Running Out of Cash: The Financial Missteps That Sink Startups

Mar 6, 2025

Ghada Ismail

 

For most new businesses, the first year is a financial tightrope walk. Even with a great idea and a strong market need, cash flow problems can bring everything crashing down long before the business gets a chance to succeed. In fact, running out of money is one of the top reasons startups fail in year one, not because the product was flawed, but because the money ran out faster than expected.

 

From overestimating revenue to underestimating expenses, many first-time founders fall into the same financial traps that have sunk countless startups before them. In this episode, we’ll break down the most common money mistakes, the cash flow strategies that can make or break a business, and how to secure funding without falling into dangerous spending habits.

 

Common financial mistakes in the first year
Many founders underestimate how much capital they need to reach profitability, while overestimating how quickly they’ll generate revenue. The result? A dangerous gap between income and expenses that drains cash reserves faster than expected.

Spending too much too soon is another frequent mistake. From fancy office spaces to costly marketing campaigns, early-stage businesses often spend like established companies without the revenue to match. On the other side, some founders underinvest in critical areas—like marketing, product development, or customer acquisition—leaving the business unable to grow fast enough to survive.

 

Cash flow management strategies
Surviving year one requires tight financial discipline. Startups need realistic budgets that account for slow sales cycles, unexpected expenses, and a longer-than-expected path to profitability. Smart founders track their burn rate weekly, understanding exactly how long their cash will last at current spending levels, but what is a burn rate?

 

In business, burn rate refers to the speed at which a company spends its available cash before it starts generating positive cash flow (profit). It’s basically a measure of how fast a startup is "burning through" its funds.

There are two main types of burn rate:

 

  1. Gross Burn Rate – This is the total amount of money a business spends each month to cover operating expenses like salaries, rent, marketing, and product development.
  2. Net Burn Rate – This is the actual monthly cash loss, meaning how much money the business is losing after factoring in any revenue. It’s calculated like this: 

Net Burn Rate=Monthly Expenses−Monthly Revenue

 

Setting up clear financial controls, like approving all major expenses, separating personal and business finances, and avoiding unnecessary debt, helps avoid reckless spending. Cash flow forecasting should be part of the regular business routine, helping founders anticipate shortfalls well before they become emergencies.

 

How to secure funding and make sure you don’t run out of money too soon
Securing funding is only part of the equation as managing that capital wisely is what keeps businesses afloat. Whether funding comes from personal savings, friends and family, angel investors, or VCs, startups need to manage their cash like it’s their last riyal!

 

Founders should also diversify revenue streams whenever possible, so the business isn’t overly dependent on a single customer or product line. Building an emergency fund—a few months’ worth of operating expenses—can make all the difference when unexpected costs hit or revenue growth slows.

 

For founders seeking external funding, the key is raising the right amount at the right time. Raising too little leaves the business vulnerable to cash flow crises. Raising too much, especially at inflated valuations, creates pressure to spend aggressively, often before the business model is fully validated.

In the end, cash flow is king in year one. Even the best ideas fail if they run out of money before they find their footing.

 

Wrapping things up..

At its core, startup survival depends on financial discipline. Founders who track their burn rate, control expenses, and plan for funding gaps give their businesses a real chance at making it past year one. Those who ignore these basics? They risk becoming another statistic in the long list of startups that ran out of money before finding success.

But cash alone won’t save a failing business. Even startups with healthy funding collapse if their business model is weak or unsustainable.

In our next episode, we’ll dive into another key reason startups don’t survive year one, so stay tuned!

Tags

Share

Advertise here, Be the LEADER

Advertise Now

Latest Experts Thoughts

Salasa.. A Saudi fulfillment platform revolutionizing e-commerce and logistics in GCC

Noha Gad

 

In the heart of the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a global logistics hub, supported by strong government backing, extensive infrastructure development, and ongoing reforms in laws and regulations. The National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) aims to enhance the performance of logistics hubs and improve local, regional, and international connectivity across trade and transport networks, leveraging the Kingdom’s strategic location as the crossroad of three continents.

