Kingpin raises $3.5mn seed round to build AI-native distribution platform Dubai - Sharikat Mubasher: Kingpin, an AI-native software-as-a-service (SaaS) company based in the UAE, concluded a $3.5 million seed funding round, backed by Infinity Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, Mu Ventures, COTU, and Outliers, with support from Hub71.Kingpin will utilize the investment to expand its engineering and product teams, strengthen its AI capabilities, and expand its operations beyond the Middle East to Europe and North America, the company announced in a recent statement.Kingpin redefines how brands, distributors, and wholesalers find, approach, and transact with retailers. The platform connects people, products, pricing, and processes within a single ecosystem, enabling businesses to manage discovery, sales, and fulfilment more efficiently.Harsh Sajnani, Co-founder and CEO of Kingpin, commented: “Coming from three generations across both sides of the industry, retail and distribution, we have 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. It is 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.”Meanwhile, Mario Ruiz, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Infinity Ventures, said: “We backed Kingpin because they are bringing AI-native infrastructure to one of the largest and least-automated sectors of the global economy. With deep wholesale experience and exceptional execution, the team is transforming fragmented retail operations into intelligent, scalable workflows for brands, distributors, and their retail partners.”Kingpin’s AI-native retailer discovery engine enables brands to identify and connect with the right retailers globally, while its AI agents validate prospects, access verified contacts, and personalize outreach, ultimately enabling faster, smarter market expansion and giving teams more control to grow their markets and revenue.
