This special Startup Spotlights episode was filmed live at Expand North Star (ENS) 2025, the world’s largest startup and investor event (October 2025).

In this conversation, Dani El-Zein, Founder & CEO of Supy, breaks down how he scaled one of the region’s fastest-growing restaurant-tech platforms — from raising early capital to winning enterprise clients and evolving the product through multiple funding rounds. Together with our host and Chief Content Officer of Lucidity Insights, Erika Welch, they dived into what VCs really look for, the KPIs founders should obsess over, and why customer retention is the most important metric in SaaS and foodtech. Dani also shared his well-earned lessons in what to do, and - perhaps more importantly - what not to do, when fundraising and deploying capital to scale quickly.

Dani also shares how Supy is integrating AI to automate procurement and transform restaurant operations, what his talent strategy looks like during rapid growth, and how his role as CEO has evolved as the company scales globally.

A concise, insight-packed episode for anyone building in SaaS, AI, foodtech, or the future of restaurant operations.

Dani El-Zein’s Linkedin
Supy Startup profile

"Lucidity Insights: Startup Spotlights," is a newly premiered Podcast Show by LucidityInsights.com featuring CEOs and entrepreneurs from startups and tech companies all around the world. Understand how their mind works, how they turn ideas into reality, navigated startup life, and the lessons they learned. 🚀

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From private equity investor to agritech trailblazer, Sky Kurtz, Co-Founder & CEO of Pure Harvest Smart Farms, joins a special episode of the Startup Spotlights Podcast by Lucidity Insights to unpack how he built one of the Middle East’s leading controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) companies. Host Erika Welch dives into Sky’s journey from Stanford and global finance to launching a high-tech farming conglomerate solving the region’s biggest challenges in food security, sustainable agriculture, and farming in extreme climates.

Sky breaks down the complexities of scaling CEA technology in extreme climates — including water-efficient greenhouse systems, climate-resilient food production, and the technologies enabling year-round fresh produce in the GCC. He offers deep insights into the future of water conservation in the Middle East, the region’s transition beyond petrodollar-driven economies, and what it will take for the UAE to become a global hub for agritech, sustainability, and home-grown unicorn startups.

Sky also shares candid, hard-won advice for founders on startup fundraising, navigating macroeconomic shifts, investor expectations in the GCC, and building high-performance teams in complex, capital-intensive sectors. A must-listen episode for anyone exploring agritech innovation, food and water security, UAE startup funding, or the future of sustainable food systems.

Sky Kurtz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skykurtz/
PureHarvest Startup profile: https://lucidityinsights.com/startups/pure-harvest-1342

Watch this Episode on Lucidity Insights:

"Lucidity Insights: Startup Spotlights," is a newly premiered Podcast Show by LucidityInsights.com featuring CEOs and entrepreneurs from startups and tech companies all around the world. Understand how their mind works, how they turn ideas into reality, navigated startup life, and the lessons they learned. 🚀

[ Watch this episode on video ]

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In this episode of the Startup Spotlights Podcast Series by Lucidity Insights, we welcome Maaz Sheikh in the studio, the Co-Founder and CEO of StarzPlay. Known as the Netflix of the region, StarzPlay is a leading video-on-demand streaming service in the Middle East and Africa. Maaz shares his journey from ideation to raising tens of millions in funding, the importance of localization, and overcoming challenges in the highly competitive streaming industry. Discover the strategic moves that set StarzPlay apart, including partnerships with mobile operators and the integration of Turkish and Arabic content. Tune in this episode for valuable insights on entrepreneurship and the evolving landscape of digital entertainment.

Check out more details about StarzPlay’s fundraising journey in their profile: https://lucidityinsights.com/startups/starzplay-1346

Watch this Episode on Lucidity Insights: https://lucidityinsights.com/podcasts-masterclasses/startup-spotlights-s1e03?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=streaming

"Lucidity Insights: Startup Spotlights," is a newly premiered Podcast Show by LucidityInsights.com featuring CEOs and entrepreneurs from startups and tech companies all around the world. Understand how their mind works, how they turn ideas into reality, navigated startup life, and the lessons they learned. 🚀

[ Watch this episode on video ]

Follow our Socials: LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter (X)