Tech-powered platforms like Salasa are revolutionizing traditional logistics by integrating advanced digital tools with deep market expertise, redefining speed, transparency, and operational efficiency.

As one of the leading e-commerce fulfillment platforms in Saudi Arabia, Salasa connects businesses to a sophisticated fulfillment network, turning complex logistics into seamless customer experiences.

 

To explore this transformation, Sharikat Mubasher interviewed Salasa’s founders, Hasan Alhazmi and Abdulmajeed Alyemni, to learn more about the platform’s business model, innovative offerings, and its role in transforming the logistics industry in Saudi Arabia.

Alhazmi, who also serves as Salasa’s CBO, shared insights into the platform’s evolution from a 3PL delivery provider to the logistics partner of choice for over 1,000 merchants, having fulfilled and shipped more than 50 million products domestically and internationally since inception.

 

First, what motivated you to establish Salasa? And what are the key logistics challenges that the platform addresses? 

Salasa began as a simple 3PL company delivering e-commerce orders by car and motorcycle. When one of our clients faced challenges with picking and packing, we stepped in to handle it. That light bulb moment revealed a clear opportunity: fulfillment could be offered as a dedicated service. My partner and I left our jobs at the time to build that model from the ground up.

From those first few shipments, we have grown into a network that has fulfilled over 50 million products, built on the belief that merchants should be able to scale without being weighed down by operational complexity. Today, our high-speed dark stores and mega fulfillment centers solve the exact pain points we saw in those early days: slow delivery times, fragmented courier options, and the cost burden of running in-house logistics. We combine that infrastructure with smart technology to give merchants what they need most: speed, reliability, and the ability to grow without limits.

 

How did Salasa enhance its products and services to transform the e-commerce logistics industry in Saudi Arabia? 

We are focused on building an infrastructure and technology ecosystem that work seamlessly together. 

On the physical side, we expanded to 15 dark stores and three mega fulfillment centers, ensuring we can reach the majority of customers in Saudi Arabia within hours, not days. 

On the technology side, we are rolling out solutions that automate courier selection, further optimize delivery routes, detect upcoming merchant campaigns, and predict inventory needs based on demand trends.

These tools will give merchants more control and visibility. No more guesswork. Merchants can track their orders in real time, anticipate stock needs, and respond to demand spikes with confidence. Over time, this combination of speed, transparency, and flexibility will raise the bar for what merchants expect from a logistics partner in the region.

 

How does Salasa uphold exceptional customer experience and operational excellence as it scales? 

Operational excellence at Salasa is embedded in every process we design. Our systems are built to minimize errors, cut delivery times, and ensure clear communication at every stage, with tools like voice AI proactively confirming pickups and deliveries for seamless coordination. 

As we scale, we avoid the common drop in service quality by investing heavily in technology and monitoring, staying close to the market, and listening to our customers. By identifying gaps, addressing bottlenecks, and acting quickly on feedback, we maintain the reliability merchants depend on and the on-time delivery customers expect, every single time.

 

For his part, Co-founder and CEO Alyemni shared more about the company’s growth strategy and his thoughts about the future of the logistics and e-commerce landscape in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. 

 

You successfully raised a $30 million Series B round. What motivated investors to invest in Salasa? And how will this fresh capital support your expansion plans?

Investors were drawn to Salasa because we have proven the model at scale. Salasa is not a gamble; it is a winning bet. We have built one of the fastest fulfillment networks in the region, backed by a proprietary tech stack that is actively redefining how e-commerce logistics operates. We have shown consistent growth, high merchant retention, and an ability to expand without compromising service quality.

 

This new capital allows us to move faster on three fronts:

*Infrastructure – expanding our network to handle higher volumes and cover more geographies.

