How NeuraPay Secured 500k AED in the Arena
NeuraPay walked into the Arena with a clear ask and undeniable traction. Here’s how they turned a six-minute pitch into 500k AED.
NeuraPay—AI-powered payment fraud detection for merchants—closed 500k AED for 8% in the N.M.J.D. Arena. Here’s how they did it.
The pitch. Founder Ahmed Al-Rashid opened with a single stat: merchants lose $32B annually to fraud, and most lack enterprise-grade protection. NeuraPay democratizes ML-based fraud detection. Six minutes, no fluff.
Why it worked. Traction spoke first: 340K AED MRR, 99.7% fraud detection rate, 94% merchant retention. The team had prior form—Ahmed’s previous company, PayShield, was acquired by Mastercard. Investors care about repeat founders.
The ask. 500k AED for 8%. Clear, round numbers. No vague "we’re flexible" — that signals indecision. Investors matched the terms because the metrics and team justified them.
The moment. When Ahmed showed real-time fraud blocking during the pitch, one investor said: "That’s the demo that gets a term sheet." Demo > slides. Always.
Takeaway. Come in with traction, a credible team, and a crisp ask. Let the numbers and product do the talking. NeuraPay did exactly that—and left the Arena funded.