ZenHR raises $6M to expand AI-driven HR platform across MENA

Saudi Arabia based HR technology company ZenHR has raised $6 million in a bridge funding round led by Riyadh-based venture capital firm Impact46, as it looks to expand its HR platform across Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The fresh funding will support ZenHR’s regional expansion and further development of its artificial intelligence capabilities, including its ZenEWA offering.

Founded by Yousef Shamoun and Mohamad Haj Hasan, who previously co-founded Jawaker, ZenHR currently operates across 11 markets. Its platform brings together a range of HR functions, including payroll, recruitment, performance management, employee administration and compliance.

The company is also expanding beyond traditional HR management software, with offerings that include earned wage access, AI-enabled tools and workforce solutions.

ZenHR said its platform is designed to centralise HR processes, allowing organisations to manage areas such as employee data, leave, compliance and performance through a single system.

The latest investment is expected to accelerate the integration of AI across the platform, with the technology being applied to HR workflows, workforce analysis and everyday employee and management processes.

The move comes as businesses across MENA increasingly look to digitise HR operations while managing country-specific employment regulations and workforce requirements.

For ZenHR, its focus on regional compliance and local workplace practices is a key part of its proposition as it expands into additional markets. The company aims to reduce reliance on disconnected HR systems and provide employers with an integrated platform for managing their workforce.

The $6 million bridge round gives ZenHR additional capital to scale its operations and strengthen its AI capabilities as competition in the region’s HR technology market intensifies.