In a strategic move to enhance its leadership in the digital infrastructure space for private market transactions, Zest Equity, the leading digital infrastructure solutions platform for private market execution, announced it has secured $4.3 million in pre-series A funding, led by Prosus Ventures and joined by Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures (MSISV).
This investment strengthens Zest Equity’s mission to simplify and digitize private market transaction execution by providing advanced infrastructure to streamline processes efficiently.
Founded in 2021 by Zuhair Shamma and Rawan Baddour, Zest Equity aims to build a trusted platform where clients can design and select the tools they need to execute transactions with ease, regardless of complexity.
The company follows an agnostic approach, offering solutions across multiple asset classes and transaction types.
Currently, Zest Equity focuses on execution solutions for private transactions under $100 million — a segment often underserved by major investment banks. To date, Zest Equity has digitized over $155 million in transaction value across more than 115 pre-agreed deals.
Commenting on the achievement, Zuhair Shamma, Co-founder and CEO of Zest Equity, stated:
“This funding milestone allows us to continue our mission to remove friction from private market transaction processes.”
Rawan Baddour, Co-founder of Zest Equity, added:
“Prosus Ventures’ deep understanding of emerging markets makes them the ideal partner to drive our expansion, while MSISV’s expertise will be vital to scaling sustainably and compliantly.”
The funding will be strategically deployed to:
- Expand operations in KSA and UAE
- Recruit specialized talent
- Develop new products
- Enhance technology infrastructure to support growing transaction volumes and types
Robin Voogd, Head of Middle East Investments at Prosus Ventures, commented:
“Zest Equity is building the infrastructure that connects private markets in emerging economies. Their vision aligns perfectly with our mission to support innovative financial infrastructure in high-growth regions.”
It is worth mentioning that Zest Equity had previously closed a $3.8 million Seed funding round in October 2023, led by Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP).
