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§ Private Profile · Wework Hub71, Abu Dhabi Global Market Square, Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
HR and fintech software platform automating HR operations, including onboarding, document management, and payroll for startups and SMEs in MENA.
Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, alfii is a B2B SaaS company that develops a human resources and financial technology platform for startups and small to medium enterprises. The system replaces fragmented legacy tools by automating core administrative operations, offering a centralized suite for employee onboarding, document management, time off tracking, and expense management. Operating primarily within the Middle East and North Africa region, the organization targets operations heavy environments to streamline data management for human resources professionals. To scale its operations and integrate new payroll features, the enterprise successfully secured $2.5 million in a pre-seed funding round. This capital raise was led by Preface Ventures, alongside strategic investments from venture capital firms such as Kima Ventures, COTU Ventures, and Dtec Ventures. The company was founded in 2022 by Yousef Albarqawi, Becky Jefferies, Dina Mohammad-Laity, and Tariq Fureishy.
alfii has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.
alfii has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Alfii is a UAE-based tech startup developing an all-in-one SaaS HR management platform designed for startups and SMEs. It centralizes employee data, automates payroll, time off tracking, attendance, onboarding, and self-service document access to streamline HR processes and reduce manual tasks.[1][2][3][4][5] Targeting small businesses overwhelmed by fragmented tools, Alfii solves HR inefficiencies by providing a user-friendly, human-centric solution with advanced analytics for employee engagement and satisfaction, enabling faster focus on people management.[1][2][4]
Launched in private beta, Alfii emphasizes quick setup without sales teams or complex integrations, aiming to build connected, high-performing workforces through comprehensive people experience tools.[1][4]
Alfii was founded by Yousef Albarqawi (CEO), who identified HR pain points during his operations leadership roles at early-stage ventures and multinationals like Deliveroo, where HR teams were overwhelmed by lacking a single source of truth for employee data and inadequate tools.[1][2] He co-founded the company with Dina Mohammad-Laity, a data scientist from Talabat and PropertyFinder, and Becky Jefferies, a brand strategist with experience at Uber (leading MENA marketing), Tribal Credit, and other ventures.[1][2]
The idea emerged from Albarqawi's observations of HR struggles, leading to a platform blending human touch with tech like data analytics. The team expanded with experts like Principal Software Engineer Sergii (12+ years in scalable software across industries) and developer Hamza, driving product development. Alfii launched its private beta targeting small business HR issues, with a public launch imminent.[1][2]
Alfii rides the wave of digital HR transformation in the MENA region, where SMEs face rising "new world of work" complexities like remote/hybrid models and talent retention amid fragmented legacy tools.[1][2][3] Timing aligns with post-pandemic HR demands for affordable, scalable SaaS—too often enterprise-focused or overly complex—positioning Alfii to capture UAE/Dubai's startup boom.[1][4] Market forces like labor market growth and tech adoption in the Gulf favor it, as it democratizes advanced HR for under-resourced teams, potentially influencing the ecosystem by enabling faster SME scaling and better employee experiences in high-growth sectors.[1][2]
Alfii is poised for rapid expansion post-public launch, scaling its private beta momentum into broader MENA adoption with product iterations in analytics and payroll precision. Trends like AI-driven HR insights and flexible work policies will amplify its edge, evolving it from automation tool to full people platform. As it grows influence, Alfii could redefine accessible HR for SMEs, turning overwhelmed teams into strategic assets—proving that reimagining people tech starts with fixing the basics.[1][4]
alfii has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
alfii's investors include Preface Ventures, Citi Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Oren Yunger, Deepak Jeevan Kumar, Matt Carbonara, Aditum Investment Management, Kayan Ventures, Wayfinders.
alfii has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in July 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2023 | $3M Seed | Preface Ventures | Citi Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Oren Yunger, Deepak Jeevan Kumar, Matt Carbonara, Aditum Investment Management, Kayan Ventures, Wayfinders | Announced |