*Technology – accelerating the development of our tech stack, from smart courier routing to predictive inventory positioning and automated merchant workflows.

*Talent – bringing in specialized expertise to strengthen our capabilities in operations, technology, and market expansion.

 

The goal is simple: to scale without losing the precision and quality that define Salasa today.

 

What are the new markets or segments that Salasa targets as part of its growth strategy? 

We are pursuing growth in three main ways: 

 

First, by deepening our presence in Saudi Arabia, reaching merchants in every major city, and scaling infrastructure to handle growing order volumes.

 

Second, by expanding into select GCC markets where there is clear demand for tech-enabled fulfillment.

 

Third, by enabling cross-border trade (inbound and outbound), which allows local sellers to seamlessly reach customers in new international markets, while also enabling global brands to enter Saudi Arabia with faster, more cost-effective delivery.

 

Beyond geography, we are also broadening our service offering, monetizing our proprietary Order Management System (OMS), and introducing adjacent solutions like omni-channel inventory management, AI-powered product content optimization, and campaign recommendations. These expansions position Salasa to serve merchants end-to-end, whether their customers are across the city or across borders.

 

How do you see the logistics and e-commerce fulfillment landscape in Saudi Arabia and the broader GCC region? 

Logistics in the region is moving away from fragmented, courier-led models to integrated fulfillment. Strong economic growth and major infrastructure investments are accelerating that shift. With E-commerce trade surging, Saudi Arabia alone sees over 250 million shipments a year, and higher incomes and connectivity will push that number higher.

Merchants are also changing how they operate, focusing on building their brands and products, while leaving logistics to specialized, tech-driven partners like Salasa. This shift is raising the bar for speed, reliability, and visibility, turning logistics from a challenge into a competitive advantage.

 

In your opinion, what are the key trends and innovations that shape the Saudi logistics sector? And how can cloud-powered and data-driven technology transform this promising sector? 

There are three major trends shaping the sector right now. First is the rise of instant delivery. Same-day and even two-hour windows are becoming more common in urban centers. Second is the growth of cross-border e-commerce, which brings both opportunities and operational complexity. Third is the deeper integration of AI and automation into every logistics function.

Cloud-powered and data-driven systems are the enablers here. They let us unify operations that were once fragmented, including warehousing, courier management, and inventory positioning, and run them as a single, intelligent network. When you layer in AI, you can anticipate demand, route orders in the most cost- and time-efficient way, and even optimize how merchants present their products online. This is how logistics moves from being a cost center to being a driver of growth.

Global Founders, Saudi Future: Inside the Rise of International Startups in the Kingdom

Kholoud Hussein 

 

Saudi Arabia’s startup magnetism is no longer a hypothesis; it’s measurable. In the first half of 2025, Saudi Arabia outperformed the wider MENA venture market, with startup funding up 116% year-on-year and deal activity matching that of the UAE for the first time, according to MAGNiTT’s H1 report. The financing tide is mirrored by regulatory throughput: the Ministry of Investment (MISA) issued 14,321 investment licenses in 2024—up nearly 68% year-on-year—signaling that more companies (including early-stage entrants) are choosing to plant a flag in the Kingdom. 

 

Perhaps the clearest indicator for founders themselves is the “Entrepreneur License”—a dedicated path for foreign startups. By mid-2025, 550 foreign startups had been licensed under this regime, a 118% jump versus mid-2024, per Monsha’at. That momentum sits alongside other founder-friendly gateways—from 100% foreign ownership in many sectors to the introduction of a Startup Visa category in 2025—lowering the friction of entry and signaling policy continuity. 

 

Capital as a calling card

Capital formation is a necessary condition for cross-border startup expansion, and Saudi has been deliberate in putting capital on the table. At LEAP 2025, authorities announced $14.9 billion in AI and digital deals and commitments, an umbrella under which global and regional startups can commercialize at speed. One emblematic example: U.S. AI-chip startup Groq secured a $1.5 billion commitment tied to expanding AI inference infrastructure in the Kingdom and scaling delivery from a new Dammam data center. “It’s an honor for Groq to be supporting the Kingdom’s 2030 vision,” CEO Jonathan Ross said of the partnership. 

