Dubai Founders HQ has partnered with Mastercard, with support from Pemo, to introduce a new financial solution aimed at helping startups and small and medium-sized enterprises reduce costs, improve cash flow and manage business expenses more efficiently.
Eligible companies can access more than AED10,000 in first-year benefits. The package includes up to 2 percent cashback on eligible foreign exchange and advertising expenditure, complimentary access to Pemo’s spend management platform, Mastercard-powered corporate cards and a range of exclusive business offers.
According to the partners, participating businesses may recover between AED500 and AED1,200 per month in previously untracked expenses. Automated expense management could also reduce administrative workloads by more than 60 hours each month and shorten month-end closing processes from as many as nine days to three days in certain cases.
The initiative seeks to address common financial management challenges faced by startups and SMEs. Many founders continue to use personal cards for business expenses, collect receipts manually and track expenditure across different systems, making financial reconciliation costly and time-consuming.
The integrated solution combines corporate cards powered by Mastercard with Pemo’s automated expense management platform, real-time spending visibility and accounting integrations with QuickBooks, Xero and Zoho.
Businesses can issue cards to employees, establish spending limits, introduce approval controls, automate receipt collection and monitor company expenditure through a centralised platform.
The solution also offers cashback on existing business spending, travel benefits, partner incentives and automated financial controls. It is designed to help founders preserve capital, improve financial discipline and dedicate more time to customer acquisition, revenue generation and business growth.
The initiative supports the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, and forms part of the Strategic Digital City Partnership between Mastercard and the Dubai Government.
Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation, the economic development arm of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said effective cash management and financial discipline were increasingly important for startups and SMEs operating in a fast-changing business environment.
“Through Dubai Founders HQ, we are committed to providing founders with practical solutions that solve real business challenges,” Badri said.
He added that the initiative would deliver cost savings, stronger financial controls and greater visibility over business spending, while supporting Dubai’s efforts to build a resilient and founder-friendly entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said the partnership would make it easier for founders to access the support, tools and partners they need to grow their businesses.
He said the collaboration demonstrated the importance of public-private partnerships in strengthening Dubai’s position as a global centre for entrepreneurship and the digital economy.
Mark Elliott, Division President of East Arabia at Mastercard, said the company remained committed to supporting small businesses and building a more inclusive and prosperous commercial ecosystem.
He noted that the partnership forms part of Mastercard’s Built Small. Moving Strong regional resilience programme, which helps SMEs maintain business continuity and unlock long-term growth opportunities.
Ayham Gorani, Co-Founder and CEO of Pemo, said the collaboration represented an important milestone for the Dubai-based company and its work supporting startups and SMEs across the Middle East and North Africa.
He said the partnership would provide founders with enterprise-grade financial tools that could help them manage expenditure, make informed financial decisions and scale their operations with greater confidence.
The partnership further strengthens Dubai Founders HQ’s role as a central platform connecting public and private sector organisations with entrepreneurs.
Through its collaboration with Mastercard and Pemo, the platform aims to expand the practical and financial support available to startups and SMEs seeking to establish, grow and scale internationally from Dubai.
