Staff Report
Dubai, UAE
Nawy, Africa’s largest proptech company based in Cairo, has acquired a majority stake in SmartCrowd, the MENA region’s first regulated platform enabling fractional property investments. This acquisition marks Nawy’s official entry into the UAE and the GCC.
Nawy utilises AI-powered search, in-house brokerage expertise, and financing solutions to simplify property transactions for consumers, brokers, and developers alike.
The UAE’s real estate investment sector is projected to reach US$33 billion by 2030, driven by tokenisation, fractional ownership, and increased cross-border participation – propelling Nawy’s expansion move. With its stake in SmartCrowd, which allows users to co-invest in premium, income-generating real estate from as little as US$150, Nawy looks to cement its presence in the robust sector.
Riz Ahmed, CEO of SmartCrowd, said, “This is a transformative transaction for SmartCrowd, joining forces with Nawy to build the region’s premier PropTech ecosystem. With strong alignment in vision and culture, this partnership accelerates our transition from startup to scale-up – making us the go-to platform for real estate investment in the Middle East.”
As a fractional property investment platform, SmartCrowd has enabled US$110 million in property transactions, distributing over US$40 million in rental income and capital gains. It currently serves investors from over 130 countries and has successfully exited more than 50 properties as of June 2025.
One of its flagship offerings, Flip, acquires and renovates undervalued assets to resell within 15 months – yielding an average 30 percent return on investment (ROI) as of June 2025.
Mostafa ElBeltagy, CEO of Nawy, said, “SmartCrowd’s platform gives us a proven investment engine built on trust, performance, and regulatory strength. The perfect match for Nawy’s tech-first approach to real estate. Together, we’re unlocking a new era of seamless property investment across MENA: data-driven, accessible, and built for today’s digital investor.”
Earlier this year, Navy acquired asset management and home finishing startup ROA, relaunching it as Nawy Unlocked, a key pillar in its upcoming property super-app.
Nawy’s growing ecosystem includes Nawy Now (home financing), Nawy Shares (fractional ownership platform), Nawy Unlocked (asset enhancement services), and Nawy Partners (B2B brokerage network). It has recorded over one million monthly users and US$3 billion in gross merchandise value to date.
Ends
Also read: Crowdfunding opens doors for small-sized investments in real estate