 

Saudi Arabia’s broader risk capital picture is improving as well. Across MENA in H1 2025, startups raised about $2.1 billion through 334 deals—a 134% year-on-year rise—with Saudi Arabia leading the region’s funding totals, even when excluding debt. On the private-equity side, the Kingdom captured 45% of MENA’s H1 2025 PE transactions, pointing to late-stage depth that reduces exit anxiety for international founders considering relocation or market entry. 

 

Policy that travels well

For foreign founders, regulatory clarity matters as much as capital. Saudi’s investment regime has shifted from “if” to “how”—codifying 100% foreign ownership in many activities and streamlining licensing under MISA’s ISIC-based framework. The results show up in the pipeline: MISA’s quarterly updates highlight a brisk cadence of new permits; in Q4 2024 alone, 4,615 licenses were issued, nearly 60% more than the same quarter a year earlier. 

 

Two adjacent policy levers also matter for founders: premium residency and regional headquarters (RHQ). Applications for Saudi’s premium residency surpassed 40,000 between early 2024 and mid-2025, broadening the talent funnel for executives and technical leaders that foreign startups need to recruit locally. Meanwhile, the RHQ program continues to pull decision-making centers into Riyadh, with 34 additional RHQ licenses granted in Q2 2025—building a critical mass of buyers, partners, and procurement teams inside the Kingdom. 

 

Wide open sector doors

  • AI and data infrastructure. The Groq transaction is not an outlier; it’s a signal. The Kingdom has positioned itself as an AI build-site—from hyperscale data centers to model development capacity—backed by new national champions like HUMAIN and a dense pipeline of digital infrastructure. For international AI startups, the implication is straightforward: Saudi is willing to co-invest in critical plumbing if the commercial payoff is local.

 

  • Industrial and advanced manufacturing. Beyond software, Saudi Arabia keeps issuing industrial permits at a pace—1,346 in 2024 alone, with SR50 billion ($13.3 billion) in fresh investment—creating a market for foreign startups that sell enabling tech (vision systems, robotics, supply-chain AI, maintenance analytics) to local manufacturers. 

 

  • Proptech and urban services. A wave of foreign proptechs is eyeing Saudi Arabia’s fast-digitizing real-estate market. UAE-born Huspy, for instance, has publicly prioritized Saudi in its expansion roadmap, citing regulatory modernization and demand for transaction-speed tools for brokers and agents. “Saudi Arabia is undergoing a major transformation in real estate… Our goal is to partner with local professionals and give them tools that help them close deals faster,” CEO Jad Antoun said, noting the company’s near-term entry plans into Riyadh. 
  • Tourism and consumer platforms. With regions like Aseer receiving focused development to diversify beyond the megacity narrative, B2C and B2B2C startups in traveltech, creator-led commerce, and experience marketplaces can find “white space” beyond Tier-1 cities—valuable for foreign firms seeking first-mover brand equity. 

What foreign founders say

The confidence narrative is not just macro headlines; it’s founder-level calculus. Groq’s Ross frames Saudi as a co-builder in the AI stack, not merely a customer, emphasizing alignment with Vision 2030’s production goals rather than transactional procurement. Huspy’s Antoun points to a practical wedge: digitizing an industry that still has offline bottlenecks, using a partnership model with local professionals to localize workflows rather than impose a foreign UX. Venture investors echo this pull; as one regional funder told AGBI, Saudi Arabia is “one of the few countries in the world where you can actually see the growth,” with VC deals on track to cross $1 billion and potentially scale tenfold by 2030.

 

Friction points that matter

No market is turnkey, and international founders should assess Saudi Arabia’s specifics with the same rigor they would apply to the U.S., India, or the EU.

