Investor Shubham Poddar, previously with Sequoia-India, secures $3 million to establish a new Arab beauty brand called AÏZA.
A new-age consumer startup, Amaani, has successfully secured $3 million in a seed funding round for its debut Arab beauty brand, AÏZA. The investment was led by Peak XV's Surge, marking their first consumer and seed investment in the MENA region.
The founder of Amaani, Shubham Poddar, is a former Sequoia India investor who played a significant role in driving Sequoia India's expansion in the Middle East with investments across fintech, foodtech, and proptech. With AÏZA, Poddar aims to capture the spirit of a rising region and meet a generational shift in consumer behaviour.
AÏZA blends Arab heritage with global innovation, using regional ingredients like dates, black seed, and bakhoor, combined with clinical actives, and crafted in leading labs in Korea, Japan, and Italy. The brand has already surpassed $2 million in annualised revenue and has strong consumer traction in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
The GCC beauty and personal care market is a $12 billion industry, growing at over 12% annually, with some of the highest per capita spends globally. The Middle East has among the highest per capita beauty spend globally, and the region's online penetration and demand for local relevance are growing.
Peak XV, an investor in Amaani, sees potential in the Middle East producing the next generation of successful consumer brands. GV Ravishankar, Managing Director at Peak XV, believes the region is now ready to produce the next wave of culturally resonant, globally admired consumer brands, and Amaani is well positioned to lead this movement.
Amaani's vision is to meet a generational shift in how consumers shop and what they seek: brands that reflect their identity, values, and aspirations. The startup's mission is to create brands that represent the spirit of a rising region and speak to the world.
AÏZA's product range includes Sukkar Rush, a high-shine lip treatment with date and honey; Scent Storm, a bakhoor & rose hair mist inspired by Arab fragrance rituals; and Date Setter, a brow & lash serum with date seed and castor oil. Amaani plans to scale AÏZA across the region and globally, both online and through retail, and also develop a portfolio of future brands.
Shubham Poddar, Founder & CEO of Amaani, stated that AÏZA is the company's response to the world seeking inspiration and innovation from the Middle East. Poddar believes that AÏZA is not just a beauty brand, but a symbol of the region's cultural renaissance and a testament to its global influence.
AÏZA was launched online in May 2025, and the funding round marks an exciting step forward for the brand and the region's burgeoning beauty industry. As the world looks to the Middle East for inspiration and innovation, AÏZA is poised to lead the way in reimagining Modern Arabia for the world.
