Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Persona, a brand venture studio transforming ideas into lasting consumer brands, secured $630,000 in a pre-seed funding round led by Upturn to fuel its expansion across the GCC.

The new capital will accelerate Persona’s commerce expansion and help the company grow its portfolio of community-driven brands across the region, the company announced in a press release today.

Persona will also use the investment to launch its live commerce platform to power community-driven commerce across the GCC and onboard the next wave of partners, including creators, fan-base communities, and media IPs.

Beyond capital, Persona will leverage Upturn's expertise in retail infrastructure and supply chain to enhance its model of building and scaling consumer brands from the ground up.

Adel El-Masri, Founder of Persona, said: "People do not just follow the creators, clubs, and shows they love. They feel part of them. What we do is give that bond something tangible: a product people can hold, use, and come back to every day. That turns a moment of attention into a lasting connection, strengthens the whole community around it, and builds a real business with a future."

Headquartered in Riyadh, Persona currently operates eight live brands across F&B, FMCG, beauty, retail, and lifestyle, with more in development. It brings an in-house team of industry operators across product development, regulatory, supply chain, brand strategy, and commercial operations, backed by a network of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, licensing bodies, and media platforms.