  • Regulatory sequencing: While entry has eased, startups still need the right license stack (commercial registration, sectoral approvals, and—where applicable—sandbox permissions) and must align their activity with MISA’s ISIC classifications. This is navigable, but it requires a sequencing plan and local counsel. 
  • Localization beyond language: Winning tends to hinge on product-market fit, not translation alone. Antoun’s comments on local agent workflows in Saudi real estate illustrate the point: foreign startups that embed local process logic (payment rails, KYC norms, fulfillment SLAs) grow faster and face less churn. 
  • Talent immigration and leadership depth: New visa channels—including the Startup Visa and premium residency—reduce friction, but founders should still time senior hires around licensing milestones and RHQ decisions to avoid costly lag between strategy and presence. 
  • Enterprise sales cycles: In sectors where government or large enterprises are anchor customers (such as health, education, utilities, and petrochemicals), procurement is structured, security review-heavy, and relationship-intensive. The upside is that once inside, retention can be exceptional; the downside is that proof-of-value must be unambiguous. LEAP’s deal flow shows that the door is open, but readiness is on the founder. 

The geography of opportunity

Saudi’s market is not one city: it is a set of distinct demand nodes—Riyadh for headquarters and B2B sales; Eastern Province for energy, data centers, and industrial tech; Jeddah for logistics and commerce; and fast-developing regions like Aseer for tourism, environmental tech, and outdoor economy platforms. The Dammam data center build tied to Groq underscores why East Coast proximity can be strategic for AI infrastructure and industrial IoT startups. 

 

RHQ policy compounds this geography. As more multinationals and unicorns set up regional headquarters in Riyadh, foreign startups get closer to procurement teams that control multi-country budgets—meaning a Saudi entry can be a GCC springboard, not a single-market detour. 

 

Signals in the numbers

The velocity of new company formation and licensing is widening the aperture for cross-border startups:

  • Licenses: 14,321 total investment licenses in 2024; +67.7% YoY. 
  • Foreign startup licenses: 550 by mid-2025; +118% YoY. 
  • Industrial base: 1,346 industrial licenses in 2024; SR50B new investment; >44,000 expected new jobs. 
  • Venture flow: Saudi H1 2025 startup funding +116% YoY; deal count at record H1 levels. 
  • AI anchor deals: $14.9B in AI/digital commitments announced at LEAP 2025; Groq’s $1.5B Saudi commitment. 

These are not vanity metrics; they translate into contract velocity, partner density, and hiring pipelines that a seed-to-Series-B founder can actually use.

 

How foreign startups are entering

1) Direct incorporation with Entrepreneur License: Best for startups with product clarity and near-term revenue paths. It allows 100% ownership and straightforward compliance if your activity fits the ISIC mapping. 

2) JV or distribution through sector leaders: In sales-heavy verticals (fintech infrastructure, insuretech, defense-grade cyber, industrial AI), foreign startups often partner with a local incumbent to pass procurement gates faster while building their own entity for future scale.

3) RHQ plus operating subsidiary: For scaleups serving GCC-wide customers, anchoring leadership in Riyadh while operating tech teams in multiple cities can shorten enterprise sales cycles and centralize government engagement. The rising number of RHQ licenses signals this pattern is gaining steam.

 

The founder’s checklist

  • Proof of local value: Be explicit about what you enable: faster approvals for banks, lower downtime in factories, shorter closing cycles for agents. Saudi customers buy outcomes, not roadmaps. (Huspy’s focus on broker productivity is illustrative.) 
  • Compliance by design: Build KSA-specific workflows into the product (Arabic interfaces, e-invoicing, ZATCA rules, data residency where needed) rather than layering them as post-sale custom work.
  • Talent stack: Budget early for a bilingual customer success lead and a regulatory ops specialist; they will pay for themselves by compressing the time from POC to MSA. Startup and premium residency visas expand this hiring universe. 
  • Capital partnerships: Treat local funds and corporate venture arms as design partners, not just check-writers. The Groq-Aramco Digital alignment shows how strategic capital can unlock infrastructure and demand simultaneously.  

