Dubai Founders HQ has teamed up with Mastercard, supported by fintech platform Pemo, to roll out a new founder finance solution aimed at helping startups and SMEs cut costs and manage cashflow more effectively.
The initiative gives eligible businesses access to more than AED 10,000 in first-year value. This includes up to 2% cashback on eligible foreign exchange and advertising spend, free access to Pemo's spend management platform, Mastercard-powered corporate cards and a range of exclusive business offers.
According to the organisers, participating businesses can typically recover between AED 500 and AED 1,200 a month in previously untracked expenditure. The automated expense management system is also expected to cut administrative workloads by more than 60 hours a month and shorten month-end closing timelines, in some cases from nine days down to three.
The solution brings together corporate cards, real-time spend tracking and automated receipt collection in one platform, with integrations for accounting software including QuickBooks, Xero and Zoho. Founders will be able to issue cards to team members and set spending limits and approval controls, giving them greater oversight of company finances.
The move is aligned with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and the Strategic Digital City Partnership between Mastercard and the Dubai Government.
Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, said the initiative reflects a commitment to giving founders practical tools to manage cash and strengthen financial discipline.
Saeed Al Gergawi of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy said the partnership was designed to deliver high-impact solutions for real operational needs, while Mastercard's Mark Elliott pointed to the company's long-standing work supporting Dubai's commerce ecosystem.
Pemo co-founder and CEO Ayham Gorani said the collaboration puts enterprise-grade financial tools directly into the hands of founders, helping them grow with greater confidence from Dubai.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
