Stream is a Saudi startup that helps businesses in the MENA region, starting with Saudi Arabia, make billing and payments easier and faster. The platform focuses on removing all the difficulties that companies face when trying to get paid, making the process smoother and more modern.
The company has raised $4 million in seed funding to grow its platform and reach more users. The funding round was led by Outliers VC, with support from BYLD Ventures and well-known angel investors, including Abdullah Elyas, the Co-founder of Careem.
With the new funding, Stream plans to improve its product by focusing on areas like technology, payment features, compliance, and user experience. The company also aims to strengthen its internal systems to handle its fast-growing number of users and businesses using the platform.
Founded in 2024 by Ibrahim Aldlaigan, Stream is changing how businesses in the MENA region manage billing and payments. It automates the entire payment process — from sending branded, app-free invoices to scheduling flexible payment options, collecting money through local payment systems, tracking cash flow, and keeping accurate financial records.
Stream first started by helping businesses in the early childhood education sector. After finding success there, it expanded its services to school networks, SaaS companies, and other industries, showing that its platform can work for different types of businesses.
Since its launch, Stream has grown quickly — achieving 40% month-on-month growth. It now processes millions of dollars in payments for thousands of customers across many merchants, proving the strength of its product and the high demand for better payment solutions in the region.
Speaking on the round, Ibrahim Aldlagan, Founder & CEO of Stream, said, “Most of the world’s innovation in payments has focused on how people spend. We’re focused on how businesses get paid. This round helps us build the tools and infrastructure that make that as easy in MENA as it is anywhere else.”
He continues, “Most businesses in Saudi Araia and the region still collect everything upfront because they lack the systems to bill over time. Stream gives them structure and control; a business defines how and when payments happen – one-time, recurring or in parts – and we handle the rest. It’s about making payments predictable, flexible, and connected to the real flow of services.”
According to the Saudi Central Bank’s Payments Usage Study 2023, the total value of payment transactions in Saudi Arabia reached about USD 4.8 trillion in 2023. Around 70% of retail payments are now made digitally. However, only about 7% of consumer payments are recurring ones, such as monthly bills or subscriptions.
Even though most payments have moved online, regular payments like tuition fees, rent, and subscriptions are still often handled manually or through partly manual systems. This is the big gap that Stream aims to fix by making recurring payments simple, automated, and fully digital.
Sarah AlSaleh, General Partner at Outliers VC, stated, “Stream is built on deep local insight and a clear understanding of how businesses actually operate. Ibrahim brings the rare combination of investor perspective and relentless product execution, which is already reflected in how fast the platform is evolving. Stream is laying the foundation for the next generation of payment infrastructure in the region. We’re proud to back him and the Stream team and partner on the journey to streamline payments.”
Youcef Oudjidane, Founder of BYLD, shared, “In a short period of time, Ibrahim has built a culture of intensity and technical excellence that attracts top talent and drives the company’s mission to streamline payments and remove friction across MENA. It wouldn’t surprise me if we’re talking about the ‘Stream mafia’ in the years to come.”
Stream is a Saudi-based platform designed to make billing and payments easier for businesses. It helps all kinds of organizations — like schools, gyms, SaaS companies, and freelancers — collect payments quickly and smoothly. With Stream, businesses can send custom, branded payment links that don’t require any apps or complicated steps.
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