What success looks like

A sustainable Saudi play for a foreign startup usually has four features: 

(1) local problem definition (not copy-pasted from another geography

(2) embedded compliance and language support

(3) a domestic revenue base that can survive currency or geopolitical shocks elsewhere

(4) partnerships that make a Saudi presence a GCC (and eventually global) revenue engine. 

 

The policy regime makes this viable; the capital base makes it scalable; the customer appetite makes it repeatable.

 

The numbers suggest the window is open. MAGNiTT’s H1 2025 data shows Saudi’s venture engine running hotter than regional peers. MISA’s licensing pipeline continues to swell, and specialized channels—entrepreneur licensing, new visa categories, RHQ—shrink the “distance” between a foreign founder and their first Saudi purchase order. On the ground, founders are already speaking a language of execution: Groq’s Jonathan Ross emphasizes co-building, while Huspy’s Jad Antoun talks about fixing specific frictions with local partners. 

 

Finally, Saudi Arabia has moved from being a promising market to a working market for international startups. For founders who can anchor locally, localize deeply, and partner intelligently, the Kingdom is not just another expansion pin on the map—it’s a growth core.

 

Introduction to AI Ethics: Why It Matters More Than Ever

Ghada Ismail

 

We trust AI more than we realize. It’s in our phones, suggesting what to watch, in our cars helping us navigate, and in our offices automating tasks. Soon, it will be making even bigger decisions; about healthcare, finance, and how entire cities run.

But here’s the catch: can we trust it to always be fair, safe, and responsible? That’s where AI ethics comes in.

 

What Exactly Is AI Ethics?

At its simplest, AI ethics is about making sure we’re using AI in ways that benefit society without causing harm. Think of it as the rulebook—or at least the compass—that keeps this powerful technology heading in the right direction.

Some of the key ideas include:

 

  • Fairness: Making sure AI doesn’t discriminate or reinforce bias.
  • Transparency: Helping people understand how decisions are made, rather than leaving it all to a “black box.”
  • Privacy: Protecting personal data so it isn’t misused.
  • Accountability: Being clear about who is responsible when things go wrong.
  • Safety: Ensuring systems are secure, reliable, and not open to abuse.

 

Why It Matters Now

AI is spreading fast, and the stakes are high. A poorly designed system can deny someone a loan, overlook a qualified job candidate, or spread misinformation at scale. Without trust, the benefits of AI could be overshadowed by public fear and resistance. Getting ethics right isn’t about slowing down progress, but rather about building AI people can actually rely on.

 

Why This Matters for Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is aiming to be one of the world’s leading AI hubs, and ethics is a key part of that journey. With the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) leading the charge, the Kingdom is working on frameworks that balance innovation with responsibility. As AI becomes embedded in smart cities, healthcare, finance, and beyond, ensuring it is ethical and transparent will be crucial for winning trust, both locally and globally.

 

What’s Next

This post only scratches the surface of a big conversation. AI ethics isn’t just theory, it’s about the choices we make today that will shape how we live tomorrow. In the next article, “Building Ethical AI in Saudi Arabia: Regulation, Innovation, and Responsibility,” we’ll take a closer look at how the Kingdom is putting these principles into action, the challenges it faces, and why getting it right could define Saudi Arabia’s role in the global AI race.

 

What is Lifetime Value? Why It Matters for Startups

Kholoud Hussein 

 

In the crowded and competitive world of startups, survival often depends less on how quickly a company can acquire customers and more on how effectively it can keep them. Investors, founders, and operators alike constantly ask a central question: How much is each customer really worth to the business over time? The answer lies in a single metric that has become one of the cornerstones of modern startup economics: Lifetime Value (LTV).

 

What is LTV? 

