Think Secures Over $8 Million in MENA's Largest AI Infrastructure Pre-Seed Funding

Think Closes MENA's Largest AI Infrastructure Pre-Seed Round

In a monumental move for the Middle Eastern tech landscape, Think, a Saudi-based company, has successfully raised over $8 million in pre-seed funding, marking it as the largest AI infrastructure round in the MENA region to date. Co-led by RAED Ventures and Wa’ed Ventures, the funding will greatly enhance Think's mission to develop an advanced, intelligent, and unified hardware and software infrastructure designed for artificial intelligence applications.

Accelerating AI Development

With the fresh capital, Think plans to accelerate team expansion and scale up manufacturing, alongside bolstering product development and international growth. The funds are expected to facilitate a rapid roll-out of their innovative technology, not just in Saudi Arabia, but across the GCC and select global markets. Think is on a mission to tackle one of the biggest challenges hindering AI adoption: the cost and complexity of current AI infrastructure.

">### Innovative Technology at Its Core

The platform combines high-density, liquid-cooled multi-GPU compute nodes with proprietary bare-metal orchestration software. This approach allows organizations of all sizes to deploy AI models with enhanced efficiency, security, and cost-effectiveness while fully utilizing their computing capacity. The core technology is designed to overcome inefficiencies in the current AI landscape, significantly lowering costs associated with deployment and operation.

Founder Ahmed AlSharif, a veteran in tech leadership with previous roles at major global companies like Meta and EA Games, has expressed optimism about the future of AI. According to him, the industry is shifting from the quest for larger models and data centers to a more efficient approach, which is what Think aims to provide.

Elevated GPU Utilization and Cost Efficiency

Think's technology features proprietary AI Node hardware and an Intelligent Layer Management (ILM) software orchestration layer that maximizes GPU utilization. In benchmark tests, Think's platform achieved a sustained GPU utilization of over 90%, a stark contrast to the industry standard of 30-50%. Furthermore, the cost per million tokens produced through their platform is almost ten times lower than existing offerings from companies like Google and OpenAI.

Saudi Arabia's AI Ecosystem

As Saudi Arabia sets its sights on becoming a leader in global AI initiatives, Think is positioning itself as a cornerstone in what it describes as the engine room for AI infrastructure. The company is currently engaged in various proofs of concept, production deployments, and strategic partnerships within the Kingdom's evolving AI ecosystem, including engagements with initiatives like HUMAIN.

Ammar Enaya, co-founder and technology veteran, notes that there is a strong demand from enterprises and government organizations that seek effective AI solutions without the complexities and costs associated with hyperscale cloud providers.

Promising Investment Landscape

This funding round also signifies a growing trend among investors who realize the importance of efficient and sovereign AI infrastructure. Wael Nafee, General Partner at RAED Ventures, aptly pointed out that the future of AI leaders will hinge not just on the models but also on the infrastructure that enables practical implementation.

As the pressures on businesses to enhance performance while maintaining lower operational costs rise, Think’s unique approach to integrating hardware, software, and cooling technologies into a singular platform represents a compelling alternative to traditional methods of AI deployment.

Looking Ahead

With the funding secured, Think is gearing up for accelerated commercial deployments across Saudi Arabia, while also enhancing its platform to support further expansion throughout the GCC over the next 18 months. The focus will also be on developing ILM as a standalone software platform, thus aiding Saudi Arabia's ambitions to become a central hub for cutting-edge AI infrastructure.

About Think

Founded by industry leaders Ahmed AlSharif and Ammar Enaya, Think aims to make AI superintelligence accessible and affordable. By merging intelligent software with high-performance hardware, the company addresses critical bottlenecks in AI deployment, ensuring organizations can achieve true sovereignty and security over their AI capabilities without relying on traditional data centers.

For more information, visit Think's website.