UAE-Based Journify Eyes GCC Expansion After Doubling Valuation

UAE-based artificial intelligence (AI)-powered data activation platform Journify is accelerating its expansion across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the broader Gulf region after doubling its valuation and growing its revenue fivefold within a six-month period. 

Founded by Taoufik El Jamali and Amine Chouki in the UAE in 2023, Journify helps brands leverage their first-party data to drive measurable growth at a time when advertisers are under increasing pressure to deliver higher returns in a rapidly changing digital landscape. The platform enables brands to activate their data across channels such as Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, Google, and X, with the aim of turning customer insights into measurable, scalable performance.  

The company’s recent funding round, which was backed by Abu Dhabi-based multi-dimensional investment firm Shorooq, Abu Dhabi-based venture builder and VC firm Bunat Ventures, and California-based innovation platform and venture capital firm Plug and Play, will fuel its next phase of growth. El Jamali, CEO of Journify, noted that the investment will accelerate three key priorities, which include doubling down on AI-driven product innovation, expanding the company's market presence across the Gulf region, and enhancing customer success capabilities.  

Reflecting on the company’s rapid growth, El Jamali told Inc. Arabia in an interview that the biggest internal challenge has been scaling operations to match demand. “As we've grown, we've needed to rapidly mature our customer data infrastructure, streamline enterprise client onboarding, and improve collaboration between our offices while maintaining our startup agility,” he explained. “We've invested heavily in hiring martech specialists and fostering a culture that combines technical excellence with deep understanding of Gulf region markets.” 

Journify’s ascent comes at a time of heightened challenges for brands across the MENA, from stricter privacy regulations to the disappearance of third-party cookies and fragmented measurement frameworks. Against this backdrop, Journify has positioned itself as a partner for companies seeking privacy-compliant, performance-driven marketing solutions. 

The company’s growth aligns with the broader trajectory of digital advertising in the GCC region. According to the Dubai-based non‑profit trade association Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) MENA, digital ad spending in the region rose by 20 percent in 2024 to reach US$7 billion. Yet advertisers continue to grapple with data fragmentation, transparency issues, and the complexities of measurement—challenges Journify aims to solve with its AI-first approach. 

As the company broadens its footprint across the GCC, it is executing what El Jamali described as a “targeted expansion strategy focusing on high-value sectors with substantial consumer engagement and digital advertising budgets.” Journify’s roadmap prioritizes sectors such as retail, healthcare, automotive, and real estate, all of which are industries where the team sees significant opportunities for first-party data solutions. 

“Our product roadmap directly addresses local requirements through native integrations with regional platforms, enhanced consent management tools that respect cultural preferences, and flexible deployment options that ensure compliance with the region's strict data residency regulations,” El Jamali explained. “Throughout this expansion, we maintain a feedback-driven approach, continuously incorporating insights from our customers to refine our offerings for the unique market context.” 

El Jamali believes that Journify’s competitive edge in the cookieless era lies in execution. “While many platforms merely collect first-party data, we differentiate by activating it in real-time across both paid and owned marketing channels with continuous performance monitoring,” he said. “Our platform is specifically designed for this privacy-focused marketing landscape, featuring an AI-powered architecture that effectively connects customer insights to actionable marketing campaigns. As privacy regulations continue to evolve across the Gulf region, our privacy-by-design approach becomes an increasingly valuable competitive advantage in the regional martech ecosystem.” 

Journify’s rapid growth is largely owing to two of its largest clients, which include KSA-based bookstore and retailer Jarir and Gulf-based furniture retailer and marketplace Baytonia. Journify’s AI platform helped Jarir activate its first-party data on Meta, achieving a 182 percent increase in return on ad spend (ROAS) and a 51 percent reduction in cost per purchase (CPP). In the meantime, Gulf-based furniture retailer and marketplace Baytonia recorded an 80 percent boost in ROAS and a 44 percent decrease in CPP after leveraging Journify’s solutions on TikTok.

El Jamali noted that, beyond capital, the recent round of funding significantly bolsters Journify’s credibility with enterprise clients, paving the way for strategic partnerships similar to those the company has forged with leading brands such as Jarir and Baytonia. “We're actively working to replicate these partnership models across additional industry verticals, including retail, healthcare, real estate, and automotive,” El Jamali said. 

To meet evolving client needs, Journify is also advancing its AI capabilities with a focus on agentic AI systems aimed at enabling one-to-one personalization at scale. The platform is moving toward the deployment of autonomous agents to support personalized experiences, targeting, media optimization, and conversion rates throughout the customer journey. 

“In the next 3-5 years, we anticipate agentic AI systems will fundamentally transform marketing workflows,” El Jamali said. “Rather than passively viewing dashboards, marketers will collaborate with AI agents that proactively identify opportunities, make recommendations, and execute optimizations. These systems will autonomously adjust campaign parameters, create personalized customer experiences, and propose innovative growth strategies based on real-time performance data.” He added that Journify is already rolling out early versions of these capabilities, with AI agents learning continuously from user interactions and outcomes. 

Reflecting on the company's journey, El Jamali offered a piece of advice to fellow founders navigating early-stage growth. “Don't over-engineer in stealth. Ship fast, listen harder. The best insights come from real customers, not theoretical models. Building in public, even with a small group of early adopters, will give you the momentum and clarity you need to iterate with purpose.” 

Pictured in the lead image is the Journify team. Image courtesy Journify.