 

Lifetime Value (LTV) refers to the total revenue a company can reasonably expect from a customer throughout the duration of their relationship. In other words, it measures the economic value of each customer account, taking into consideration not just the first purchase but also repeat purchases, upgrades, cross-sells, and renewals.

 

The concept is particularly vital for startups, which often operate under pressure to grow quickly while managing limited capital. A strong LTV suggests that customers are sticking around and spending more, making the business more sustainable and attractive to investors.

 

Why Startups Can’t Afford to Ignore LTV?

 

For early-stage ventures, every marketing dollar counts. Startups frequently burn cash acquiring users, sometimes at unsustainable rates. Without understanding LTV, it’s easy to mistake vanity metrics (like downloads or sign-ups) for real growth.

 

Here’s why LTV matters so much for startups:

1. Balancing Growth with Sustainability
A startup with a high customer acquisition cost (CAC) but a low LTV is essentially losing money with every new customer. By calculating LTV, founders can determine if the business model is economically viable and if growth is truly scalable.

 

2. Attracting Investors
Venture capitalists and angel investors rely heavily on metrics like LTV-to-CAC ratio when evaluating startups. A strong ratio (commonly 3:1 or higher) signals that the business is not only acquiring customers efficiently but also retaining them in a way that creates long-term value.

 

3. Strategic Decision-Making
LTV informs everything from pricing models and marketing budgets to product development and customer service. For example, if upselling premium features largely drives a startup’s LTV, the company may focus more resources on building and marketing those features rather than chasing one-time sales.

 

The Role of LTV in Startup Growth Models

 

1. SaaS and Subscription Startups
For SaaS businesses, LTV is central to evaluating churn rates, pricing tiers, and customer retention strategies. Even a slight improvement in retention can dramatically increase LTV, making these startups significantly more valuable.

 

2. E-Commerce Startups
In e-commerce, LTV guides marketing spend and customer segmentation. Companies like Amazon have thrived by maximizing customer LTV through repeat purchases, loyalty programs, and personalized recommendations. Startups in this sector can adopt similar tactics on a smaller scale.

 

3. Fintech and Platform Startups
For fintech or marketplace startups, LTV is not just about the revenue from one customer but often includes network effects. As users stay longer and invite others, their indirect contribution to LTV increases.

 

Challenges in Measuring LTV

 

Despite its importance, calculating LTV is not without challenges:

 

  • Unpredictable Customer Behavior: In early stages, startups lack enough historical data to make accurate projections.
  • Market Shifts: Changing regulations, competitive landscapes, or consumer preferences can affect LTV forecasts.
  • Over-Optimism: Many founders fall into the trap of inflating LTV assumptions when pitching to investors, which can backfire if real numbers fall short.

 

LTV as a Storytelling Tool

 

For startups, LTV is not just a metric but a narrative device that explains why the business will survive and thrive. When a founder can confidently demonstrate that their customers stick around, spend more over time, and deliver a strong return on acquisition costs, it signals durability.

 

In many ways, LTV is a measure of trust: the trust customers place in the startup’s product, and the trust investors place in the startup’s future.

 

Lifetime Value as a Compass

 

For startups, Lifetime Value is both a metric and a compass. It helps founders make smarter decisions, attract the right kind of capital, and scale more responsibly. More importantly, it shifts the focus from chasing endless growth at any cost to cultivating long-term relationships with customers.

 

In today’s hyper-competitive environment, startups that understand and optimize LTV are the ones most likely to make the leap from surviving to thriving. It’s not just about winning customers — it’s about keeping them, nurturing them, and growing with them over the lifetime of the relationship.

 

 

Exploring e-wallet types and how AI & VR power their revolution

Noha Gad 

 

E-wallets have transformed the way people handle financial transactions as they provide a seamless and safe digital alternative to cash and physical cards. These wallets consolidate various payment methods, such as credit cards, debit cards, and bank accounts, into a single, user-friendly interface, offering users a convenient experience and enabling them to make purchases, transfer money, and manage finances swiftly through their smartphones or any other connected devices. This simplification of payments has significantly boosted consumer adoption worldwide, particularly in urban communities and developing economies where mobile connectivity is widespread.

