Dubai Founders HQ, ‘Mastercard’ launch founder finance solution

DUBAI / WAM

Dubai Founders HQ has partnered with Mastercard, supported by Pemo, to launch a new founder finance solution designed to help startups and SMEs save money, strengthen cashflow, and operate more efficiently.
Eligible businesses can access over AED10,000 in first-year value, including up to 2 percent cashback on eligible foreign exchange and advertising spend, complimentary access to Pemo’s spend management platform, Mastercard-powered corporate cards, and exclusive business offers and benefits. Participating businesses can typically recover AED500-1,200 per month in previously untracked expenditure, reduce administrative workloads by more than 60 hours per month through automated expense management, and shorten month-end financial closing timelines, in some cases from nine days to three days.
For many startup and SMEs, managing company expenses remains fragmented and time-consuming. Founders often rely on personal cards, manually collect receipts, track spending across multiple systems, and spend valuable time reconciling expenses at month-end. These inefficiencies create unnecessary costs, limit visibility over business spending, and divert attention away from customers, growth, and revenue generation.
The initiative addresses these challenges through a single integrated solution that combines Mastercard-powered corporate cards, automated expense management through Pemo, real-time spend tracking, and accounting integrations with platforms including QuickBooks, Xero, and Zoho. Founders can issue cards to team members, set spending limits and approval controls, automate receipt collection, and monitor company spending in real time through a single platform.
Combined with cashback on existing business expenditure, exclusive partner incentives, travel benefits, and automated financial controls, the solution is designed to deliver immediate and measurable value from day one, helping founders retain more capital, improve financial discipline, and focus on growth.
Aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) and the Strategic Digital City Partnership between Mastercard and the Dubai Government, the initiative strengthens the financial infrastructure available to startups and SMEs, giving founders access to the tools they need to build resilient businesses and scale with confidence from Dubai.
Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC), the economic development arm of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said, “Startups and SMEs are operating in an increasingly dynamic business environment where efficient cash management and financial discipline are critical to long-term success.
Through Dubai Founders HQ, we are committed to providing founders with practical solutions that solve real business challenges. This initiative delivers tangible value through cost savings, stronger financial controls, and greater visibility over company spending, helping founders focus on what matters most: building and scaling their businesses. It reflects our broader commitment to creating a resilient, founder-friendly ecosystem that enables entrepreneurs to thrive and supports the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.”
Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, commented, “Dubai Founders HQ was created to make it easier for founders to access the right support, partners, and tools at the right time. This strategic partnership with Mastercard, supported by Pemo, reflects our commitment to delivering practical, high-impact solutions that address the real operational needs of startups and SMEs. By helping businesses manage costs, improve financial visibility, and operate more efficiently, the initiative supports founders in building stronger foundations for sustainable growth from Dubai. It also underlines the value of public-private collaboration in advancing Dubai’s position as a leading global hub for entrepreneurship and the digital economy.”
Mark Elliott, Division President of East Arabia at Mastercard, said: “At Mastercard, we are on a mission to power a prosperous economy while ensuring that no business, no matter how small, gets left behind. For the past 40 years, we have worked side by side with the government, banks, fintech companies, and businesses in Dubai to help develop a robust commerce ecosystem. As part of Mastercard’s Built Small. Moving Strong regional resilience programme, our latest collaboration with Dubai Founders HQ and Pemo, helps SMEs to maintain business continuity and unlock enduring growth.”
Ayham Gorani, Co-Founder and CEO of Pemo, the UAE’s leading spend management platform, purpose built for startups and SMEs across the MENA region, said, “Partnering with Dubai Founders HQ and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism is a proud milestone for us as a company built in Dubai, to serve its business community. SMEs and startups in this city are ambitious, fast-moving, and we are pleased to contribute to empowering them through smart, flexible financial solutions that support their growth ambitions. Through this collaboration, we are putting enterprise-grade financial tools directly in the hands of founders, helping them manage their businesses more efficiently, make smarter financial decisions, and grow with confidence.”
The partnership further reinforces Dubai Founders HQ’s role as a central platform for ecosystem-wide collaboration, bringing together public and private sector partners to address the practical needs of entrepreneurs. By working with Mastercard and Pemo, Dubai Founders HQ continues to expand the range of support available to startups and SMEs, helping entrepreneurs build and scale globally from Dubai.