises’ official website, a reputable source. ([crescententerprises.com](https://www.crescententerprises.com/news/crescent-enterprises-commits-aed-250-million-to-scale-ce-creates-building-home-grown-ventures-with-global-potential/?utm_source=openai))
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims are plausible and align with Crescent Enterprises’ known activities. The UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for entrepreneurship supports the narrative. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crescent_Enterprises?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is fresh, with no evidence of recycled content. The quotes are unique, and the source is reliable. The claims are plausible and supported by the company’s history and UAE’s entrepreneurial initiatives.
