How did one Dubai startup scale to 24 markets with less than $10 million?

How did one Dubai startup scale to 24 markets with less than $10 million?

A “real coup” is how Arrow Labs founder Rami Darwish describes the partnership he has signed with BMB, a multinational IT solutions provider with more than 3000 customers, including Coca-Cola, Maersk and Nestle. Under the agreement forged last month, Arrow Labs’ software is now jointly being deployed with BMB’s, giving the UAE-based startup access to a legion of global customers.

When Darwish founded his software company in Dubai back in 2011, there was no telling that he would scale to 24 countries, work with 40 different clients and attract investment from Tim Draper, the US-based tech investor whose portfolio includes Skype, Tesla, Twitter and AngelList.

The startup ecosystem in the UAE at the time was in its infancy, software development in the country was practically unheard of and embarking on a journey to compete with Silicon Valley’s finest seemed like a far-fetched idea. But Arrow Labs has managed this, all with just $8 million worth in VC investment, so how did Darwish and his team do it?