stc group’s Tali Ventures invests $6mln in Bonat to scale AI-powered digital engagement for retailers

stc group ’s corporate venture capital arm, tali ventures,  has led a $6 million (SAR 23 million) Series A investment round in Bonat,  a Riyadh-based AI-powered customer engagement platform. anb seed Fund, Rua Growth Fund, RZM Investments, and a network of leading angel investors also contributed investments to the Series A round alongside tali ventures. This funding builds on stc group’s investment in innovation and Saudi startups advancing digital transformation.

Bonat has built one of the region’s fastest-growing digital engagement ecosystems. Its all-in-one platform blends advanced analytics, AI driven engagement tools, digital wallets, and behavior-based marketing automation helping merchants convert walk-ins into loyal customers and measurable growth. Today, Bonat supports thousands of retailers and F&B brands across the Kingdom and connects with over six million users.

With this round of funding, Bonat will deepen its AI capabilities, roll out personalized campaign automation, and expand into new verticals such as retail and services. Integration with payments and mobile wallets will allow merchants to manage the full customer journey from a single dashboard.

“Customer engagement is the foundation of loyalty and growth in the digital economy. Our investment in Bonat reflects stc’s commitment to empowering merchants with smarter digital tools and advancing the Kingdom’s Vision 2030..”

– Motaz Alangari, Group Chief Investment Officer, stc group

“We’re making a strategic play in one of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing markets. Customer success platforms are set to triple to nearly USD 180 million by 2030, while the broader CRM space will more than double to USD 1.46 billion by 2033. Bonat sits at the nexus of both, delivering AI-driven engagement tools for a rapidly digitalizing economy. Through anb Seed Fund, we’re not just backing a platform, we’re empowering a force multiplier for SMEs at exactly the right moment in Saudi’s venture growth story.”

– Khalid S. Alghamdi, CEO, anb capital

“This investment fuels our next chapter: scaling faster, advancing AI integration, and empowering businesses to turn every customer interaction into revenue growth. We are proud to be building one of the region’s most impactful data-driven engagement platforms.”

– Saud Binsaeed, Founder and CEO, Bonat

“Bonat is reshaping how Saudi businesses connect with their customers. From in-store insights to digital wallets, Bonat empowers SMEs to compete in a cashless, data-driven economy. We’re proud to back their next phase of growth.”

– Turki Aljoaib, Managing Partner, Rua Growth Fund