Founders: Vilhelm Hedberg
The Middle East’s 50 Most-Funded Startups
Rank: #12

ekar

Country: U.A.E.
Funding: $22 million
Investors: Polymath Ventures, Audacia Capital, Angel Investors
Founded In: 2016
Mass transit system

ekar was one of the first self-drive mobility operators in MENA, and provides over 2,000 cars to over 200,000 renters across the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia, according to the company. Unlike traditional car rental companies, ekar customers only pay for how long they’re actually using the car, enabling them to pay by the month, day, hour, or minute via the ekar mobile app. The company raised $17.5 million in 2019. Founder Vilhelm Hedberg previously co-founded and later exited QMS Global FZ LLC, an ISO certification company.