Deep-tech startup 1001 AI—dual-headquartered in London and Dubai—has closed a US $9 million seed funding round to accelerate its operations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
Who Backed the $9 Million Round
The round is led by venture capital firms CIV, General Catalyst and Lux Capital. Additional participants include prominent angels and industry figures: Chris Ré, Amjad Masad (Replit), Amira Sajwani (DAMAC), Khalid Bin Bader Al Saud (RAED Ventures), and Hisham Al‑Falih (Lean Technologies).
Building an AI-Native Operating System for Industry
Founded by Bilal Abu‑Ghazaleh, 1001 AI is building an “AI-native operating system” to automate decision-making and operations in high-stakes industries such as aviation, logistics, construction and oil & gas. The company estimates that inefficiencies in Gulf sectors—covering airports, ports, construction sites and oil & gas operations—exceed US $10 billion annually.
The platform integrates real-time operational data from clients’ existing systems, models workflows, predicts bottlenecks and automates decision-making — shifting from manual oversight to what the company calls “autonomous orchestration”.
Growth Roadmap: Expansion, Deployment and Market Entry
- The fresh funding will be used to:
- Expand engineering, operations and go-to-market teams across both hubs (London and Dubai)
- Accelerate early deployments in the Gulf markets — particularly starting with construction, before branching into broader regional and global operations.
- Launch the company’s first customer deployment by end of 2025, starting with a construction firm in the region.
Bridging London and Dubai: A Global-Local Strategy for AI Growth
1001 AI’s move comes at a time when Gulf markets are aggressively pursuing industrial transformation and digitalisation. The company’s dual base (London + Dubai) reflects a strategy of combining global AI expertise with regional industrial know-how.
Investors highlight the appeal of AI that solves physical-world problems at scale. For example, a partner at Lux Capital said: “We’re extremely bullish on AI that solves physical-world problems at scale – optimising how airports turn around flights, how ports move cargo, and how construction sites operate. The MENA region offers immense potential for this kind of transformation.” General Catalyst’s managing director added: “1001 AI is building the decision engine that automates complexity in large-scale operations, combining world-class AI execution with deep regional understanding.”
What’s Next: Key Milestones to Watch
- The success of the first deployment by end of 2025 will be a key milestone: whether the system lives up to its claims of real-world workflow automation.
- How quickly the company expands beyond its initial sectors (construction, aviation) into oil & gas and logistics at scale in the GCC.
- How the platform fares in terms of integration with existing legacy systems and the cultural/organisational change required in those industries.
- Whether 1001 AI can replicate its regional success globally after establishing its footing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
At Startups MENA, we continue to spotlight the founders and investors shaping the region’s next wave of innovation. 1001 AI’s $9 million seed round reflects more than a single success story — it signals the region’s readiness to lead in deep-tech and AI infrastructure, not just consume it.
As GCC markets push toward industrial digitalisation, startups like 1001 AI are moving beyond software-as-a-service to build the backbone of intelligent operations — platforms that automate complexity, bridge data silos, and power real-world transformation.
For the MENA startup ecosystem, this moment is telling: capital is now meeting capability. The next decade will belong to those who combine regional insight with global innovation — turning bold ideas into systems that enable industries to run smarter, faster, and more autonomously.
— The Startups MENA Editorial Team
