AÏZA parent Amaani raises $5 million Series A led by BECO Capital
Kalpana Maurya
1 Oct 2026 · 3 min read
Amaani, the Dubai company behind beauty brand AÏZA, has raised a $5 million Series A led by BECO Capital, taking its total funding to $8 million. Founded by former Peak XV investor Shubham Poddar, it will use the money to expand into Saudi Arabia and other Gulf markets.
Amaani, a Dubai-based beauty and wellness company that owns the brand AÏZA, has raised $5 million in a Series A round led by BECO Capital, with Homegrown Ventures and Peak XV's Surge participating. The round, reported on 28 September 2026, brings Amaani's total funding to $8 million.
BECO Capital said in a note on its website that it led the round in September 2026 and that it had known founder Shubham Poddar since he was raising Amaani's pre-seed round.
What the money is for
Amaani will use the capital to take AÏZA across the Gulf Cooperation Council, with Saudi Arabia as the immediate focus. The brand was due to launch in Ulta Beauty stores in Jeddah and Riyadh by the end of September, and launches in Kuwait and Qatar are planned for the fourth quarter. Part of the funding will also go into product development, hiring and technology, Indian Startup News reported.
The company says AÏZA's net revenue grew more than nine times year on year in the first half of 2026, as it moved from selling mostly online into physical retail.
About Amaani and AÏZA
Shubham Poddar founded Amaani in Dubai in 2023 to build beauty and wellness brands for the Middle East. According to BECO Capital, Poddar previously worked at Peak XV, formerly Sequoia India, on direct-to-consumer beauty investments including Mamaearth and Minimalist, before moving to Dubai and deciding to build a brand himself. BECO says his team includes people who have worked at L'Oréal, Huda Beauty, Elizabeth Arden and Careem.
AÏZA is Amaani's first brand. It had a soft launch in December 2024 and went live online in May 2025. Its skincare and haircare range draws on ingredients and rituals from the Arab world, such as dates, black seed, frankincense, rose and bakhoor, with formulations developed in laboratories in Korea, Japan and Italy. Best-known products include the Sukkar Rush lip treatment, the Scent Storm hair mist and the Date Setter brow and lash serum. The company says its formulas are vegan, cruelty-free and alcohol-free, and meet "Clean at Sephora" standards.
AÏZA is sold through its own website, luxury e-commerce platform Ounass and Ulta Beauty stores in the UAE, where the company says it ranks among the top 10 of more than 300 global and regional brands. BECO notes that AÏZA was the first Middle Eastern brand named to BeautyMatter's NEXT50 list of emerging beauty companies. Its competitors include Huda Beauty, Kayali and The Giving Movement.
Amaani's earlier $3 million seed round, raised in 2025, came from Peak XV's Surge.
Key facts
- Company: Amaani (Dubai), owner of AÏZA
- Founder: Shubham Poddar
- Round: Series A
- Amount: $5 million
- Lead investor: BECO Capital
- Other investors: Homegrown Ventures, Peak XV's Surge
- Total raised: $8 million
- Reported: 28 September 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much did Amaani raise?
$5 million in a Series A round, taking its total funding to $8 million.
Who led Amaani's Series A?
BECO Capital led the round, with Homegrown Ventures and Peak XV's Surge participating.
Who founded Amaani?
Shubham Poddar, a former Peak XV investor, founded Amaani in Dubai in 2023.
What is AÏZA?
Amaani's beauty brand, which sells skincare and haircare made with Arab-world ingredients such as dates, black seed and bakhoor.
Where will Amaani expand next?
Saudi Arabia first, with Ulta Beauty stores in Jeddah and Riyadh, followed by Kuwait and Qatar.
