UAE’s Kingpin Raises $3.5M Seed to Expand AI Distribution

Global wholesale still runs on spreadsheets and siloed tools. From that friction, UAE-based AI-native SaaS startup Kingpin has raised $3.5 million in seed funding to accelerate a platform that connects discovery, sales, and fulfilment in one system.

The round was led by US-based Infinity Ventures, with Red Swan Ventures, Mu Ventures, and UAE-based COTU and Outliers, with support from Hub71. Kingpin will use the capital to expand engineering and product teams, strengthen AI capabilities, and extend operations beyond the Middle East to Europe and North America.

Founded by third-generation industry operators Harsh Sajnani (co-founder & CEO) and Guilherme Soares (co-founder & COO), Kingpin draws on decades of family experience across both the retail and distribution sides of wholesale in MENA and Latin America.

“Coming from three generations across both sides of the industry, retail and distribution, we’ve been building Kingpin with a first-hand understanding of the main challenges — from new customer/supplier discovery, to deciding what and how much to buy, all the way to managing orders, shipments and financing, " said Harsh Sajnani, co-founder & CEO of Kingpin. "It’s a privilege to be building in the AI era: it allows us to combine technology, deep industry expertise and relentless execution to deliver real value to our customers."

Kingpin says it now serves more than 300 distributors and brands across categories including beauty, fashion and sports. The company reports that its platform helps sales teams increase revenue by up to 20%, reduce sales cycles by 85%, and save more than 200 hours each month by automating complex workflows. Its AI-native retailer-discovery engine matches brands with relevant retailers worldwide, with AI agents validating contacts and personalising outreach.