The rise of e-wallets considerably contributed to reducing dependency on cash and traditional banking infrastructure, ultimately promoting financial inclusion, especially in regions with a large unbanked population. 

There are several types of e-wallets, each catering to different user needs and technological ecosystems. In this blog, we will dive deep into the five main types of e-wallets and how they meet the evolving needs of both businesses and end-users.

 

Types of e-wallets

 

Closed wallet

Closed wallets, also known as a power wallet, operate as a preloaded account used for specific products or services within a particular transaction, often linked to the issuer’s payment gateway. Businesses and organizations often issue closed wallets to their customers for making payments exclusively within their ecosystem. Users of a closed wallet can only use the stored funds to make transactions with the wallet’s issuer.

 

Semi-closed wallet

This type of wallet has a limited coverage area as it is accepted only within a specific network of merchants or service providers. Merchants must agree to partner with the issuer to accept payments from a semi-closed wallet.

The semi-closed wallets allow users to make transactions at various merchant outlets and enable peer-to-peer transfers; however, they cannot be used to withdraw cash or make payments outside the specified network.

 

Open wallet

Open wallets are offered by banks to be used for any type of transaction. Unlike closed and semi-closed wallets, this versatile digital payment tool allows users to store funds and transact across various merchants and platforms. Both sender and receiver must have the same application installed on their devices.

Open wallets offer convenience and flexibility, enabling users to make payments at any merchant accepting digital payments via that wallet.

 

Crypto wallet

Crypto wallets facilitate secure transactions using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. They store public and private keys required for initiating transactions on the blockchain network. The public key serves as an address where others can send cryptocurrency, while the private key is used to securely access and manage the stored funds.

Crypto wallets can be software-based (online or offline by using a USB stick) or hardware wallets that store the keys offline for enhanced security. Hardware wallets, also known as cold wallets, provide an extra layer of security and safety.

 

Internet of Things (IoT) wallets

The IoT wallets enable transactions between interconnected devices within the IoT ecosystem, allowing devices to exchange value and authenticate transactions seamlessly and securely.

This type is pivotal for various use cases, such as smart meters that facilitate automated utility payments, connected vehicles that enable in-vehicle payments, and supply chain tracking where devices interact to validate and record transactions.

 

Integration of emerging technologies into e-wallets

 

In recent years, the integration of emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI), has further reshaped the capabilities and user experience of e-wallets. 

AI has played a pivotal role in transforming the capabilities and user experience of e-wallets. Integrating AI tools can enhance e-wallets' security, personalization, and operational efficiency.

 

AI can contribute to enhancing fraud detection and prevention, providing personalized offerings, and helping users identify saving opportunities by analyzing their expenses. AI agents, virtual assistants, and chatbots are instrumental in elevating customer experience by providing 24/7 support, instantly answering queries, troubleshooting common issues, and guiding users through payment processes.

VR emerged as an innovative trend that enriches the retail and payment experience through an immersive digital environment. These technologies enable users to visualize products in virtual space and make instant purchases through their e-wallets without leaving the experience. 

VR can transform traditional e-wallet interfaces into interactive and visually rich experiences, making money management, bill payments, or fund transfers more engaging and less transactional.

 

Finally, e-wallets have revolutionized how consumers manage their financial transactions, offering a convenient and secure alternative to traditional cash and cards. By consolidating multiple payment methods into a single digital platform, e-wallets simplify payments and enable seamless money transfers, purchases, and financial management across diverse devices.

The integration of AI and VR into e-wallets can revolutionize social commerce and peer-to-peer payments within virtual worlds and redefine how consumers interact with e-wallets, blending convenience, security, and immersive experiences in the digital economy.